Montana State University American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success

06/08/2026

The American Indian/Alaska Native Student Services & Dept of Native American Studies is searching for a Good Relations Learning Community Coordinator. This position serves as an advocate and mentor, committed to providing excellent student and academic support to increase the recruitment, retention, and academic success of American Indian and Alaska Native students at Montana State University.

Contact Lisa Perry for more information at [email protected]. Here is the position announcement with more detail:

Good Relations Learning Community Coordinator
Department of Native American Studies
For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on:
https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/51699

In compliance with the Montana Veteran's Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran's preference, please complete the veteran's preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Montana State University does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, s*x, s*xual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

The Department of Native American Studies is seeking a Good Relations Learning Community Coordinator for American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Services (AI/ANSSS). This position serves as an advocate and mentor, committed to providing excellent student and academic support to increase the re...

06/04/2026

The AI/ANSS staff have the privilege of attending the 2026 Native American Student Advocacy Institute gathering in Phoenix, AZ. A great opportunity to learn, share, and connect with others who are supporting Native students in higher education. 🪶

05/22/2026

We invite new incoming freshmen, transfer, and graduate students to participate in Native Pathways to Success. Native Pathways to Success is an Orientation hosted by American Indian / Alaska Native Student Success, and the Department of Native American Studies. For new incoming students, there is the benefit of early arrival move into your fall housing assignment, with costs covered by us as we host you.

This orientation happens in part on Friday, August 21, and all day Saturday- August 22, 2026. There is no cost to attend Native Pathways to Success. This orientation is designed to give new students connection, culture, and community, as well as engagement and introduction to key campus resources and people who will assist students as they begin their time at MSU.

Register here for Native Pathways to Success: https://forms.gle/fRvNGMgxweMUbv6k6

All students are required to attend one of the 4 MSU summer orientations in addition to Native Pathways!

05/20/2026

The Department of Native American Studies is searching for an Academic Services Coordinator to join our team. This position will serve as a critical member of the Native American Studies Department within the College of Letters and Science, often serving as the initial point of contact for students and the public. The Academic Services Coordinator manages graduate and undergraduate student programs in the department and provides critical support to faculty in their mission to provide outstanding educational opportunities to all students at Montana State University.

Contact Lisa Stevenson for more info at [email protected]. Here is the position announcement with more detail:

Academic Services Coordinator
Native American Studies/College of Letters and Science
For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on:

The Academic Services Coordinator is a critical member of the Native American Studies Department within the College of Letters and Science, serving as the initial point of contact for students and the public. This role manages undergraduate and graduate programs, provides comprehensive administrativ...

10/29/2025

As Fall Commencement nears, we are excited to host our spring graduation ceremony on Thursday, December 11th at 4:00pm in the Great Hall. Undergraduate, Graduate, and Gallatin College degree candidates are encouraged to RSVP. In order to be gifted a custom stole, students must attend the celebration in person. This includes distance and online students. Because of limited space, we ask students to invite no more than 5 guest to the grad celebration.

RSVP by Wednesday, November 26, here: https://forms.gle/ZLGfmUS2uMRExWVz9

08/13/2025

The American Indian/ Alaska Native Student Success Service welcomes Josie Kaufman as Program Coordinator of the Good Relations Learning Community! This Good Relations Learning Community supports incoming first year and transfer students by providing community, mentorship, academic, professional, and cultural identity development. Josie has been part of the AIH community for several years and is familiar with our commitment to kinship and culture in the services we provide to our students.

Josie comes from Sturgis in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She is a graduate of Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience where she started as a chemistry and writing tutor in the American Indian Hall. As a student, Josie was active in the Honors College and student government where she became an advocate for encouraging autonomy and lifelong learning at MSU. In her role here at MSU, Josie looks forward to coordinating the Good Relations Learning Community , a peer mentorship program for first year and transfer students. Josie desires everyone to feel welcome and supported with adaptable knowledge and a skillset built to last.

