Lived Experiences of Native American STEM Faculty in Academia: Our Stories, Insights, and Advice

Native American faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (NAF-STEM) are severely under-represented. NAF-STEM often have greater responsibilities and challenges in academia leading to lower retention and promotion rates, which can also have an impact on career satisfaction and individual success. A group of Native scholars and diverse scholars at two tribal colleges and one state university collaborated on a culturally grounded project with NAF-STEM in higher education to examine their collective lived experiences in academia. Qualitative analyses were guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies using a collaborative autoethnography approach. The results of these shared experiences are intended to aid in the creation and maintenance of equitable and successful models to recruit and retain NAF-STEM. Advice aimed at guiding educational equity for Indigenous scholars is shared.