MSUM professor earns national honor for creating opportunities for Native American students – InForum

MOORHEAD — Amplifying Indigenous voices in higher education is a priority for Caitlin Johnson.

At Minnesota State University Moorhead, the assistant professor of educational leadership researches how to better support Native American students at the school. Native Americans are underrepresented in higher education research studies, and few researchers are Native American, Johnson said.

Johnson, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, wanted to provide Indigenous students with opportunities to conduct research, present research findings and publish academic articles.

“I didn’t have a lot of those same opportunities when I was a student, but when you graduate, you were expected to have those opportunities,” Johnson said. “I had a year after graduation where I was slowly building up my resume so I could be eligible for a position like this, and I didn’t want other students to have to do that.”

That’s why she hired three Indigenous students as research assistants in her project.

“We’re addressing the equity gap in higher education,” Johnson said. “We’re also addressing an equity gap in research in general, so it was a big priority for me to bring Indigenous voices to the forefront of everything.”

For her work at MSUM, Johnson was named a 2024 Native American 40 Under 40 recipient. The award is given to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication and have made significant contributions in their communities, according to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, which presents the award.

Learning she made the list was surreal, Johnson said, especially as the only teacher on the list.

Others honored

include tribal and business leaders, a White House advisor and Oscar-nominated actress Lily Gladstone.

“It was validating for me in a sense, as well,” Johnson said. “I’m obviously doing something right if I’m being recognized, which means keep going — it’s that reassurance that sometimes we need to feel when you have that impostor syndrome.”

Jody Steile, American Indian and student success coordinator at MSUM, was one of the people who nominated Johnson for the award.

“She’s gone above and beyond in the short time that she has been here to ensure that our students, and especially the Native or Indigenous students, feel like they’re listened to, valued and supported,” Steile said.

Native Americans make up a small percentage of the total student population, but Johnson’s work has made sure that Indigenous students’ voices are heard on campus rather than minimized, Steile said. As an Indigenous faculty member and, now, Native American 40 Under 40 award recipient, Johnson is a powerful role model for students.

“She demonstrates that with a purpose and passion, one can make a difference in their profession and community,” Steile said.

Another aspect of Johnson’s work at MSUM ties back to the community where she grew up. Johnson teaches a cohort of teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators from the Turtle Mountain Community School in Belcourt, North Dakota. The group focuses on curriculum instruction, with an emphasis on literacy, Johnson said.

“That was really fun to work with people back home for a little while, and because you’re part of that community, there’s that relationship that was already built,” Johnson said.

Some students in the cohort have told Johnson they were more successful because she was there to support them, she said.

“That’s gotten a little emotional for me,” Johnson said. “It’s like, oh my gosh, I can do this for other people.”

The Turtle Mountain literacy masters cohort graduates with a 100% graduation rate this spring, and will walk in graduation with special stoles representing their Native identity.