Grounded in foundational principles of community engagement, AIISP is committed to partnering with Indigenous Nations to strengthen relationships through community empowerment, reciprocity, and community-driven ethical research practices. AIISP adheres to Indigenous place-based methodological practices, where recognition of sovereignty, diplomatic protocols, and specific community needs guide and inform our engagement, projects, and relationship-building priorities.

Collaborations with Haudenosaunee Communities

Located on the traditional Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ homelands, AIISP maintains a formal relationship with the traditional leadership of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ Nation. Our commitment is expressed through the formal Land Acknowledgement that AIISP is developing in consultation with the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ leadership. Sachem Samuel George, the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ Condoled Bear Clan leader, has acted as a spokesperson for his nation and the confederacy and a mentor to the AIISP community.

At the center of our commitment to Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ our support for cultural and community resurgence efforts in their original territories. This commitment is expressed through the Cayuga Language and Culture class, which uses an Indigenous immersive pedagogy, grounded in Haudenosaunee traditional ecological, and place-based, knowledge.

The Onondaga Nation, the central fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, is the closest Indigenous territory to Cornell University. AIISP, with generous funding from the Baldwin Family, supports the Onondaga Nation’s youth through its Tutoring Program at Lafayette High School, in Lafayette, NY. Established in 2001, the tutoring program creates mentorship and community engaged opportunities for Cornell undergraduate and graduate students and their mentees, Indigenous students living in Onondaga territory. The program focuses on both meeting student academic needs, including STEM and writing workshops, and recruiting them as future Cornell students.

In 2017, AIISP partnered with the Cornell Computer Reuse Association (CCRA) and the Onondaga Nation to set up a computer lab at the Onondaga Nation Arena. The lab is comprised of 5 refurbished computers, two MacBook Pro Laptops, computer desks, 2 whiteboards, a projector and a printer. The helps students from the Onondaga Nation complete homework and research projects, as well as to host workshops and other training sessions for the broader community.