Joint Native American Advisory Council

Joint Native American Advisory Council

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College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt Joint Native American Advisory Council

Background

The purpose of the Native American Advisory Council (NAAC) as re-established by former HSU President Rossbacher was to foster a tribal government-to-university relationship providing the Cal Poly Humboldt president and leadership with a vital connection to the Native American communities.

Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson, Jr., along with CR President Keith Flamer, are building on this work, prioritizing the development of leader-to-leader relationships through one-on-one meetings and visits to Tribal headquarters, attendance as invited guests at Tribal events, hosting an early Tribal leadership summit at HSU (2019), attending specific Northcoast Tribal Leaders Association meetings, and hosting an annual spring campus meeting. This leader-to-leader relationship is an expression of President Jackson and President Flamer’s respect for the sovereignty of tribal nations and their desire to listen to and speak directly with elected leaders.

Based on insights from Tribal leaders and others about the higher education trajectories of and persistent structural challenges impacting local Native students, the joint NAAC serves as an external advisory group of Tribal leaders for the Presidents of the College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt with the general purpose, structure, and membership listed below.

Purpose

As a partnership between the College of the Redwoods, Cal Poly Humboldt, and thirteen local Tribal nations, the Joint Native American Advisory Council (JNAAC) supports mutually-beneficial partnerships focused on more fully and effectively serving the diverse higher educational needs of Native students in the areas of:

1. Leader-to-Leader relationships
2. Pre-college, academic preparation outreach and dual enrollment
3. Two and Four-year Native student success and access
4. Career preparation and support
5. Academic programming needs of Tribal Nations

As a collaborative higher education effort, the JNAAC serves as a way for the educational leaders to have leader-to-leader discussions that are externally facing and regional in orientation.

Tribal Nation Partners

• Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
• Big Lagoon Rancheria
• Blue Lake Rancheria
• Elk Valley Rancheria
• Hoopa Valley Tribe
• Karuk Tribe
• Quartz Valley Indian Community
• Redding Rancheria
• Resighini Rancheria
• Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation
• Trinidad Rancheria
• Wiyot Tribe
• Yurok Tribe

Structure

The Council has two leader-to-leader meetings. The presidents annually attend a fall Northern California Tribal Chairmens Association meeting held at the Trinidad Rancheria that is focused on education. In addition, a JNAAC meeting will be held in connection with the California Big Time in the spring. California Big Time is held annually at Cal Poly Humboldt and the JNAAC Spring Meeting is offered at College of the Redwoods. 

Membership