Tyler Hogan Oral History Interview

Hogan, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, talks about his responsibilities and growth as an external coordinator at the Native American Longhouse (NAL), where he was previously a volunteer, as well as his experiences as a Native American student at OSU. His discussions include the importance of the Salmon Bake event; the NAL's relationship with nearby tribes and his desire for more tribal outreach; Heritage Month events, including the Two-Spirit event and tribal resource kit; the difficulty of presenting a unified message when the NAL staff are from so many different cultures; the gathering of student input during the planning stages of the new Longhouse; what the new Longhouse means to him; his advice to future coordinators; how resilient, passionate, and empowered Native Americans are, especially when given the opportunity; the three functions of the Longhouse; the Longhouse as a "home away from home" for native students; the effect of the Longhouse on OSU and the local community; the Longhouse's contribution to personal identity development of staff and visitors; negative comments and stereotypes about Native Americans; and the N7 program's positive effect on cultural competency.

At the time of this interview, Tyler Hogan was the external coordinator at the Native American Longhouse. A senior in Political Science, Hogan came to OSU from his hometown of Junction City, Oregon.