BUFFALO, N.Y. — In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District welcomed Alicia Mitchell, member of the Cherokee Nation and Director of Tribal and Government relations at AISES - Advancing Indigenous People in STEM, for a presentation highlighting the organization’s mission and partnership with USACE.
This year’s theme for Native American Heritage Month, “Affirming Native Voices: Visibility-Leadership-Service,” underscores the event’s significance. The theme reflects the Corps of Engineers’ commitment to recognizing the diverse backgrounds and experiences that strengthen its workforce and the communities it serves.
During her presentation, Mitchell detailed AISES’s initiatives and opportunities for collaboration to expand STEM education and career pathways for Indigenous communities. She emphasized how USACE could play a critical role in enhancing visibility, promote leadership, and foster service among Indigenous professionals and students in STEM fields.
Through AISES’ work and the organization’s beliefs, Mitchell said, “Indigenous knowledge illuminates unique pathways to innovation.”
In 2022, the Corps of Engineers and AISES signed an agreement to further open doors to USACE for Indigenous people. The agreement provides both organizations opportunities for engagement through job fairs, career days, workforce interaction, and access to projects, labs and research.
At the time the agreement was signed, there were an estimated 3.5 million STEM jobs in America that needed to be filled by 2025.
· Visibility reflects the commitment to recognizing and appreciating the rich history, traditions, and contributions of Indigenous communities.
Through its partnership with AISES, USACE aims to spotlight the perspectives Indigenous professionals bring to STEM disciplines. AISES currently has more than 500 Indigenous nations, including Native American, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native First Nations, Metis and Inuit people.
· Leadership, as highlighted during the event, emphasizes the enduring impact of Indigenous leaders, past and present, who inspire future generations to cultivate new leaders within the federal workforce.
· Service, central to the Corps of Engineers mission, honors the service of Indigenous people who have served and continue to serve in the military and public service.
Mitchell’s presentation emphasized that service extends to education and workforce development, ensuring that Indigenous students and professionals have the tools and opportunities to thrive in STEM careers.
As the Corps of Engineers continues to build on its partnership with AISES through engagement, mentorship, and research, this event served as a reminder of the importance of collaboration, innovation, and inclusion in achieving shared goals.
About AISES: Founded in 1977, AISES is a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. The vision of AISES is for the next seven generations of Indigenous people to be successful, respected, influential, and contributing members of our vast and ever-changing global community. More information is available at aises.org.