Contact Us

    Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action - Human Resources

    Campus: Hill Hall 303

    Mail: Dept. 3422

    1000 E University Ave

    Laramie, WY 82071

    Phone: 307.766.1603

    Fax: 307.766.5607

    Email: HR@uwyo.edu


    Native American and Indigenous People Employee Network

    Welcome to the Native American and Indigenous People Employee Network

    Mission: The Native Employee Network envisions a community of UW employees that identify as Native American who will collaborate to promote the well-being of all Indigenous employees.   

    The Native Employee Network meets monthly for activities for Native Employees. Upon invitation employees will have an opportunity to participate in activities that promote community and professional development.  

    Team Leader - Melvin Arthur

    Greetings, my name is Melvin Arthur and I am the Team Leader for the Native American and Indigenous Employee Network. My academic and professional careers are aimed at ending health disparities in the Wind River Indian Reservation through action research that directly engages healing.

    Currently, I’m employed by the University of Wyoming as a research scientist working on the Growing Resilience project which is measuring the impacts of home gardening on the health of tribal members in Wyoming. I am a lead co-investigator on the qualitative process and outcome research. I co-developed and am implementing a method to document and amplify the voices of gardeners, which we call “Sovereign Storytelling.” As a graduate student in Kinesiology & Health at the University of Wyoming I researched the food systems of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. In addition to my full time work on the Growing Resilience project, I am completing my thesis research about community health promotion in Indian Country to complete an MSW at University of Wyoming. My experience and background in the Wind River Reservation makes my inclusion in the E-Nets a good fit.

     

     

    Photo of Melvin Arthur


    First Native Employee Networks Meeting – 12/11/19

    This was the first meeting for the Native Employees, we started the meeting at about 6:40. I introduced myself, and the Employee Network by letting the employees that the purpose of E-Networks is to create a community here in Laramie for employees who identify as Native American.

    Dinner was served. We continued the meeting through dinner and employees introduced themselves and their families.

    In response to the questions asked: employees said that they like being part of the university, and having a position that promotes betterment for all Indigenous people. They also feel Native American people can relate to the problems of people who identify as Native.   

    We also looked at the Land Acknowledgement that I drafted for the Arapaho people, and the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Liaison was present at this meeting, and he said that he would like to work on a Land Acknowledgment for his tribe. This is an item that we put on the shelf and agreed that we would continue to talk about this at the next meeting when we have more people committed to the E-Networks.   

    For our mission statement: I will be drafting a mission statement that includes professional development, community, and our commitment to all Indigenous people at UW.

    When the floor was opened up for suggestions the Native Employees suggested family stuff for future events, and using the E-Network to help facilitate aspect of our jobs here at UW that require networking on the Wind River Indian Reservation and other Native American communities. They also suggested that we have something for the kids to do at the meetings.


    Past Native American and Indigenous E-Net Events

    Native American and Indigenous Employee Social
    October 21, 2020
    4:00 p.m.Native American Social Invitation

    Wind River Reservation Film and Discussion
    February 28, 2020
    6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
    Event Flyer

    Contact Us

    Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action - Human Resources

    Campus: Hill Hall 303

    Mail: Dept. 3422

    1000 E University Ave

    Laramie, WY 82071

    Phone: 307.766.1603

    Fax: 307.766.5607

    Email: HR@uwyo.edu