The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2 - 119

A Second Home

Creating an articulation of place
and building relationships with
tribal communities is a way to learn
about the history of marginalized
people. All institutions of higher
education occupy Indigenous land-
an Indigenous community was
removed, and an institution now
occupies that place.

where American Indian Student Services and
Housing and Residential Life worked collaboratively to design a smudging policy that was
respectful of Native cultural traditions while
also adhering to campus rules and regulations
(South Dakota State University, 2016). Both
units share the onus of the administration,
communication, and interpretation of this
initiative.
Two important elements of this policy are
the ceremonial exemption request process
and staff training. The ceremonial exemption
request process involves a Native student developing a notiﬁcation plan with staff that includes detailing the frequency of the ceremony
and the kinds of plants they plan to use as part
of their spiritual practice. They must also sign a
form acknowledging that they understand that
noncompliance with this process may result
in activation of the ﬁre alarm system or health
risks to those allergic to smoke. Generally con-

ducted by a member of the American Indian
Student Services staff, training and education
includes facilitating a smudging by burning
various medicinal plants to acquaint individuals with their distinctive aromas, demonstrating the physical appearances of the plants
used, and showing how an individual may use
their hands to fan the smoke over their bodies
to cleanse themselves. Keep in mind, the use
of medicinal plants (as it relates to smudging) differs from tribe to tribe. Therefore, local
tribal protocols2 were used to shape the effort
of creating a culturally reinforced environment
for Native students. In this example of positive
respect for Native spirituality, we see a way for
residential life programs to increase the capacity to exemplify Kirkness and Barnhardt's
(1991) notions of respect and reciprocity by
creating a second home for Native students.

Carousel Interviews: Invalidating
Indigenous Culture
To illustrate how an institutional practice may
impact an Indigenous student in residential
life, we use a common residence life hiring
practice-the carousel interview. Typically, a
carousel-type interview entails separating candidates into groups and asking participants to
provide possible solutions to various scenarios.
This interview method, done uncritically, does
not account for cultural conceptions of humilSDSU is located on the ancestral territory of the Oceti
Sakowin (Seven Council Fires), an alliance that consisted of
the Santee, Yankton, and Teton Lakota-commonly known as
the Sioux by non-Native people. The seven tribes now occupy
nine different reservations in South Dakota: Cheyenne River
Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux
Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud
Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock
Sioux Tribe, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Thus, protocols
associated with smudging accord with the cultural traditions
of these Native Nations.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2

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