
BEMIDJI—Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ leaders welcomed students back to campus Wednesday.
The school’s twice-annual “Day of Welcome” at the American Indian Resource Center featured an honor song, pipe ceremony, and a handful of speeches from university leaders.
“We basically make sure that we start off each semester just in a culturally rooted way,” said Bill Blackwell, Jr., the resource center’s executive director.
He and other school leaders said they hoped Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ students stayed safe when they travel to and from campus and prayed for a great day, great semester, and great year.
“We’re kind of all like a big family and we’re all here to help each other out.”
The school also dedicated a new lounge for its Niganawenimaanaanig nursing program. The program—named for an Ojibwe word meaning “we take care of them”– encourages American Indian representation in nursing and is funded by a nearly $2 million Nursing Workforce Development grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, according to a school release.
Students participating in the program receive scholarships up to $4,000 and monthly stipends of up to $500 for meeting specific program requirements.