Gathered outside on a blustery day just north of American Indian Hall on MSU’s campus, drums, songs and prayers rose up as a dedication to the final part of the unique building, The Elousie Cobell Garden Arbor.
The building which houses the Native American Studies department officially opened in 2019, but former president of the department Walter Flemming said there was always a piece missing.
“You know where it fits, you know it’s shape, and if you could just find it you can finish that puzzle, and that’s what the arbor is.”
The covered arch with large stones for sitting, native plants and a fireplace, completes the building to make a full circle. The architecture creates a soft transition between the built environment with the natural environment. It’s intended to be a resource for all, as a functional outdoor classroom, or a place for a quiet moment.
The arbor is named in honor of Elouise Cobell, a Blackfeet activist known for filing class-action lawsuit against the federal government for mismanaged Native American trust funds. Part of the settlement resulted in a scholarship program also with her name. Kolton Running-Crane a student at MSU and says if it were not for the scholarship he may not have been able to pursue a higher education.
“She has been and continues to be a beacon for what it is that us as Native people can do”
