Sharyl A. Majorski has come full circle in the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. Her first involvement began 15 years ago when she attended an ATE professional development program for tribal college educators. She was then an adjunct instructor. Now she is the tribal college consultant to Environmental and Natural Resources Technology (EARTh) Center.

Sharyl A. Majorski developed relationships with tribal communities through ATE, PETE, and AIHEC programs.

To community college educators who want to build effective partnerships with Indigenous communities, Majorski suggests attending a tribal event and showing respect. “True respect values the people from the very beginning of a concept and listens to what they have to say throughout,” she said.

Majorski’s outreach efforts for the EARTh Center are informed by her work with students as an adjunct chemistry and physics instructor at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College and as a chemistry lab coordinator at Central Michigan University (CMU).

In 2009 and 2010 Majorski participated in the Tribal College Fellows Institutes offered by the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) with ATE support in collaboration with the Advanced Technology Environmental and Education Center (ATEEC).

She used what she learned at the institutes in multiple ways. First, she added an undergraduate research project at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College where students studied the Chippewa River. Students examined water quality through various chemical tests and collected aquatic macroinvertebrates as water quality indicators. Then she helped the college obtain a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At CMU she and colleagues wrote a proposal that received a $190,688 Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement grant from the National Science Foundation to purchase equipment for undergraduate researchers to use.

In spring 2024 Majorski moderated discussions at the EARTh Center’s summit with 12 tribal college educators and a tribal community elder. Summit participants’ insights are being incorporated into a best practices guide that the EARTh Center is developing. The summit participants also recommended topics for the weeklong Fellows Institute for Tribal Faculty that the EARTh Center will offer in June 2025 on Beaver Island, Michigan.

Majorski provided written responses to questions about building relationships with tribal college educators and how she sustains partnerships. She also has multiple suggestions about things that educators can do to improve their connections with Native American communities.

How have you developed relationships with the tribal colleges and the educators who work at them over the years?

“I have taught at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) as an adjunct faculty member for the past 20 years. Soon after my first year of teaching at SCTC, students began transferring to Central Michigan University (CMU), where I am employed full time as a chemistry laboratory coordinator. To help my tribal college students succeed upon transferring to a four-year research institution, I, along with a couple of my students, started an American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) student organization at CMU. Our group was very small and inclusive of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. To get a better understanding of the AISES organization that I was the faculty advisor for and member of, we started attending annual AISES conventions. At the conventions, I was able to network with tribal members, faculty advisors, tribal students, and elders from colleges and communities throughout the United States. Early on, I took an active role within AISES and helped lead the faculty advisors in break-out sessions that took place during our conventions. This leadership role opened many doors for working with tribal college faculty members.

“In my early years of teaching at SCTC, I saw an opportunity, offered by National PETE, to attend a workshop at Sitting Bull College. Looking to be the best instructor I can be, I signed up and attended the workshop. I don’t remember how many tribal college faculty were there; I’m guessing about 15 faculty members. We all bonded and spoke of overcoming challenges in our classrooms. Subsequent workshops followed, and I was invited to present takeaways from other sessions. Each workshop brought in new people to interact with and new opportunities for relationships. With my presentations being well-received, I was offered the role of organizing workshops and trainings for tribal colleges and Indigenous communities through National PETE and ultimately through EARTh.

Majorski with her 2023 Science Bowl Team (left to right) Miranda Pelcher-Miley, Jeremiah Little, and Joanna Cooley.

“The American Indian Higher Educational Consortium (AIHEC) is yet another way I developed relationships with tribal college educators and elders. I coached our Science Bowl team on various years and served as a volunteer when the “Woodland” colleges hosted the annual AIHEC convention. Working and serving alongside faculty members from tribal colleges further developed relationships.

“Lastly, my [doctoral] dissertation utilized Indigenous methodologies to explore how AISES, as an organization, helped Indigenous students succeed in STEM. In a decolonizing effort, one of my committee members assisted me in working with Indigenous communities. I also worked under the direction of a couple of AISES elders to ensure proper protocol. This also opened the door for working with tribal college faculty and students.

“In short, by attending AISES meetings and participating in an active role, and by taking advantage of professional development opportunities by National PETE and AIHEC, and by working with the AISES elders for community betterment, I was able to meet and develop meaningful relationships with a plethora of faculty and staff serving Indigenous students.”

What is the key to sustaining these informal partnerships that you’ve developed for these two ATE centers?

“I think the key to sustaining partnerships is respect. Often, people come in with good ideas for improvement, however, they do not include the people they are wanting to help, until last minute. True respect values the people from the very beginning of a concept and listens to what they have to say throughout.

“Communication begins with listening to concerns and to listening to what is needed, not in coming in with what is perceived. 

“Sustaining partnerships involves constant communication.  I periodically send emails, text messages, and/or Facebook posts to people I have met throughout the opportunities. I invite them to new trainings and/or workshops and treat them as I would want to be treated. Sometimes people commit and then must back out for a variety of reasons. Support throughout is necessary.

“I also think there is a certain bonding in just knowing what it is like to teach at a tribal college. With there being so few tribal colleges, there is a connection amongst us that exists, even before we meet. As tribal college faculty, we are often asked to wear a variety of hats and are stretched to teach different classes and to volunteer for various events.  Being able to offer my fellow faculty members professional development opportunities through National PETE and EARTh is amazing! These opportunities have benefited me, and I know they will benefit others—that also helps in sustaining these informal partnerships.”

Do you have any advice for other community college educators who want to reach out to Native American communities?

“The best piece of advice is to show up! If you want to engage with the Native American community, attend some of their events. Go to a Pow Wow, attend a workshop, speak with an elder, learn what is important to them. Go in with an open mind to learn, not with a preconceived notion. Listen more than speak!

“Trust is earned. Do not expect to develop a relationship overnight. Start with simple things and work from there. Include tribal representation at the beginning of any great idea for working together, be it on a grant or for starting a new class or revamping a curriculum. 

“Offer classes of cultural significance or incorporate cultural significance into existing classes. I also include relevant material for the tribal communities. For example, I teach general chemistry. When I introduce the elements, I talk about uranium mining in New Mexico, home of the Laguna Pueblo.”