An accomplished powwow dancer and singer who grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. An esteemed professor who attended Harvard University and UCLA. Vincent Whipple combines these two identities as an educator, sharing his Native American culture with students both in the classroom and beyond.
“During the week, I’m teaching, and on the weekends, I’m just so involved in Native communities, through my practice of the traditions and dance,” said Whipple, who is Navajo and Sioux. “I’m immersed in what’s going on in the tribes and I try to incorporate that into my focus on academics.”
Whipple started teaching at Pierce College this semester, in the anthropology department—but his ambitions span much further than his existing classes.
Currently, Whipple is working to develop a Native American studies program at Pierce, going through the steps of an extensive process that includes writing syllabi, requesting state and district approvals and conducting outreach with local tribes. The program is on track to be up and running by the Fall 2025 semester.
Anthropology Department Chair Erin Hayes said she is excited for the new program.
“It’s an important part of a well-rounded education to be aware of Native history and Native culture, particularly in our own area, but also across the United States,” Hayes said. “It’s a shame we don’t have [a Native American studies] program already. We’re lucky to have [Whipple] here to start it.”
The program will cover topics including Native American history, culture, arts and contemporary issues. These classes will count as options for ethnic studies, which is a requirement for most students who plan to transfer to four-year public universities.
“We certainly want to build enough options,” Interim President Ara Aguiar said. “We really are trying to enrich our curriculum and the experience that our students have in the ethnic studies area.”
Aguiar said professors and administrators are working to tie together and expand on course offerings at Pierce, including Chicano studies and African American studies.
“Build it and they will come is the concept, and there’s a lot of interest by our students to have Native American studies,” Aguiar said. “We’re creating that transfer pathway to it, and it’s harmonious with our other areas that we’re building.”
Spurred by his commitment to connect Pierce with Los Angeles-area indigenous communities, such as the Tongva and Tataviam, Whipple is also organizing several on-campus events.
These events are planned to start near the end of this semester and continue into the fall, and Whipple said they will tentatively include an indigenous speaker series, a basket weaving workshop and a powwow.
“Native communities are so spread out and community events are one way that we reconnect,” Whipple said. “It’s a way to get together and help keep the culture alive.”
Hosting a powwow at Pierce will allow Whipple to show students his creative side. For more than 30 years, Whipple has run a Native American dance company with his wife. Donning colorful attire, he performs traditional dances such as the Hoop Dance and the Eagle Dance, in the same way his family and ancestors have done for centuries.
Beyond educating current Pierce students through academics and events, Whipple and Hayes both said they want the Native American studies program to also attract new students, especially those with indigenous heritage.
“We want to develop our Native student population, and having a Native American studies program can be a draw for those students,” Hayes said. “It can make them feel more comfortable and welcome.”
Whipple said he looks forward to continuing his time at Pierce and expanding the college’s Native American community.
“I’m trying to spread the word that we’re starting Native American studies, and that we as Native people are here and connected,” Whipple said. “We’re doing the work and we’re building this program.”
