Between classes at UC Merced, you will often find Padme James under the trees outside the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library. What she studies there isn’t directly correlated to her classwork, but it connects her roots to where she hopes her future is headed.
Instead of reviewing notes for a lecture, the first-year student opens her laptop for a different kind of lesson — one she pursues on her own time.
She’s studying her Native language.
James, whose family is from the Cote First Nation, has been taking the language classes for almost three years. Now she can speak conversationally — a milestone that represents far more than vocabulary and grammar. For her, learning the language is part of reclaiming something her family once lost.
“It is important for me to connect with my Indigenous heritage because my family was part of something called the Sixties Scoop in Canada, where Native children were taken from their parents and placed with white families,” she said.
Historians estimate that more than 20,000 children were displaced from the 1950s through the mid-1980s. The program was justified by Eurocentric biases that framed Indigenous child-rearing as neglectful. Government policies claimed to "save" children by erasing their cultural identity, culture and religion.
The Sixties Scoop had a lasting effect on James’ family.
“As a result, we were separated from our band, and this is an attempt I’m making to reconnect with my people, my history and my ancestors, as they are listening,” she said.
Her family’s band is Cote First Nation in Treaty 4. The language she is learning is commonly known as Saulteaux — a French name used to describe her people’s language.
The journey to reconnect with language has also helped shape her future. James is majoring in literature in English with an environmental emphasis — a combination that allows her to explore how storytelling and ecology intersect.
“With my environmental emphasis, it’s a lot more about ecology and environmentalism and how that plays out in modern literature. I have always found that interesting as a Native person,” she said. “I am really interested in that relationship.”
Her passion for storytelling runs deep. James grew up surrounded by stories in different forms.
“The environment is something I value and I love storytelling. My mom is a librarian and my dad is a filmmaker. I grew up with that,” she said.
Those influences have helped guide her studies, though she is still exploring where the path will lead. “Right now, my degree is really about my passions. I eventually want to use it to help people and inspire. It’s something I am still thinking about.”
Coming from her hometown of Mountain House, UC Merced’s proximity made it an appealing choice, but James said the university also stood out for the academic and personal opportunities it offered.
“I really set a bar for myself that I wanted to attend a UC,” she said. “I was drawn to the quality education, opportunities and reputation in the academic world.”
Her early impressions of the campus helped confirm she had made the right decision. During Bobcat Day — UC Merced’s open house for admitted students — she met faculty members, explored campus resources such as the Writing Center, and began to imagine what her future could look like.
Since arriving at UC Mered, she has found community inside and outside the classroom, including through the Native Indigenous Student Coalition, a student-run organization known as NISC.
The group, which includes members from different tribes, organizes events and encourages Native and non-Native students to participate and learn, creating a space where James said she feels understood and supported.
“One thing I have always personally struggled with is socializing and finding friends,” she said. “In NISC, I find a lot of community.”
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