Contact Us

Native Student Services
Native American Cultural Center 
409 E. Clark St. 
Vermillion SD 57069
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Native Student Services (NSS) is housed within the Native American Cultural Center, a home away from home for many students on campus. Here you’ll find staff and faculty who offer student support services as well as socially, culturally and community relevant programming throughout the year.

USD is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, conducive to the exploration and discovery of diversity, as we recognize that such an environment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process. We are committed to creating opportunities for students, faculty, staff and administration to experience a variety of perspectives to prepare them for living and working in a world where everyone belongs.

 

Student Resources & Opportunities

 
A student smiling and doing homework in the Native American Cultural Center.

Welcome to the NACC

Students enjoy the homelike environment and study space at the Native American Cultural Center. The NACC provides a welcoming environment where students can access meeting rooms, a computer lab, study spaces and lounge spaces as well as engage in social activities such as dinners, speakers, workshops and community gatherings.
A student participating in the Native Wacipi event, wearing a bright green and yellow outfit.

Connect with Native American Communities

Native Student Services maintains close relationships with South Dakota's Native communities as well as the more than 25 other tribal communities represented by students on our campus. You will learn from those relationships through speaker series, community gatherings, workshops, and connecting with your peers.
Three students sitting and smiling on the Native American Cultural Center couch.

Discover Your Community

Wiyuskinyan Unpi Tipi Living Learning Community is an immersive residential program that enhances the campus experience for Native American students.

Learn About Our Living Learning Communities
A native student wearing their tribal flag at a basketball game.

Annual Community Events

Native Student Services hosts Native Student Orientation in the summer, Native American Heritage Month in the fall, the Native Heritage Basketball game in the winter and the Native Graduate Honoring in the spring. Celebrating Native identity, culture and community is central to our commitment to providing greater representation across the University of South Dakota’s campus.
 

Recent News

faculty & staff

Get to know the staff in Native Student Services who are dedicated to helping you succeed academically and promoting cultural understanding and inclusion on campus.
Bio Image for Faculty Member Megan Red Shirt-Shaw

Megan Red Shirt-Shaw

Director of NSS
Bio Image for Faculty Member Brooke Jackson

Brooke Jackson

Coordinator of Native Student Services
Bio Image for Faculty Member John Little

John Little

Dir-Native Recruit, Alumni Eng
Bio Image for Faculty Member Julianna Benge

Julianna Benge

Native American Advisor, Retention Specialist

student success story

Hannah Helseth smiling.
Attending USD for Native American studies was a transformative experience, where forming lasting bonds with professors and feeling at home in the Native American Cultural Center (NACC) played pivotal roles in my success. The faculty's expertise and passion for Native American culture and community, combined with smaller class sizes, allowed me to establish meaningful relationships with professors who became mentors that were deeply invested in my academic and personal growth.

Hannah Helseth

B.A. Native American Studies, '22
M.L.S Indigenous Peoples Law Student, University of Oklahoma College of Law
Norman, Oklahoma

Read More USD Stories