Native Science

Attracting Native students to the STEM disciplines has been a hard problem. There are many forces at work that complicate this, including a non-science self-image imposed by historical misconceptions by the mainstream culture, fears of brain drain by the communities, and a long term need to help improve conditions and opportunities for the home communities. Through careful integration of an NSF grant for engaging undergraduate students in research, RIT has been successful in establishing a foundational path for Native Students with the background and motivation to succeed in STEM careers. The program is open to all US undergraduate students around the country, and although we have been successful in engaging Native stduents, it is not limited by region, gender or ethnicity. All can (and should) apply at .

One casualty of the historic clash between European and Native American cultures in the past was the vast amount of Native American science that had been developed in the western hemisphere, often hundreds to thousands of years before the same advances were developed to the East. One of many such losses was the near elimination of Iroquois White Corn, a low glycemic index food that helps prevent diabetes. As the French sent their troops in to New York State to remove or eliminate the Seneca, they burned crop fields and large stores of white corn that were the winter food supply of the Iroquois towns. After these attacks, the Seneca gradually reduced their dependency on their historic food, and the number of acres dedicated to its growth dwindled to 75 acres worldwide. 

With initial support from the Office of the President of RIT and lots of hard work by the Native community and Friends of Ganondagan, the Ganondagan Iroquois White Corn Project resurrects an ancient farming practice that grows traditional "white corn" previously grown by the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. White corn has large white kernels and only 8 rows on an ear. The low glycemic index quality of white corn helps prevent the onset of diabetes, a growing problem in both the Native communities and the larger population as well. 

The Iroquois White Corn Project successfully markets various products through local and national food outlets, and can be found on the shelves of selective grovery stores. 

 © Roger Dube 2015