Fresno State has a lot of diversity for being in the Central Valley, but I’ve noticed only a small percentage of Native Americans here on campus. 0.1% to be exact, according to the Fresno State Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

When I first applied to Fresno State, I thought it would be diverse in all ethnicities, but the “American Indians” fell short of that thought. I wish more tribes would become alumni at Fresno State. I wish for all of our Natives to come together and be the change at Fresno State. To see more students like myself would not only welcome programs or funding but represent us Natives as a majority instead of a minority.

There are limited voices. And we as Natives have come such a long way to be voiceless.

To step on a campus full of monuments named after famous Native leaders is the same fulfillment I wish to see with students. I want to see the percentage of our ethnicity not only increase but double in academia.

The change of this matter is possible but only with the help of future Native American students and our university cabinet, because this percentage is too low not to be noticed.

The Central Valley is home to a variety of tribes, which led me to believe Fresno State would have a decent amount of Indigenous students.

What significantly brought my attention to the enrollment chart is Native American students at Fresno State are categorized as “American Indian.” This is an interchangeable term that, regardless of common usage, is considered less appropriate due to its association with the term “Indian.”

In addition to the percentage of Native students below 1%, in the Fall 2019 semester, the percentage was 0.3% and only got lower as the years gradually went by, currently at 0.1%.

I truthfully think there is a low percentage due to the lack of cultural acknowledgment, but The Table Mountain Rancheria Reading Room on the third floor of the Fresno State Library is a step in the right direction.

On this floor of the library, there are Native American baskets and framed artwork. The library has several features tied to Native American heritage.

When the sun sets, outside facing north of the library, appears a 43-foot-high media screen. The media screen projects master basket weaver Lois Conner, a member of the local North Fork Mono and Chukchansi Yokuts tribe. The media projector was made in 2009 and symbolizes the dedication and patience of her weaving a basket.

Also known as the “Acorn Lady,” Conner shows students how her commitment to basket weaving is equivalent to students committed to their education. Conner was also honored at Fresno State’s Native American Day in 2019. For her to weave a basket will take one academic year. Most students walk past her daily, so providing a description would be valuable for those who are not aware of what Conner does.

Another leading light presented at Fresno State is the Native American Plant Garden located by the Fresno State Library. In the garden, you’ll find river sage, redbud trees, deer grass and other plants that are used for the basket-weaving process. These Native milestones are great for Fresno State but may fail to fully recognize the achievements behind Native American significance in the Valley.

The NEUM NASA (Native American Student Association) is a high-spirited club that is dedicated to spreading awareness about Indigenous culture and events at Fresno State.

This club has been around since 1969 and has made some big events happen around campus, one of them being a Powwow for Fresno State.

The last Powow was in 2019, hosted by the NEUM Club at the O’Neil Park. The last few Powwows have been healthy for the university. This is important because it brings the percentages of Natives to Fresno State, which creates a safe space for Native students.

This is a good resource for bringing indigenous students together, but it takes more than the club and perhaps the school itself to create a better respect for the culture.

Fresno State only provides Native Indian Studies as a minor rather than a major, which could leave Native American students to reconsider their university choice. Limiting American Indian Studies (AIS) to minors is a secondary status, requiring students to major in another program to graduate.

Advancing AIS as a major would translate to hiring more faculty, potentially guiding Native American students towards a more welcoming academic path.

“There’s been a long history with the American Indian Studies department at Fresno State,” said Amber Esquivel, co-advisor of Fresno State’s NEUM club and outreach counselor for the Native American Initiative. “No it’s not fair, but I also know that there’s been many challenges involving university leadership in having the AIS (American Indian Studies) department grow. We as Native people want it, but we need university support to grow the department.”

This goes to show that we have good diversity. We just need to work together to shine some light on ethnicities that are decreasing in demographics. The decrease is shocking to see in a region full of life. If the rate drops to 0.0% what will the voices sound like?

If this percentage drops any lower it would be difficult for other Native Americans to have Fresno State in their options. It would be hard to come together as one if there were less than 1% of Native students.

There are over 100 different tribes in California, so having a huge decrease in Native American students at Fresno State would not be appealing to those Natives who want to attend college. While the campus continues to have Native art all around, we still need Native students to walk among these grounds.

As I talked about the cultural vibe around Indigenous aspects at Fresno State decreasing, it’s clear we need the university’s help to expand the AIS department.

While some indigenous aspects of Fresno State have been highlighted, discussions about the cultural atmosphere surrounding them are becoming increasingly scarce.

The monuments at Fresno State were crafted to provide Native American students with a sense of home and belonging. If we don’t increase the percentage of Native students this university will be admired by others from afar, rather than being utilized for understanding the culture and valued by Native students.

Despite these landmarks, the university struggles to attract Native American students due to the lack of acknowledgment of their culture which contributes to a declining percentage of enrollment. We as Natives need help reverse this percentage to validate hope for the future.

Increasing the “American Indian” population at Fresno State would ensure that the honor of these gifts is appreciated by those for whom they were made.

I genuinely believe that with more help and attention from our university, this percentage could grow to new brackets of success. All of these beacons have meaning to them and stand at Fresno State strongly and that is why I am sad to see the percentages go down but I will not lose hope, coming from someone who is a part of the 0.01%.