“Growing up, I didn’t know I was Indigenous until I was a senior in high school,” said Mataya Larson, a senior at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) studying anthropology and American Indian Studies.

Larson’s grandmother, an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, “kept that part of her secret,” Larson said. “And I think that was just her being born during a time where it was a shame to be a native here in the United States.” 

When her grandmother finally shared their Indigenous roots, Larson struggled to understand what it meant for her personal identity. She was suddenly given a new lens through which to view herself, a transformative moment that would take time to fully process. 

At the same time, Larson was navigating the uncertainty of life after high school. As a first-generation college student, the search felt overwhelming, so she simplified the process and applied to just one school: the University of Minnesota Duluth. From the lake environment to the seasonality of Duluth, UMD felt like a comfortable place to continue growing and learning.

“Studying here in Duluth is probably one of the best things,” said Larson.

During her freshman year, she spent time exploring different degree programs within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at UMD. She was drawn to the creative expression of theatre, but not keen on performing. She was curious about how people lived in the past, but less interested in narratives of war and politics. After sharing these experiences and feelings with a professor, it was recommended that she consider anthropology.

“I became an anthropology major, which also seemed kind of scary … because during the 1800s and 1900s, anthropologists really did Indigenous people dirty,” Larson said.

As she dove into her studies, Larson confronted the colonial legacy of anthropology and the complexities of American Indian identity politics. She also discovered how modern anthropology works to reconcile that past. In the classroom, she began to see reflections of her own life story, an experience that felt both uncomfortable and regenerative.

“I was scared to explore it,” she said. But “you can’t stand on the shoreline the whole time … You got to make it through those rapids.” And so Larson leaned in, learning all she could through her two synergistic degrees of study.

Larson’s sense of purpose has grown alongside her academic journey, and she’s adopted a new mission: “To provide a space for people who are like me because I was given that space,” she said. That commitment shows up in her work beyond the classroom through an on-campus job at the American Indian Learning Resource Center and a leadership role with the Indigenous Student Organization. In these roles, Larson helps to organize community events like the annual powwow. It’s work that’s allowed her to step into the indigenous community on campus with pride.

Larson also enjoys moments of quiet reflection by Lake Superior, searching for agates, and creating traditional beadwork. After graduation, she hopes to work in cultural preservation. Thinking back on her personal journey, she’s proud of the clarity she’s gained while studying and building connections at UMD.

“I didn't know who I was, what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be—and now I do,” she said.