Native American Center of Excellence

10/02/2026

Join us for the first speaker this semester for the Native American Center of Excellence Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 21st from 1 - 2:30 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center, Room 103 and over Zoom!

We will welcome Dr. Damian Chase-Begay (Mandan and Arikara) for a special lecture on "Our Culture, Our Data, Our Health: Indigenous Knowledge as a Foundation for Wellness".

This lecture is hosted by the Native American Center of Excellence.

Virtual option available: https://umontana.zoom.us/j/96137512113

10/01/2026

09/29/2026

Join us on Wednesday, September 30th from 11 AM - 2 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center Rotunda for Wellness Wednesday!

We will be beading orange t-shirt lapel pins and filling them with traditional medicines from the PFNAC Ethnobotany Garden in honor of the National Day of Remembrance for Boarding School Survivors.

Remember to stop by Wellness Wednesday throughout the semester on:

⭐ October 7th, 14th, and 28th

⭐ November 4th

⭐Stress Less Study Break on Tuesday, December 1st

09/21/2026

Join us on Wednesday, September 23rd from 11 AM - 2 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center Rotunda for Wellness Wednesday!

We will be harvesting Sage for seed saving and Prepping supplies for next week's National Day of Remembrance for Boarding Schools.

Next week's activity will be beading orange t-shirt lapel pins and filling them with traditional medicines from the PFNAC Ethnobotany Garden.

Remember to stop by Wellness Wednesday throughout the semester on:

⭐ September 30th

⭐ October 7th, 14th, and 28th

⭐ November 4th

⭐Stress Less Study Break on Tuesday, December 1st

09/18/2026

Join American Indian Student Services Monday, September 21st through Friday, September 25th for American Indian Heritage Week!

Each day of student participation will earn you an entry for a chance to win a prize. Stop by the AISS Office 113 in the Payne Family Native American Center on UM Campus to enter a ticket

For any questions, please contact Valene TalksDifferent at [email protected] or (406)243-6312

09/15/2026

Join us on Wednesday, September 16th from 11 AM - 2 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center Rotunda for Wellness Wednesday!

We will be harvesting and practicing seed saving of Nettle-Leaf Giant Hyssop, Wild Mint, and Curly Cup Gumweed!

Remember to stop by Wellness Wednesday throughout the semester on:

⭐ September 23rd, and 30th

⭐ October 7th, 14th, and 28th

⭐ November 4th

⭐Stress Less Study Break on Tuesday, December 1st

09/08/2026

Join us on Wednesday, September 9th from 11 AM - 2 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center Rotunda for Wellness Wednesday!

We will be harvesting and practicing seed saving of Horse Mint, Wild Mint, and Milkweed Pods from the Ethnobotany Garden.

Remember to stop by Wellness Wednesday throughout the semester on:

⭐ September 16th, 23rd, and 30th

⭐ October 7th, 14th, and 28th

⭐ November 4th

⭐Stress Less Study Break on Tuesday, December 1st

08/31/2026

Join us on Wednesday, September 2nd from 11 AM - 2 PM in the Payne Family Native American Center Rotunda for Wellness Wednesday!

We will be processing chokecherries, harvesting medicinal tea ingredients, and practicing seed saving from the Ethnobotany Garden.

Remember to stop by Wellness Wednesday throughout the semester on:

⭐ September 16th, 23rd, and 30th

⭐ October 7th, 14th, and 28th

⭐ November 4th

⭐Stress Less Study Break on Tuesday, December 1st

08/31/2026

Check out the Curry Health Center Counseling Services Fall 2026 groups!

Talking Circle: Wednesdays, 10 - 11 AM
September 9 - November 11, 2026
PFNAC 102

STAIR: Emotional Regulation & Trauma Recovery: Tuesdays, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
September 29 - November 3, 2026
CHC 073

Get Some Sleep!: Wednesdays, 1 - 2 PM
September 16 - November 18, 2026
CHC Medical (Check-in at Medical Reception)

Grief and Loss Support Group: Wednesdays, 4 - 5:15 PM
October 7 - November 18, 2026
CHC 073

Mindfulness-Based Skills Group: Thursdays, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
September 24 - November 12, 2026
CHC 073

Questions?
Call (406) 243-4712

08/28/2026

Interested in taking your learning into the field, backpacking through the Rocky Mountain West while earning college credit?

The Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI) is an academic field program that offers undergraduate students opportunities to earn upper-division college credit while backpacking, biking, hiking, and kayaking across landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West. WRFI courses are accredited by the University of Montana and take place in Montana, Canada, and the American Southwest, combining academic inquiry with cultural immersion and extended backcountry expeditions. Students engage in small, discussion-oriented classes, hands-on, field-based ecological studies, and authentic connections with community members who live and work in the places we travel through—all while sleeping in a tent!

If finances are a concern, WRFI offers scholarships and tuition discounts to help make their courses more accessible, as well as a sliding-scale tuition model for their semester-length courses. For students planning to join WRFI in 2027, there’s an additional opportunity to save: schedule a student call (https://calendly.com/d/dtb5-cpb-4j8/30-minute-student-consultation?month=2026-08 ) with WRFI before September 15 and receive an extra 5% off your course tuition (up to 25% total) when you enroll by October 1. Enrollment means paying your 25% tuition deposit.

Students interested in joining WRFI for the 2027 field season can submit an initial online application here: https://wrfi.app.neoncrm.com/forms/welcome-to-the-wild-rockies-field-institute-registration-2-127?event=127&

For questions or to schedule a student call, please reach out to WRFI's Student Experience Manager, Kelsey Wellington, at [email protected]

Learn more on the WRFI website: https://www.wrfi.net/