06/09/2026
This photo offers a small glimpse into the many ways the Native American House (NAH) engaged with Native scholars attending the 2026 Native Forward Empowering Scholars Summit at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Throughout the Summit, NAH staff, students, alumni, and community partners helped create opportunities for learning, connection, and kinship-making. Contributions included our presentation, "Cultural Centers as Home-Places: Indigenous Student Affairs Standpoints," featuring NAH staff and 2025–2026 NAH Ambassadors; "Native-Made Desserts at the NAH," which featured homemade treats by Fox Way Catering, a Native woman operated catering business from Chicago; Jamie Singson (NAH Advisory Circle Chair) sharing "The Story of Wassaja: The First Native Alumnus of the University of Illinois"; current Native students and alumni leading a campus highlights tour that introduced scholars to the people, places, and programs that support Native student success at Illinois; and the Empowering Scholars Summit Collaborative Zine, a session co-led by the University Library where scholars created zine pages responding to the question, "What does an empowered scholar look like?"
We are grateful to Native Forward Scholars Fund for the opportunity to learn alongside and host such an inspiring group of Native scholars, staff, and leaders.
