MARQUETTE -- They call themselves the minority of minorities. 2010 Census figures indicate that Native Americans make up less than one percent of the U.S. population, which is why kids say they wanted to come out to NMU's Summer Youth Program for Native American students to meet other kids "like them," who share their mentality.

"The kind of mentality that you don't need electronic and all the stuff today, they can just go out in the woods and feel at home," says Skyler Dakota, a Native American student from Ishpeming.

The students got in touch with their roots in the Carp River woods, learning about their ancestors through the geology of the area, which dates back 15,000 years. While out in the woods, the students found a prehistoric knife made by their ancestors 5,000 years ago.

The students then had the chance to replicate the artifacts they saw through quarrying. They chipped away at quartzite stone pieces using a hammer-head to make their own tools, which Native Americans relied on to survive, a learning method called "applied science" at the university level.

"The idea here is to build an appreciation and to put some curiosity and enjoyment in learning in these kids," says John Anderton of NMU.

Organizers hope the experience will make the students more inclined to attend college.