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Native American Studies, B.A. | Class of
Stefani Baldivia
Archivist & Librarian Lecturer
Employer: California State University, Chico
Job description: I am an Archivist in the Special Collections and University Archives Department and a Lecturer Librarian, where I perform reference, instruction, and outreach activities. I apply communication theory and learner-centered pedagogy in information literacy instruction; I'm skilled in designing and implementing information literacy instruction for group training sessions, and individual student consultations, in a variety of formats.
About Stefani
Why did you choose this program?
Native American Studies gave me the critical thinking skills to analyze and understand how knowledge is constructed and contextual. The faculty encouraged students to apply the theories and methods we were learning in the classroom through a decolonial analysis of the campus', local municipalities, and state and federal government policies. The program helped me to see the interconnectedness of systems in the environment and within communities.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
My Native American studies degree has been invaluable in my career as an information professional. My professors were Yurok, Tolowa, and Lakota, and taught me to consider my obligations as a community member over my rights as an individual. In the past 10 years, it has been rewarding to watch the archives profession shift to honoring Tribal Sovereignty and Indigenous community concerns with respect to Native American archival materials, or archival materials that contain Indigenous knowledge therein.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
My professors built a learning community in their classes. They welcomed me and my family into their homes, and into the classroom; I was able to bring my newborn infant to Dr. Marlon Sherman's class in my final semester! The NAS faculty understood that being a student was a part of my identity, and wanted to help me use my education to grow as a person and a scholar. The advocacy of Indigenous professors to support undergraduate research opportunities was strong in the early 2000s and has clearly expanded under the leadership of Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy. Her approach to Indigenous Feminism and reframing environmentalism is refreshing in academia.
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
Native American Studies allowed my educational experience to transform the way I think, how I create, engage, and interact with my lived reality. It gave the necessary critical thinking skills to participate in transforming my community and solving real-world problems.