A group of ambitious Creighton students started a sorority for Native American women to help promote academics and share their culture.

The sorority started out as an idea four years ago and was chartered about two years later.

As the sorority’s advisor, Tami Buffalohead-McGill, has been with the young women throughout the entire process of starting their sorority.

Buffalohead-McGill, who works for Creighton’s student support services, gives the young women credit for having such determination with such little numbers.

“They wanted something that focused on empowering Native American females to not only share their culture but encourage their goals, such as academics,” she said.

There are only two national Indian sororities in the United States.

After researching both, the young women went to Oklahoma, where the original Gamma Delta Pi sorority is located, to rush, also called recruitment.

They chose Gamma Delta Pi over Alpha Pi Omega, located in North Carolina, because they felt it was more focused on reinforcing culture and academics. Buffalohead-McGill said the young women felt it was a “sisterhood among native women.”

Getting the sorority started came with its challenges. When first proposed, there were over a dozen young women interested.

However, by the time the sorority was chartered, several had graduated or were no longer at Creighton. Getting funding for traveling to Oklahoma also took time and work.

Keshia Bradford, Arts & Sciences senior, is the clan mother, similar to president, of the sorority, Bradford said.

“That’s one thing our sorority strives for, is to graduate and get an education while encouraging each other, forming that unity, respect, and most importantly, the Native American culture,” she said.

The sisters of Gamma Delta Pi have incorporated their Native American culture into their sorority. The clan mother is the leader with four different councils named after the four colors of the medicine wheel: white, black, red and yellow.

One of Gamma Delta Pi’s main symbols is the butterfly because during its life it goes through four stages, which corresponds with the rush process.

Sophomore Cheree Hatfield, is the sorority’s newest member. She explained for stage one, an egg, the sorority sisters had a game night with young children. In stage two, caterpillar, they went to South High School to work with adolescents. During stage three, cocoon, the young women volunteered at the Open Door Mission to help adults and stage four, butterfly, required time be spent with the elderly.

The sisters of Gamma Delta Pi are coordinating the S.N.A.G. Awards, which honor Native American students who have excelled academically. They hope this will encourage other members to focus on grades.

The sisters are excited for the spring semester and having new members rush. Hatfield said the sorority is not widely known yet, but “our goal is to create the kind of community others will want to join.”

“I feel like having a Native American sorority on campus will help Creighton to draw in more Native American women, and that it will help the women who join feel at home knowing that there are other women who came to Creighton to get an education as well,” Bradford said.