Photo courtesy of Western Today
By Jack Taylor
Imagine getting hired for a job that has never been offered before. Imagine this job being demanded by students who feel marginalized and need help getting their interests met. Imagine being offered a seat at the table and the chance to create real change on campus in a way that has never been done before.
Laural Ballew is Western’s first Tribal Liaison and has spent her first four months on the job getting acquainted with Western, and is ready to make change.
The job is officially titled Executive Director of American Indian/Alaska Native and First Nations Relations and Tribal Liaison to the President. Ballew was awarded the job after a national search to find a candidate after the Native American Student Union called for the position in an email to Western’s former president Bruce Shepard in May of 2016.
A member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Ballew says the letter that the students wrote has guided her in her initial months at Western.
“This is my road map for objectives for this position, and it’s really my driving force as I move forward in keeping with the expectations for the job requirements,” Ballew said.
Calling her first few months a whirlwind, Ballew has made her presence known by attending NASU meetings as well as helping put together the recent NASU’s Revival Powwow.
“Right now, I am trying to become familiar and acclimated with this environment,” Ballew said.
Having a background with working with nearby Northwest Indian College, as well as Lummi Nation, Ballew is proud of her numerous accomplishments at NWIC, which includes creating a baccalaureate program in tribal governance.
Ballew says she has always had a connection with Western ever since attending Western back in 1969 under Project Ketchup.
“My first experience at Western was in 1969. I was 13 years old and came here for a summer program, and that was my first experience with people on campus and people in Lummi Nation, which is where I met my husband,” Ballew said.
Since then, Ballew went on to earn a degree in American Cultural studies from Western in 2002.
Along with her current work, Ballew is also working online to obtain a doctorate in Indigenous Development and Advancement from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, a school in New Zealand.
Juggling multiple roles aside, Ballew is determined to help indigenous students receive more representation and presence on campus.
“Native Americans are one of the least represented communities everywhere. And when you think of Western, we are situated on tribal territory, so having a seat at the table is huge,” Ballew said.
Ballew’s influence is reaching far past students. Patrick Freeland, who works in Student Outreach Services as an academic support coordinator, who met Ballew at NWIC, believes Ballew shows her commitment to indigenous students through her accessibility. Freeland brought up how she attends the weekly NASU meetings so she can stay informed on the pulse of the students.
“It’s intangible when you meet people with a really strong connection and know that they are committed to making something special for the students here,” Freeland said when describing Ballew’s commitment to students.
Ultimately, Ballew is eager to get more representation for indigenous students, and hopes her work will impact those in future generations.
“I hope that we will have a bigger presence with this office because I think back to when I was a student here and I remember looking around campus and saw no table of representation of Native Americans,” Ballew said. “I see it changing now with the NASU group and this position, so my hope is to give that hope to any student.”