ACTS Indigenous Student Services offers advising, community, and support for UW-Madison students of Indigenous identity at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We offer:
- Academic Coaching to Thrive & Succeed to achieve your educational goals (for undergraduate students only)
- Guidance on academic expectations and campus resources
- Personalized goal setting and pathways to support your academic success and well-being in college
- Connections with peer, academic, and professional mentors, including Indigenous professionals
- Professional development workshops, conferences
- Career services (i.e., resumes, cover letters, interview practice)
- Connections to student organizations, cultural events, community, and support for Indigenous students on campus
- Campus-wide advocacy for Indigenous student well-being
NDGNS (In-dig-en-ous): Network for Development & Growth of Indigenous Scholars at UW-Madison:
- NDGNS Affinity Community is a partnership between ACTS and University Housing, open to incoming Freshmen – starting Fall 2023! Applications for the upcoming academic year are due in late April or early May (after you receive an admissions decision from the University) at housing.wisc.edu
- NDGNS UW is a fellowship program for undergraduate students of sophomore standing and above. Applications open in Spring. Scholars connected with ACTS Indigenous Student Services will receive an announcement when the application for the upcoming year is open.
Contact
Laura Hiebing
(she/her/hers)
ACTS AUNTIE, Indigenous Student Services Coordinator
608-890-3497
Campus Events
- September
- September 25
- September 27Environmental Fieldwork Programs: Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI)Virtual Info Session11:00 AM, Online
- September 27
"The University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.
In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.
This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, UW–Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin."
In October of 2021, the Our Shared Future marker with this text was installed in its permanent location near South Hall on Bascom Hill.
Our Shared Future is more than a heritage marker. Our Shared Future represents UW–Madison’s commitment to respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the other First Nations of Wisconsin. It is a first step that calls on each of us—faculty, staff, and students—to deeply consider our shared past and present with Indigenous peoples in this place, Teejop, and to make our own personal and institutional commitments to achieve a shared future with them.
Our Shared Future is a process, not a land acknowledgement or something to recite. It is a collective act of moving together from ignorance to awareness; an educational framework for posing questions; and an opportunity to celebrate Ho-Chunk people, as well as learn about the hard truths of our histories with them. It is a challenge to educate ourselves and each other, and create a better future together.
https://oursharedfuture.wisc.edu/
UW–Madison acknowledges the land we are on — not as a solution — but rather as a first step that calls on each of us to deeply consider our shared past and present with Indigenous peoples in this place, Teejop, and to make our own personal and institutional commitments to achieve a shared future.
ACTS and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement are committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with the 12 First Nations within the boundaries of the state of Wisconsin, and creating an environment where the citizens and descendants of these and other sovereign Indigenous nations are welcomed, valued, heard and supported at UW–Madison. Under the DDEEA and ACTS, the Indigenous Student Services Coordinator serves an important role in advocating for a safe and welcoming environment where students can thrive and achieve academic success.
Learn more about UW–Madison’s commitment to respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the other First Nations of Wisconsin.