The busy North Star AISES Alliance and Professional Chapter (NSAAP) has a big reach, representing professional members all over the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Nebraska, and Illinois), as well as the province of Manitoba in Canada. The chapter is a leader in promoting the AISES mission and supporting STEM in Native communities throughout Region 5. In addition to having fun, members find a lot of satisfaction in what they achieve together.
The chapter was “rebooted” by AISES Board of Directors member Mike Laverdure, Dr. Mark Bellcourt, and Rita Peterson in 2010, and the active core membership of 15, and email roster of over 50, hasn’t let up since then — look for them contributing at Regional, Leadership, and National Conferences (NSAAP was the host Local Volunteer Committee at the 2016 National Conference in Minneapolis). Current officers are John Carlson, White Earth Ojibwe, president; Naomi Farabee, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe, vice president; Brittany Anderson, Fond du Lac Ojibwe, secretary; and Kelsey Scareshawk, Cheyenne River Sioux, treasurer.
Every year the chapter holds a charitable golf tournament to fund youth STEM programs and travel scholarships that send local college students to the AISES National Conference. They’ve also been successful writing and receiving grants and are always looking for new ways to raise funds for their activities. Chapter members serve as judges for the Circle of Life Academy at the White Earth Nation, where the group awards Space Camp scholarships to students with exceptional science projects, often those that incorporate a focus on traditional knowledge. Another important annual event for the chapter is their participation in the American Indians in Science event at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where they host an outreach activity. Chapter members keep up with each other at monthly meetings, often via video conference.
