DURANGO, Colo.—Matthew Schaeffer clearly remembers the moment that changed his path. In 2023, History Colorado released a report about the legacy of Indian boarding schools in the state. The weight of the findings in the report brought up difficult emotions–not just for Schaeffer, but for many of his Indigenous classmates and friends at Fort Lewis College.
“I just felt really compelled to do something,” Schaeffer, 24, said. “It brought up a lot of emotion. I had family in those schools. There’s so much intergenerational trauma tied to them.”
Schaeffer, who grew up in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, had started at 麻豆免费高清无砖码区in 2019. As a political science major, he was already thinking about institutions and policy. But after the report came out, he began asking new questions–about his own identity, his connection to culture, and what reconciliation could look like at FLC.
That journey led to a senior research project and, eventually, a full-time role on campus. Schaeffer now serves as FLC’s reconciliation coordinator, a two-year, grant-funded position that supports the college’s 2025–30 Strategic Plan. Reconciliation is one of the five strategic directions in FLC’s new strategic plan.
“My role is to help make sure it’s not just a value, but something we actually put into practice,” he said.
From student to staff
Schaeffer graduated in December 2024, but his work in reconciliation began long before that. As a student, he served as president of the Political Engagement Project and focused on civic involvement. After the boarding school report came out, he launched a research project to study how people at 麻豆免费高清无砖码区understood the college’s new reconciliation framework.
“I used surveys and qualitative analysis to look at responses,” he said. “I found that there was a gap between understanding and implementation. A lot of people were confused about how the framework should be applied.”
That gap motivated him to take on a more active role. When the reconciliation coordinator position opened after his graduation, it felt like the right fit.
“Doing that research was emotionally and mentally exhausting,” he said. “But when I saw that this position existed and I was invited to apply, it really affirmed that this work has meaning and impact.”
A role built on collaboration
Schaeffer’s position is designed to support college-wide reconciliation efforts and prepare for the arrival of a new Director of Reconciliation. That future leadership role will oversee the Center for Reconciliation and lead efforts focused on healing, building relationships with tribal nations, and supporting Indigenous students.
In the meantime, Schaeffer is laying the foundation. He’s helping coordinate programs, map out existing initiatives, and work with other departments to improve understanding of the framework.
One of Schaeffer’s current projects is a grant-funded initiative through the Denver Foundation called Belonging Colorado. In collaboration with Paul DeBell, an associate professor of political science and assistant dean of impact and innovation at FLC, the program brings together faculty, staff, and students for a yearlong exploration of what belonging means on a campus with deep Indigenous roots.
“We have tough conversations about this place we call Durango,” Schaeffer said. “That includes not just people, but the land, the animals, and even inanimate beings that have always been part of this place.”
He’s also working on creating a student advisory group that will provide reconciliation-focused input on policies and programs.
“Any reconciliation effort has to be informed by the communities we serve,” he said. “Students should have a role in shaping how we move forward.”
Personal identity, professional mission
Schaeffer’s approach to this work is shaped by his identity. A Hopi tribal member and descendant from Taos Pueblo and Acoma Pueblo, he knows the harm boarding schools caused in his own family. His grandmother spoke the Tiwa language, but it was not passed down to his mother or him.
That made the opportunity to learn his language especially meaningful. He took Hopi classes two years ago and still remembers the moment he learned how to say his introduction in his language.
“I remember that joy,” he said. “Everyone should be able to experience that feeling. And it’s something boarding schools tried to take away.”
From his Hopi background, Schaeffer carries a teaching that translates to “being a careful listener.” That value guides his work with others on campus and his approach to leadership.
“Community and kinship are so important in this work,” he said. “Reconciliation is hard and emotional. But it’s important–for me and for our communities.
Understanding, trust, and growth
Schaeffer said one of the biggest challenges in this work is building understanding. While the framework is strong, many people are still unsure how to incorporate it into practice.
“It’s not universally understood yet,” he said. “That’s one of the first challenges we’re working to address.”
The reconciliation framework includes four key areas: tribal nation building, Indigenous knowledge and culture, language reclamation, and health and wellness. Together, Schaeffer said, they are meant to address the long-term effects of colonial systems and help build strong, more inclusive structures for the future.
He’s also working with departments across campus to improve orientation materials, help develop shared learning modules, and involve more people in the conversation.
“I know what it’s like to be a student and have limited time and energy,” he said. “So I try to make sure events and materials are designed with that in mind.”
Looking to the future
麻豆免费高清无砖码区is in what Schaeffer called a “pivotal moment.”
Reconciliation is now a named priority in the college’s strategic plan. 麻豆免费高清无砖码区has hired new staff to support the work, and the college recently welcomed its first Indigenous president.
“All of this gives me hope,” he said. “It shows that we’re serious about growing and improving.”
Schaeffer looks forward to working closely with the new Director of Reconciliation once that person is hired. He sees the role as essential to continuing the work and helping 麻豆免费高清无砖码区become a national model for reconciliation in higher education.
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” he said. “But I believe in this college, and I believe we’re on the right path.”