Exploring ancestry
Communication Professor Scott Sochay embraces his identity as a Native American.
By Lexie Smutka
Scott Sochay grew up with a father who actively ran away from his Native American background due to trauma he suffered on the reservation, and left his son with unanswered questions about his culture and language. Sochay inherited a Native American way of seeing the world from his father, and found himself seeing the world differently from his friends, family, and teachers. Since his father never taught him what the Native American outlook meant, Sochay was left confused. However, he found some clarity about his Native American background in his father’s mother, who taught him a small amount about his tribe, the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, and their language and stories. However, he still had questions.
“I grew up knowing I was Native,” Sochay said, “but not really knowing a whole lot about what that meant.”
“I started to realize that I saw the world through Native eyes because that’s the way I had been trained… through spending so much time with my dad. And so not only did it help me understand my Native culture, it helped me understand my dad better now.” — Scott Sochay, communications professor
When Sochay completed high school and searched for ways to pay for college, he came across the Native American tuition waiver offered by his home state of Michigan. Without having to pay for college, Sochay was able to attend Michigan State University in hopes of getting a media degree. During his time there, he was able to learn more about his culture through a campus organization. This organization brought in tribal elders and storytellers and also hosted powwows for Native American students.
“And as I learned more and more about my culture… I started to realize that I saw the world through Native eyes,” Sochay said, “because that’s the way I had been trained… through spending so much time with my dad. And so not only did it help me understand my Native culture, it helped me understand my dad better now.”
After completing college and obtaining his degree, Sochay moved to Pennsylvania with his wife to complete his dissertation and receive his doctorate in media at the University of Pittsburgh. After achieving this, he uploaded his resume to the Christian College Consortium in hopes of getting a job offer. Michigan State University contacted him and, after a successful interview, offered him a position in their media program. The position didn’t only pay better, but was also closer to Sochay’s family and granted him a place in one of the three best media graduate programs in the country.
“All throughout the process I was praying about it,” Sochay said. “I kept hearing from God ‘No, this is not the path that I have for you.”
And so, he turned down the job offer.
The day after, he was contacted by Bethel University in Minnesota. Sochay flew out and completed interviews at the university, and was then offered the job. Both he and his wife knew that this was the right choice for him, so they moved to Minnesota. It’s been nearly 25 years since then and Sochay still teaches at Bethel.
Sochay says he is, and always has been, the only Native American professor at Bethel.
Sochay is a supporter of the United Cultures of Bethel, a campus organization that embraces various cultures, including the culture of Native American students and staff. Sochay also teaches two courses about exploring Native American culture. Sisters Devanie and RyleeAnn Andre are co-directors of First Nations, the UCB subgroup for Native American students. They were encouraged by Sochay to embrace their culture.
“I think he does a really good job of creating a good foundation… [that] a community of Native students could be built off of,” Devanie said. “Whether that’s your personal experience or through connections he’s made throughout his life, he’s willing to share that and help people.”
