Montana State University Wonderlust will host a free forum on Friday, March 8, about Native Americans at MSU.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at noon at the Museum of the Rockies’ Hager Auditorium.

In “Native Americans at MSU: Past, Present and Future,” Walter Fleming, head of the MSU Department of Native American Studies, will present an overview of the department, including academic and student support programs, progress in Native American student enrollment and completion rates, and challenges faced by Native American students. He will also talk about the significance of MSU’s planned American Indian Hall, which is slated to open in 2021. 

Fleming has taught at MSU for 39 years and is a recipient of the Montana Governor’s Humanities Award. He is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas.

Since 1974 the MSU Department of Native American Studies has provided undergraduate and graduate academic programs for all university students and student support services for Native American students.

The Friday Forum event is sponsored by MSU Wonderlust and the Bozeman Public Library Foundation. Community members who regularly attend Friday Forums should note the venue change is for this month only. The April Friday Forum will take place once again at the Bozeman Public Library.

For more information on Wonderlust, visit http://www.montana.edu/wonderlust.