LLTC Miikinaa 2012 Mika: First Generation College Student

First Generation Ojibwe College Students Share Their Stories
Cass Lake, Minnesota July 25, 2011 - Three students at Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) in Cass Lake, Minnesota have completed an audio project in which they share their stories about what it means to be a first generation college student on a reservation. The stories discuss how these students see education as the antidote to generational poverty, racism, alcohol abuse, and other social ills that have long afflicted their communities. The audio edits will be broadcast on various radio stations and will be available on the LLTC website.
The three stories were organized by the Miikinaa 2012 program run by the Arts and Humanities Department at LLTC. Miikinaa is the Ojibwe word for "path" and refers to the path these students are taking to achieve academic success, retention, and transfer to a four-year college or university.

LLTC faculty member Elaine Fleming is the coordinator of the Miikinaa 2012 program, which is funded by the Institute for Higher Education Policy and the Walmart Minority Student Success Initiative. Fleming said, "We try to encourage our students by showing them how Anishinaabe values can help them succeed in college. It is quite a struggle to be the first one in your family to attend college, but these are strong, smart, courageous young people."

Mika Pacheco-Northbird is married with three children and is an accomplished bead worker who is deeply dedicated to Anishinaabe traditions. She explains in her story, "I realized that education was the key for me to cultural freedom."
For more information about this audio project or the Miikinaa 2012 program, please contact Leech Lake Tribal College at (218) 335-4200 or visit the website at www.lltc.edu.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Ojibwe
• Anishinaabe
• Leech Lake Tribal College
• Minnesota
• reservation
• American Indian
• Native American