BSU's Story

This is the story that Bemidji State University reflects.

In 1999, 176 of BSU’s 4,559 students claimed American Indian ethnicity on self reported data, that’s less than 4% of the student body population. While that may sound like a low number, American Indians are the second highest represented minority group, only being surpassed by Non-resident Aliens with 207 people.

Yet the American Indian influence is definitely felt on the BSU campus. Ojibwe is taught as a modern language. Boardrooms bear names such as “Hole-In-The-Day” or “Ozawindib.” An American Indian Resource Center is also being erected on campus, next to the lake.