Elder in Residence

Students gathered in a circle at a COIN Elder in Residence visit with Nelda Goodman. They sit at two tables, and hold medicine in their hands while listening to Nelda. Nelda wears an orange shirt, and stands in front of the students as she teaches

About our Elder in Residence Program

Our Elder in Residence program centers the knowledge and experiences of American Indian and Indigenous elders by building connections between elders from the Native community, and Native and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff at the UMNTC.

Through this program, we hope to not only strengthen Indigenous students' sense of community to/with each other on-campus, but also expand and strengthen their knowledge of different Indigenous community-specific teachings and cultural practices through engaged conversations with Native elders, and the knowledge that they share about Indigenous traditions, Indigenous language (and language revitalization), ceremony, and issues impacting Indigenous health/wellbeing, such as intergenerational trauma, colonization and colonialism.

Meet this year's Elders in Residence!