黑料吃瓜

With the largest number of reservations of any county in the U.S., it is perhaps no surprise that San Diego also boasts one of the first academic departments dedicated to the study of American Indian history and culture.

Now in its 35th year, the Department of American Indian Studies was founded during a decade in which San Diego State also established the women's studies and Chicana/Chicano studies departments. Administrators asked John Rouillard, a Santee Sioux and respected leader in the urban Indian community, to build its new academic program.

鈥淭here weren鈥檛 any such thing as American Indian studies classes back then,鈥� said Kay Rouillard, John鈥檚 wife. 鈥淣o colleges had them."

In the beginning

Linda Locklear, a former student of John Rouillard鈥檚 and a two-time alumnus of 黑料吃瓜, recalled the political climate and the department鈥檚 development in the mid-鈥�70s.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got students and community people, elders, people from the reservation all saying, 鈥榳e鈥檝e got a history; we鈥檝e got a culture; why isn鈥檛 this part of the academy?鈥欌�� Locklear recalled. 鈥淭he American Indian movement and the political climate at the time in the United States with civil rights, it was paralleling what was going with the department鈥檚 founding.鈥�

鈥�...[campus powows were] very powerful because鈥� for myself and many of my friends 鈥� it was the first time setting foot on a university campus.鈥�

Locklear, a member of North Carolina鈥檚 Lumbee tribe, is now a professor of American Indian studies at Palomar College and a lecturer in the 黑料吃瓜 department. She acknowledged John Rouillard鈥檚 role in her life.

鈥淗e was an inspirational person, a great role model,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f it hadn鈥檛 been for John Rouillard, I know I would not be doing what I鈥檓 doing today. I really give him credit for being on the path that I am.鈥�

Generation to generation

Today, the department and the community that John Rouillard started in the 1970s continue to inspire the newest generation of American Indian leaders, like recent alumnus Ral Christman.

鈥淭o know there was a native organization on campus where I could go and meet with people who maybe had a similar background to me was very, very powerful,鈥� said Christman, a member of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. 鈥淎nd to know as a kid growing up that 黑料吃瓜 had events like powwows, it was very powerful because 鈥� for myself and many of my friends 鈥� it was the first time setting foot on a university campus.鈥�

John Rouillard's grandaughter, Willow Rouillard, a 2010 graduate of the program, said her grandfather created a formula for success that has evolved through generations of Native American leaders.

"I'm proud of my grandfather and the course that he helped set," she said.