Center to assist American Indians statewide opens

The New Jersey Native American Employment and Training Center recently opened its doors on Bayard Street in New Brunswick. The new program will offer a variety of employment services and supports to American Indians living in New Jersey.

The center is funded through the Indian and Native American Workforce Act. Its goal is to provide quality employment and training services to American Indians and to help employers find the kind of skilled workers they need to compete and succeed in business.

"The program is very comprehensive," said Brenda Davis, its career development counselor. "We will be providing assessment, job search and placement, help making résumés, and interview coaching."

New Jersey is the home of three Indian communities - the Ramapough Mountain Indians, the Powhatan Renape and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape. There are also American Indians from many different parts of the country living in New Jersey. According to the 2000 Census, there are about 65,000 residents who claim to be either American Indian or Alaskan native, or another race and American Indian and Alaskan native.

Davis, a Mohawk Indian from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, is one of the founders and a former president of Intertribal Indians of New Jersey, and has worked to educate the general public about the uniqueness of each individual tribal culture.

Anyone interested in the program should call Brenda Davis at (732) 246-2533. The center is located on the second floor of 103 Bayard St. in New Brunswick. The e-mail address is njnative.wia@verizon.net.