Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Uncovering the Legacy at UWSP

2022 AIRO POWWOW (Willerbee Photography)

Uncovering the AIRO Legacy 

by Shane Olsen

November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize the rich culture, contributions, and history of Native American communities. The UWSP Archives houses a range of primary source collections on the experiences and impacts of Native Americans at the university and within the Stevens Point community. Among these resources are the records of American Indians Resisting Ostracism (AIRO), a student organization founded in 1971. The student organization continues today as the American Indians Reaching for Opportunities, and it aims to “enlighten mankind to Indigenous pride, philosophy, and our way of life.[1]

The AIRO Records include a comprehensive history of the organization, along with correspondence dating from the 1960s to the 1980s. These documents include meeting minutes, communications with university administrators, and interactions with other Native American student organizations across Wisconsin.[2]

One notable item in the collection is a 1971 letter from AIRO leaders to then campus President Lee Sherman Dreyfus. The letter criticized the university’s decision to exclude Native American students from the Minority Task Force which was created to examine discrimination on campus.[3] The letter prompted an immediate response from President Dreyfus and a subsequent meeting with AIRO leaders. Although the long-term outcomes of that meeting remain unclear, Dreyfus did support AIRO’s call for removing Native American remains from an exhibit in the Natural History Museum shortly afterward.[4]

The Pointer, UWSP’s student newspaper, provides additional insight into AIRO’s impact. In 1972, AIRO contributed periodic articles to the paper focused on their mission and the history of Native Americans. One such article, “The Great American Indian Land Robbery,” candidly addressed the violent displacement of Native Americans by European settlers.[5] This piece underscored AIRO’s dedication to educating the campus and broader community on lesser-known aspects of American history. The article contrasted the settlers’ profit-driven view of land with the Native American understanding of the “relationship between the environment and all living beings.”

Despite their efforts, AIRO members often faced apathy and hostility on campus. This resistance is highlighted in the May 5, 1972 issue of The Pointer, where UWSP faculty member Carol Dodge lamented the campus’s indifference toward AIRO events, noting that “relevancy is synonymous with white.”[6] The same issue of The Pointer also included responses from the Black Student Coalition and AIRO to overtly racist articles and caricatures published in The Disappointer, a satirical newspaper distributed by the Siasefi fraternity. AIRO leaders Gary Kmiecik, Charles Wheelock, and Ron DePerry signed a statement demanding an apology from the fraternity.[7]

The AIRO Records further illustrate the challenges the organization faced in subsequent years. In 1976, AIRO student leader Kathleen Roberts wrote a letter to the University Activities Board and Student Government leaders to draw attention to discriminatory practices that affected AIRO and other student organizations representing marginalized communities, such as the Black Student Coalition and the Gay People’s Union.[8] This letter sparked a campus-wide conversation on student organization funding and event promotion practices.[9]

AIRO’s commitment to improving higher education for Native American students extended beyond UWSP. In 1977, AIRO collaborated with the Black Student Coalition to host a conference in Stevens Point that brought together groups from across the UW System who supported students from historically marginalized communities. AIRO leaders noted that the purpose of the conference was to begin organizing to oppose cuts to programs for minority students.[10] A year later, AIRO leaders Steve Dodge and Terry Jordan reached out to Native American student organizations from across Wisconsin to organize a conference “for the purpose of solidarity among Native American students within the educational system.”[11] AIRO leadership consistently embraced the power of collective action in their fight to improve education for all Native American students in Wisconsin.

The legacy of AIRO is just one example of the many ways Native American students, faculty, and staff have shaped UWSP. The Archives also houses the Native American Center Records, which detail the Center’s history from its origin to the present day. Collections such as the James Frechette Papers and the Native American Newspapers Collection offer firsthand accounts and perspectives on Native American history in Wisconsin that are told by Native Americans themselves. These primary sources provide a powerful counter-narrative to traditional textbooks and articles that often uphold conventional historical narratives. By incorporating these voices into research, we can work toward decolonizing our understanding of history and contribute to a more equitable future. The UWSP Archives welcomes all students, scholars, and community members to explore these collections and discover the invaluable contributions of Native Americans to our university and community. 

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[1] Constitution of American Indians Reaching for Opportunities (AIRO), dated 2020.

[2] UWSP Collection 41, Box 1.

[3] Letter from AIRO to Lee Sherman Dreyfus, dated October 26, 1971. In UWSP Collection 41, Folder 3.

[4] Dennis MacDonald, “Accord Reached on Indian Bones Dispute,” The Pointer, February 11, 1972, Page 1.

[5] AIRO, “The Great American Indian Land Robbery,” The Pointer, January 28, 1972, Page 5.

[6] Carol Dodge, “’Rap’ Sessions Don’t Solve Problems,” The Pointer, May 5, 1972, Page 11.

[7] “AIRO Comment,” The Pointer, May 5, 1972, Page 1.

[8] Letter from Kathleen Roberts to University Activities Board, dated March 26, 1976. In UWSP Collection 41, Folder 4.

[9] Minutes of meeting to establish a Minority Task Force, dated April 6, 1976. In UWSP Collection 41, Folder 4.

[10] Letter to UW-System Minority Student Organizations, dated March 30, 1977. In UWSP Collection 41, Folder 5.

[11] Letter to Native American Student Organizations, dated February 8, 1978. In UWSP Collection 41, Folder 5.