American Indian Student Center

Our History

In 1969, Milwaukee was home to one-third of Wisconsin’s Native population, yet only ten Native students were enrolled at UW-Milwaukee. The American Indian Student Center traces its roots to the efforts of student leaders John Gauthier (Menominee) and James LaGoo (Bad River Ojibwe), who founded the American Indian Student Union, later renamed the Native American Student Movement (NASM). Their work aimed to address key tribal community concerns, including poverty, distrust in educational institutions, and the preservation of Indigenous culture. In 1970, alongside other growing communities at UWM, the Native American Student Movement, under the leadership of its first coordinator, Waldo “Buck” Martin (Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican), was granted a dedicated space on campus. Waldo “Buck” Martin became the sole staff member of UW-Milwaukee’s Native American Studies Program (NASP). The establishment of NASP was made possible through the advocacy and leadership of students who organized fundraising efforts and sought support from Washington, DC, and Madison. By 1972, the Indigenous student population at UW-Milwaukee had grown from ten to 60, with over 100 students enrolling in the Native American Studies Program.

The student facing office, American Indian Student Services, was established under the College of Letters & Science to provide dedicated advising and support. In 2019, the office became part of UWM’s multicultural student centers under the Division of Community Empowerment & Institutional Inclusivity (at the time known as Global Inclusion and Engagement), adopting the name American Indian Student Center. It collaborates with the Electa Quinney Institute to host many educational events. Today, AISC has broadened its mission by promoting a welcoming campus environment for all students and enhancing campus and external collaborations to bolster the talent pipeline and meet workforce demands.