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torecruitmorestudentsfromnearbyreserva

regularlyusethefacilitysince

arefugeforstudentsstruggling

lifetoauniversitycampus.

StellaPenney,afreshmansociologymajor,grewuponthe

evenhardertogetintoschoolformebecause

enoughtogetintotheschool.Sowhenyouhear

thatsortofthingitsjustevenmorestress.

tofamilyasastruggleforstudents.She

saidtheconstanttugfromfamiliesfor

theirchildrentoreturnhomeisnot

uncommonwithintheculture.

mymother),

Tallentsaid.

Penneysaid

thestressof

ingdidntend

Shesaidthewayherfamilyandtherestofhertribe

perceiveherhaschangedsince

Alotofourpeoplehaventbeen

tocollege,andyoufeellikeinsome

wayandformtheyhavejealousy

towardyouandhate,becausetheythink,

neysaid.Thatwasonethingthatwasreally

processofgatheringfoodand

Sotheyhavetobeable

goingtodothatthisgoingtocollege,

dothisforfouror

school.Sotheyhave

toleavetheirculture

DakotaKidder,whohas

leavingfamilybehindisoneofthehardestparts

andyourwholefamilyforlikeayearand

dentstheytrytomakesuretheyaresurviving

theyareencouragedtosharetheirculturewith

theuniversitycommunitytopromoteunderstandingoftheirbackgroundsandcustoms.

studentintheclassroom,andbeisolatedfrom

everyoneelsejustsimplybecausetheyhavea

one,Taylorsaid.Andthats

easytodoherebecause

ofthelackofminority

studentsoncampus,but

standthatasmuch

astheyarealonein

someclassesthereareother

peoplethatareatthecenterthat

understandthatwholementality.

Accordingtocollegemeasures.org,areimproving,alongwithenrollment

Studentscomenotacademicallypreparedfor

We know ourway. And werenot lost.

stella penney

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Bothcitedracismoutsideandinsidethereservaschoolwithamajoritywhitepopulastudents,butteachersaswell.

whiteguycameuptome

deservetobehere,youdontdeservetolive,

Penneysaid.And

hejustwalkedaway.

Andthereweresomanypeople

callingmeprairienigger,savage,

Kiddersaidsheisopentohonest

dialogueaboutracism,becauseitbreaksdownbarri

campusclimate,whichshe

thinkscoulduseimprove

ment.Shelivedoncampusherroommateoncecalled

heart,becauseitsjustignorance,

Kiddersaid.Theydontknow

much,butsomepeoplegetreallyhurtbyit.

Allofthempointedtolackofunderstandingabout

ism.Kiddersaidshehasmetalotofpeoplewho

school,peoplehardlylearnanything

thebackgroundthatthesestudentscomefrom,ifyoudontunderstand

thesestudents,ifyouneverlived

wherethesestudentslive,thenits

reallyhardtoputyourselfinthose

terunderstandingofwherethesestudentscome

from,whotheyare,andmakingsurethatpeople

studentsinonepotandcallitgood,because

kindsofstudent(s)thatcomesfrom

cantclassifythemallasone.

Tallentsaidshewantseducatorstobemoreawareof

students.Shesaidshehopes

mancompassionisalwaysverywelcome.

University of Idaho freshman Stella Penney grew up on a Nez Perce reservation in Kamiah, Idaho.

When wefeel racismtowards us,it makes usfeel like were

not worthanything.

stella penney

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Taylorsaidlookingtowardthefuture,he

schoolsandparentsandgrandparentsor

withstudents,toincreasethenumberof

Shesaidshewantstoworktogettheirland

saidthebestthingpeoplecandoiseducatethemselves.

knowaboutus,thengo

andlookforus,Penney

said.Werehere,were

Telluswhatyoufeelaboutus

wellhaveananswertoyourquesWeknowourway.Andwerenotlost.

Native American beadwork and decorations on display at the Nez Perce museum in Spalding, Idaho.

Large piles of beer c ases, bottles and other garbage line a rural road overlooking Lapwai.

TORN