The Native American Student Center hosted a barbecue in the Spark courtyard on Aug. 29, where it introduced a new club on campus: the Alliance of Indigenous Men.

Tommy Williams, the center’s retention specialist, unveiled the club and invited students to join.

“There wasn’t really one national group that inspired us to start the club,” Williams said. “That was one of the needs that sparked my interest in creating a club for Indigenous men here. It’s really about creating a platform for them to find similarities with each other and find ways to support each other.”

Williams said Indigenous women on campus are highly active and engaged in the community, but he has noticed many Native men go through college more independently, something he hopes to change.

“A lot of the men and young men navigating higher education do it independently,” Williams said. “Many don’t get involved with clubs and activities, and I want to change that.”

The new club will provide a space for Indigenous men to connect, build community and support one another.

“I want to create opportunities for Native men to find leadership,” Williams said.

The club is still looking to create an executive board and aims to establish itself after midterms. Williams and the club coordinators encourage students to join now, with early meetings focused on game nights to help members get comfortable with each other.

“Social gatherings will help students interested in the club connect and get familiar with each other,” Williams said.

The club plans to elect leadership positions, including facilitators, cabinet members and co-chairs. Williams said the club will foster open discussions where every member has a voice in decisions. The group also hopes to create a logo, potentially designed by students, community members or a family member with Native art skills.

While the club focuses on the experiences of Native men, students from all backgrounds are welcome to join. To learn more, students can visit the Native American Student Center in Cleveland Hall, Room 21B or follow the center’s Instagram @wsunativeprograms.