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Amanda+Croteau+stands+on+Sacramento+State%E2%80%99s+campus+wearing+an+emerald+green+ribbon+skirt.+As+a+citizen+of+Cherokee+Nation+and+president+of+Sac+State%E2%80%99s+Ensuring+Native+Indian+Traditions+club%2C+she+says+she+hopes+to+help+other+Native+students+feel+like+they+belong.+

Ayaana Williams

Amanda Croteau stands on Sacramento State’s campus wearing an emerald green ribbon skirt. As a citizen of Cherokee Nation and president of Sac State’s Ensuring Native Indian Traditions club, she says she hopes to help other Native students feel like they belong.

Amanda Croteau, Cherokee

November 10, 2021

When Amanda Croteau, a 22-year-old earth science major, arrived at Sac State, she said she felt like she could not be herself. 

Croteau said the lack of representation of Native people at Sac State makes it mentally draining to be an Indigenous student. 

“I’ve gotten weird stares wearing things on campus like my earrings or if I wear my ribbon skirt,” Croteau said. “I think this is just the lack of representation, the lack of just seeing other people who look like you.” 

In fact, through her entire K-12 experience, she said she has never known other Indigenous students. Through connecting with campus resources like Ensuring Native Indian Traditions Club and the Native Scholars Program, Croteau said she became comfortable sharing her Native traditions. For her, these spaces made her realize it was okay to be Indigenous. 

My entire life I have been made fun of. I’ve always struggled with that just because I just don’t have the stereotypical Indigenous look. But really, when you’re around and you see just how different everyone looks, the stereotypical Native look does not uphold.

— Amanda Croteau

While she’s an enrolled citizen in Cherokee Nation, Croteau was born and raised in Sacramento away from her reservation. As a Native person growing up “urban,” she describes the complicated relationship with her Indigenous identity. Having blond hair, blue eyes and fair skin, Croteau said she was interrogated about her blood quantum, the amount of Native “blood” she has, since elementary school.

“My entire life I have been made fun of,” she said. “I’ve always struggled with that just because I just don’t have the stereotypical Indigenous look. But really, when you’re around and you see just how different everyone looks, the stereotypical Native look does not uphold.” 

Croteau says she grew up disconnected, struggling to keep up with her Cherokee traditions being away from her own reservation. 

Through her role as president of ENIT, Croteau wants to help other Native students like her. For her, working with other Native students is “making up for lost time” where she struggled with her own identity. 

“I am part of the Native community, even though it is pretty small,” she said. “It has allowed me to learn so much about not even just my culture but other cultures as well.” 

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