Welcome From the Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community

Yá'át'ééh! Welcome to the Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC) and congratulations on taking a first step in furthering your professional and academic pursuits as a fellow! Speaking as a NUFP alumnus, I know how important it is to build a solid foundation for working in higher education and student affairs. Also important, is aligning your passion and lifelong purpose to your career as you expand your professional network and tap into NASPA’s knowledge communities. 

The IPKC is a community of professionals that represent diverse cultures and identities in higher education that are indigenous. We invite you to join us as we celebrate our cultures and share our work/interests in higher education from discussions to research to practice. The IPKC is unique given the small representation of indigenous communities at the student and staff level in addition to the need for research and practice in higher education and indigeneity. Your involvement is valued with the IPKC and we look forward to working with you into the future.

I invite you to reach out to me and other members of the IPKC to supplement your experience in the program. You will find that many of your mentors, and soon-to-be colleagues, carry rich experiences working in diversity, accessibility, retention, and similar topics relevant to the success of our indigenous students. I have gained a significant amount of experiences and have seized a handful of meaningful opportunities since becoming a fellow.

My early experiences in higher education and students affairs enabled me to pursue further study as a graduate student in New York University’s HESA program. My research focused on pathways to higher education for Native American and Alaska Native Students. As well, I worked in several roles at New York University including opportunities to work with LGBT youth at Harvey Milk High School and underprivileged students in the public school system. Immediately after graduate school, I worked in recruitment at New York University’s School of Professional Studies. Presently, I work as the director for San Juan College’s Native American Center in the southwest. I look forward to finding common ground with you and learning about your interests in higher education.

Once again, on behalf of the IPKC, congratulations and welcome to the family!

Sincere regards,

Byron Tsabetsaye
Diné (Navajo) & Zuni Pueblo