Courtesy of the Bemidji Pioneer

Bordered on three sides by American Indian reservations, it is a natural that Bemidji State University should be a leader in American Indian education. And it is.

Bemidji State has had a degree program in Indian Studies since 1969. Also part of that status and recognition is the American Indian Resource Center, which opened in 2003. According to its website, the AIRC is “a space … where American Indian students could gather for learning, support, and cultural interaction. The ultimate goal would be to enhance the recruitment, retention and graduation of American Indian students.”

And as the website says, the AIRC goes beyond that, reaching American Indians across Minnesota and across the country and is seen as a leader in Native education nationwide.

So there is no doubt that the AIRC is a vital component to BSU and its students, both Indian and non-Indian. So last week’s news that Anton Treuer was stepping down as executive director of the AIRC to return to BSU’s faculty full time was front-page news.

Treuer has been a strong leader at the AIRC and in the community, but he also had to follow his own path.

 “I agonized about this because I really love and value both positions,” Treuer said in a news release. “The bottom line is, my primary passion is teaching our students and working with language and culture. This change is more about how I can be most effective at the things that I am not only best at, but that I am most passionate about.”

A longtime member of the BSU faculty before taking the helm at the AIRC, Treuer said he will continue to have a hand in projects important to BSU and AIRC, such as the Imagine Tomorrow campaign, an Ojibwe teacher training program and the recently started, community-wide Truth and Reconciliation efforts.

The plan is to have a new AIRC director in place by July 1; applications are being accepted through Sunday.

We hope that whomever is selected will continue Treuer’s and BSU’s work in solidifying and enhancing Bemidji State’s standing as a leader in American Indian education.