He says there has been a broader push on campus in recent years to ensure the longevity of the American Indian program.
“I am glad to see that the kind of work that we’ve been doing here is spreading to other colleges and universities,” says Cross, who has taught American Indian tribal law at the university since 1985. “This is a very good sign for a field that many people did not even know existed until recently.”
Carrese P. Gullo has been pushing for American Indian studies programs at colleges and universities across New York state for years. Currently the director of communications and information at the American Indian Community House, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the health, social and cultural needs of New York City’s American Indian community, she says she was pleased to hear about Columbia plans, but she remains cautiously optimistic.
“I hope that they find someone who is Native to teach in their program,” she says. “Often, colleges and universities start these programs and never have any Native persons on their faculty.”
For now, Gullo, who is Eastern Cherokee, says she’s supportive of anything that helps “people become culturally sensitive in wanting to learn more about our lifestyle and culture.”
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