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UM honors Native American cultures

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Michelle Guzman, director of UM’s American Indian Student Services, arranges a jingle dress for a display of regalia inside the Payne Family Native American Center in this  le photo. Guzman said it’s important that people understand the cultural di erences between the many American Indian tribes. TOM BAUER, Missoulian

UM honors Native American heritage with programs, services

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Mazana Boerboom, for the Missoulian

Home to seven reservations and 12 recognized tribal nations, Montana is rich with Native American cultures.

The University of Montana itself sits on Salish land, and UM tries to honor the heritage of the land it occupies with services, programs and even a building.

The Payne Family Native American Center sits on the Oval in the center of campus, surrounded by a native plants garden. The unique architecture of the building is aimed at sustainability, making it a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum building, and at honoring the various Montana tribal traditions. It houses both the Native American Studies Department, popular on campus, and American Indian Student Services (AISS). AISS aims at helping Native American students ease into college life. The program offers services such as printing, a food pantry and advising.

“During this time of COVID, we’re still providing our services,” Director of AISS Michelle Guzman said.

Guzman said important student groups on campus include Kyiyo: Native American Student Association, which normally holds a powwow at the end of the spring semester each year, and UM’s American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL), which won the 2019 “Chapter of the Year” award at the National AIBL Leadership Conference.

UM also holds panels and events throughout the year during events like DiverseU to inform students and the community about and celebrate Native American cultures and heritages.

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