HGSE Admissions Blog

One of the courses I knew I wanted to take before I even arrived to campus was Native
Americans in the 21st Century: Nation Building I. Taught by Joseph Kalt, professor of
International Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School, NBI, as it’s informally called, “examines the challenges that contemporary Native American tribes and nations face as they endeavor to rebuild their communities, strengthen their cultures, and support their citizens.” Over the years, I have volunteered as a faculty member with the non-profit college access organization, College Horizons, which supports Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students. Nation building through education was a central theme to the mission. This J-Term class presented an opportunity to engage with that part of my professional experience through an interdisciplinary lens alongside some of the most revered preeminent experts in the field.

While I knew I needed to take a break and recharge with some sun and salt water back in Hawai’i before coming back to a wintry “spring” semester, I also knew I wanted to take full advantage of the J-term opportunity. The way I saw it, J-term was another way to maximize my Harvard experience given the short length of the Masters program. Fortunately, this course, offered in mid January allowed me to take a break for the holidays to visit friends and family, get some sun, and then come back ready for the next term. The class, which is cross-listed through HKS, attracted students from across the University which made for a dynamic classroom experience, with policy students interested in considering how the course might inform their work in economic development for their own home-countries, to others working with indigenous populations in public health and medicine, as well as beyond the continental US context.

A highlight of the week-long course was being treated to hearing from incredible leaders from various tribal nations– including the Honorable Butch Blazer, President of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and Tesia Zientek from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation who is the founding Director of her tribal nation’s Department of Education– giving us their view on the ground to bring to life what we were engaging with in our readings
and discussions in class. Taking NBI during J-Term also whet my appetite into taking Nation Building II through the Harvard University Native American Program. In this course (NB1 not a prerequisite), we are able to continue the conversation by putting thought into practice by working alongside a tribal nation on a project they propose. This spring, I’m excited to be working alongside a colleague in partnership with Native Women Lead, a grassroots leadership development organization for Native women based in New Mexico.

If you’re on the fence on J-Term, I highly encourage you to consider. Not only did J-Term help me ease back into the classroom after a nice holiday break before the full throttle of spring semester, but I was also able to engage with a topic that allowed me to connect with students across Harvard, enrich my professional experiences, and also inspire me to take a spring course that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Blog written by Dan Manuyag. Photos provided by Dan Manuyag.

Aloha! I’m Dan and come to HGSE from Honolulu, Hawai`i where I was most recently working as a college counselor supporting high school students in their post-secondary endeavors. Before that, I worked in Higher Ed Admissions. As a student in the Education Policy and Management Program at HGSE, I am cultivating my leadership skills while exploring different sectors within the field of Education to figure out how I can make the most impact. Throughout my career, I have been committed to supporting and working alongside underrepresented students, particularly within Native communities and the first-gen. My undergrad studies was in Gender Studies with a concentration in Labor and Economics. Since then, much of my professional and personal interests has been informed by my commitment to social justice. When I’m not studying, serving the community as one of the Equity Fellows, or attending speaker events across campus, I enjoy community building through arts & culture and the outdoors.