Purpose
The Indigenous Peoples’ Student Association (IPSA) is a community of Indigenous students, allies, faculty, and staff at Penn State dedicated to fostering Indigenous student academic success on campus through advancement, promotion, retention, and social activities. IPSA also seeks to meet the needs of the greater Indigenous community by supporting on-campus initiatives related to issues in the American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Indigenous Pacific Islander, etc. communities.
Founded in 2019
Statement From Our Founder:
Timothy Benally (21′)
“I… founded this club in conjunction with some awesome mentors (Dr. John Sanchez, Tracy Peterson and Dr. Holly Kulago) to encourage Indigenous Student success. As of 2018, only 10% had doctoral degrees. I understand that young leaders like myself identify better with mentors and role models that have ‘been in their shoes’ and I would not have come this far without outstanding Indigenous role models myself. Therefore, with this organization I hope to work with university officials to provide never-before-had resources and acknowledgement for Indigenous students at Penn State.” (Timothy Benally, 2020)
What We Do
Our club loves to host and co-host events at Pennsylvania State University, both through use of platforms such as Zoom and in person. Some of our past events include the “Indigenous Veterans Virtual Panel”, “Free Soup Dinner” in collaboration with the Student Farm at Penn State and the Lion’s Pantry, and events where notable members have lent their voices such as “No More Stolen Sisters” hosted by Alpha Omicron Pi at Penn State, Penn State Panhellenic Council and the Department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality’s Studies at Penn State.
If you would like to inquire about holding an event with us please reach out to us via Instagram Direct Messages.
Past Events We Have Hosted/Attended:
Links to More Events:
https://events.la.psu.edu/event/no_more_stolen_sisters#.YnGIXujMJyx