“It feels awesome to be able to see a place coming together for the Native students,” said UM junior Nikki Johnson, a Gros Ventre from Montana's Fort Belknap Reservation. “The facilities we have are so small. When we get all the students together, it's crowded.”
Last October, UM Foundation representatives said construction on the center couldn't begin until the university raised at least $4 million to $5 million. A foundation spokesperson announced this week that the university could start building the center within the next 10 months.
Payne, chairman of Payne Financial Group - one of the country's most successful privately owned insurance agencies - is filling a monumental financial void left gaping since architectural plans for the center were made public nearly three years ago.
“I've always felt this was a vital project for the community, state and the nation,” said Payne on Wednesday from his Missoula office. “It's a universal project that transcends the university.”
The campus Native American Center is being touted as a one-of-a-kind, first-of-its-kind academic center, housing a department of Native American Studies, Indian student services offices and other related campus programming.
“The Native American Center will be a model for universities around the country,” said Elouise Cobell, executive director of the Native American Community Development Corp. “We will be trailblazing.”
Cobell, who is assisting with fundraising efforts, also noted the center's prime location on the university's parklike Oval. “It's like the National Museum (of the American Indian). It's the last best place on campus.”
Despite Payne's groundbreaking donation, UM fundraisers are still seeking financial support from tribes and other potential donors to complete the center. Once finished, the 19,900-square-foot building is expected to bridge the Native and non-Native communities. Nearly 2,000 non-Native students registered for Native American studies courses in 2005-06.
Furthermore, the center will serve some 500 Native students from Montana's seven reservations and from tribes across the country.
“Tribes send their people to college, encourage them to help build the tribe, reservation resources and communities,” said Linda Juneau, UM's tribal liaison. “The greatest percentages of students look to return home to make that positive contribution.”
The center is expected to be an epicenter for Montana and regional tribal leaders, young and old, allowing them to unite and address challenges in their communities.
As the decades pass, area tribes and the university continue to deepen a shared vision ensuring student success at the university. Each has devoted considerable time, energy and resources to finding the best way to increase the number of graduates from UM, Juneau said.
But the center's fundraisers and advocates agree that a tribal commitment to students includes strengthening financial ties to students and the Native American Center.
“We're still counting on tribes,” Cobell said, adding that leaders from Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy's, Fort Peck, Flathead, Little Shell, Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations are encouraged to donate toward the center's completion.
Johnson counts herself among the students who arrived on the UM campus straight from the reservation.
“Coming to the university was scary at first,” said Johnson, who expects to graduate next spring. “It's nice to have a place to just feel comfortable with other Native students. You won't feel like you're the only one going through the overwhelming experience of coming to the university. It's a big change coming from reservation school.”
Tribal donations of $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 would signal more than a verbal commitment to students, Cobell said.
“It's important all tribes contribute and be a part of this center,” Payne said. “That's what it's all about.”
Reporter Jodi Rave can be reached at 523-5299 or at jodi.rave@lee.net.
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