Tyson Johnston, general manager for First Nations at the UW, has few fond memories of his early college days.

“One class in Kane Hall was the size of my village,” said Johnston, who came to the UW from a small village that is part of the Coast Salish tribes.

Often, Native American students come from close-knit communities where culture is a pillar of strength, but there is little evidence of Native American culture on the UW campus.

The UW is hoping to change this aspect of campus, so that the experience for future Native American students will be different than Johnston’s.

On Friday morning, a ceremony was held to bless the ground on which a Native American longhouse-style building will stand — if plans stay on schedule — within four years.

“People have been talking about this for 30 years,” said Charlotte Coté, assistant professor of American Indian studies.

Friday’s blessing ceremony was the first step in creating a home away from home for Native American students at the UW.

“We want to bring different generations in to see we are encouraging their culture,” said David Iyall, assistant vice president for advancement for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMAD).

Named the House of Knowledge, the structure will be similar in design to a traditional longhouse with a large gathering hall but will also accommodate facilities such as a computer lab and kitchen. When estimated construction begins in late 2011, the building site will be between the Quad and McMahon Hall, replacing parking lot N6.

The longhouse blessing ceremony was followed by the annual Tribal Leadership Summit, where leaders focused on a new partnership between the UW and the 22 local tribes who attended.

Later the same evening, the Hec Edmundson Pavilion was transformed into the host site for the biggest student-run event on the UW calendar — the three-day First Nations at UW Annual Spring Pow Wow.

The Pow Wow included traditional dance and drum competitions, showcasing not only Native American culture, but performances by the Polynesian Student Alliance, Filipino American Student Association and UW Capoeiristas.

“Since our community is not here, we create it ourselves,” Johnston said.

According to statistics from OMAD, Native Americans make up 1.2 percent of undergraduate enrollment at the UW, with only 54 percent going on to graduate. This is compared with a university average graduation rate of 74.8 percent.

Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs, said there are many reasons for these low figures, including poverty and a historically difficult relationship between Native Americans and educational institutions.

“In part, higher education was a way to separate Native Americans from their culture,” said Lange, referring to instances in which boarding houses and universities were sometimes used to forcibly assimilate Native Americans into a standardized American culture.

The Pow Wow, summit and longhouse are all part of an effort to demonstrate that young Native Americans are being encouraged to find support in their heritage while continuing their education.

Kris Hohag, admissions outreach counselor for OMAD, is hopeful that events such as the Pow Wow and the construction of a longhouse-type building on campus will help unify and strengthen the bond that already exists in Native American culture, helping students finish college.

“I hope to see a long, healthy, strong balance between UW and the tribes,” Hohag said, “where the university learns from us, and we learn from the university.”

Reach contributing writer Serena Solomon at development@dailyuw.com.