Earlier this month, the Wyoming Legislature allocated $1.1 million for the project. And last week, UW trustees voted to permit the UW Foundation to raise $550,000 for the facility. The state’s academic facilities matching fund will contribute another $550,000, the university said.
Maggi Murdock, dean of the UW Outreach School, said the new building will be a significant improvement from UW's current building in Riverton, where it offers baccalaureate degrees in programs such as business administration, criminal justice and psychology.
“In this state you have to share as many resources as you possibly can,” Murdock said. “We really welcome the opportunity to make a close connection with Native American students.”
Ryan Tyler, a 24-year-old Northern Arapaho student at Central Wyoming, said the new center will serve as a source of pride and inspiration for American Indian students. He hopes it will persuade more students from the neighboring reservation to attend college.
Acuna said the University of Wyoming’s involvement will help bring a broader cross-section of people into the building.
“We want to be a center from which emanates knowledge and contact,” Acuna said. “That’s so sorely needed here in this community. There’s a lot of that historical conflict that has never been healed between Indians and the dominant culture, which is very typical of reservations and border towns.”
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