The First Nations Educational & Cultural Center (FNECC) supports American Indian and indigenous students in their transition to and achievement at Indiana University Bloomington with campus programs and an extended network of resources and information designed to inspire, encourage, and empower students for success.
Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox/Potawatomi) is part of the Indigenous history of Indiana University. Deemed the "World's Greatest Athlete," Thorpe played collegiate and professional football, professional baseball, and basketball and was a gold medal winner in multiple events at the 1912 Summer Olympics. In addition, he served as an assistant football coach at IU in 1915. Learn more about Thorpe's legacy and his portrait that now hangs in the Indiana Memorial Union.
Learn about the "World's Greatest Athlete"
As part of the FNECC's continued work to make IUB a more inclusive place for Native American students, staff, and faculty, a partnership with the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee communities has created "Indigenize Indiana" tribal t-shirts. Each shirt features the indigenized version of "Indiana University" written in one of the tribal languages spoken since before the founding of IU. One hundred percent of the profits will go toward creating educational programming with each of the respective communities' language and culture departments.
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We strive to improve college access, persistence, and completion for Native American students while helping them become lifelong learners and responsible leaders in a global society.
The Center is a good place to socialize and connect with the Native community at IU. I like that it is very open and welcoming to people from all backgrounds and people who want to learn more about Native culture.
Keisha Beyal
We offer a number of cultural initiatives designed to preserve and promote an intertribal community connection among Native American students and to educate the IUB campus community.
We provide students with relevant services and resources to help them navigate successful academic and college experiences.
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