Jessica Saucedo (left) with friend and research partner Beedoskah Stonefish (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Bkejwanong First Nation).
November is Native American Heritage Month, and includes the recognition of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian and affiliated Island communities. During this time, we celebrate the cultures, traditions and achievements of these peoples, as well as their impact on our society and culture today.
Our Access Champion, Dr. Mindy Morgan, is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and an affiliated faculty member of the American Indian Studies Program. Her research explores how Native communities perceive the relationship between Indigenous languages and English, and the use of language and literacy as cultural and historical tools within these communities.
Jessica Saucedo is our November Access Torch. A Psychology graduate student in the Ecological and Community Psychology program, Saucedo's current research focuses on how engaging in Native culture and language supports the physical, cognitive, emotional, and linguistic development of three- to five-year-old children.
Dr. Kehli Henry is our November Access Spotlight and an alum of Michigan State University’s Department of Anthropology. She is currently a Research Associate at STEM Ed PaCER Program, a collaboration between MSU, the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York, and the Sustainable Development Institute at the College of Menominee Nation.