Welcome to the AIANSSS team! We are excited to have Josie contribute to the good work of being a Good Relative to our students, staff, and faculty. You can contact Josie:

[email protected]
Dan Voyich Student Commons, American Indian Hall 135F
(406) 994- 3337

04/01/2025

Dear CLS Community,
I am delighted to announce that Dr. Meredith K. Hecker has been appointed Department Head of Native American Studies and Associate Professor of Native American Studies.

Dr. Hecker is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation and currently serves as the Co-Director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium and Co-PI of a $3 million grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She earned her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Montana where she was an Alfred P. Sloan Indigenous Fellow and the Tribal Liaison for the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center (YERC) located in Bozeman, MT Following her graduate studies, she served as an assistant and associate professor of mathematics at the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana. Dr. Hecker previously served as the Chair of the Mathematics Department at Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana. She is a proud graduate of Montana State University where she majored in Mathematics and minored in History.

"I am honored to step into the role of Department Chair for Native American Studies at Montana State University," Dr. Hecker said, "As an alumni and current member of this institution, I am deeply committed to fostering an environment that uplifts Indigenous voices, supports our students, and strengthens our collective community. I look forward to building on the department's strong foundation and working alongside faculty, staff, and students to advance our shared mission."
Dr. Hecker is an active member of American Mathematical Society (AMS), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).

I want to thank the Search Committee members for their support, generosity, kindness, humor, respect, and hard work throughout this process, including Steven Davis for his leadership as Chair of this search committee, and members Kaja Anderson, Florence Garcia, Matt Herman, Anita Moore-Hall, Kristin Ruppel, Lisa Perry, Lisa Stevenson, and Sweeney Windchief.

NAS confers a minor, a Master of Arts degree, and a graduate certificate. NAS works with and supports more than 800 Native students at MSU representing more than 50 tribes. The department is the only Indigenous Studies/Native American Studies program in a R1 institution accredited by the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). The Department is home to the American Indian and Alaska Native Student Success Services (AIANSS), providing programs and support for all Native students on campus. The Department supports two collaborative, Indigenous-led research and educational programs: the Native Land Project and the Buffalo Nations Food Systems Initiative.

As we celebrate Dr. Hecker's appointment, we also honor Dr. Walter Fleming who is retiring as Department Head of NAS and Professor of Native American Studies. He has served on the faculty at MSU for 46 years with generosity and distinction.

Please join me in giving a warm MSU welcome to Dr. Meredith K. Hecker!
All best,

William G. Thomas III
Dean, College of Letters and Science

01/24/2025

Greetings!

Did you know, you are loved & valued? As you are getting settled into the rhythms and routines of a new semester, join us as the Department of Native American Studies sponsors lunch on Monday – January 27, beginning at 12pm in the Great Hall of AIH. We will begin our meal and time by inviting students, staff, and faculty into a Community Cedaring. Don’t feel pressured into taking part. Anxieties, unrest, distractions are a reality – however celebrating strength, community, our identity; enrolled, non – enrolled, descendant, multiethnic point to a much larger reality and practice we strive to model for our students empowering you with food, good medicine, and community that say you do belong, you are welcome, and you are loved. We hope you can make it!

01/10/2025

The American Indian / Alaska Native Student Success is excited to have students back on campus! We welcome new students who are beginning or returning this spring semester. We invite all students to stop by as the semester gets going to check in with us. Beginning Monday, January 13th, American Indian Hall, and the Dan Voyich Student Commons will be open from 8am to 10pm, Mondays through Fridays. Be on the lookout for information regarding Talking Circle, Let's Talk, tutoring, cultural programming, student organizations, professional development and networking. AI/ANSS provides free printing, referrals and advocacy for scholarship / financial assistance, mental health, mentorship, and much more. Our team is here to serve you. Safe travels as you come back to campus!

Please stop in and let us know how you are doing. Look forward to seeing you all back on campus!