You can point out in your essays that your unique contribution to the Cornell community is that you will be the one sunbathing in February and organizing “beach” volleyball games 
By the way, OP, food is supposed to be a particular strength at Cornell! Check it out: https://living.cornell.edu/dine/wheretoeat/ I think you’ve got excellent chances there, and would be a strong candidate anywhere you apply (if you like large campuses, check out Stanford – unless that’s too warm!). You’ve got great – not just good – material for your essays: your background isn’t just a plus, it’s a gigantic plus. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to put them together.
@MisterMicawber Thanks for the comment! Also, yes, Stanford is a bit too warm for me. Depending on my ED results, I don’t think I’ll be applying to any of the UC’s either. I prefer windy and cold temperatures over hot temperatures.
Windy and cold, did you say? Try Northwestern!
I would not ED to Cornell because while they meet full need, they will pile you with loans. Although as a non-US citizen, I wonder how that would work. If you are going back to the “Great White North” (outside of the big cities) after graduation, be wary of loans. Assuming you will not be in the natural resource extraction business, your income up there will not support the debt service payments.
Purely from a strategic view I would SCEA to HYP and RD to Cornell,Dartmouth and the other ivies you did not SCEA. According to a Native American coworker, Cornell and Dartmouth are actively looking for qualified Native Americans, of which you are most definitely one.
Assuming you get into the SCEA school and some other ivies, Cornell should match the other ivy financial package. (While not ivy, we did the same thing with a T20 and a lower ranked school, and it worked out great. The lower ranked school bumped the package significantly to match other offer).
Again purely from a strategic view, let’s assume you get into HYP. Consider attending the school with the best financial package (full needs met, no loans), major in Bio or some variant, and then go to Cornell for grad school.
BTW, I love the seal story. I’m not sure how a typical middle class or rich kid would react. My left leaning liberal son would probably be most interested in the taste, rather than the politics. I would love to see him eating seal in his Bernie 2016 shirt. Anyway, it will make quite a discussion topic wherever you go.
Good luck and make sure you give a final update next April.
I like NoKillli’s plan, except so far as I know, you can’t apply early to more than one of HYP. That one, if you get in, will give you a more generous financial aid package than Cornell – and let’s face it, a choice of a possibly better institution – and should you still be stuck on Cornell, you may indeed be able to get them to match. Don’t forget about MIT, if you have the science chops to apply – the weather’s really not so great in Boston (which I guess we’re counting as a plus here?). Also you should look quickly (because deadlines are coming up and in some cases already have passed) at the fly-in programs for some of the smaller colleges, which include most of the best liberal arts colleges. These give you excellent chances for getting into the respective institutions: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c6fd1be4b0f6cdd67c71db/t/5aff18b66d2a73441ec71c01/1526667446196/FY18_Fly-In+Program+Database_Updated+5%252F2018±+Fly-In+Opportunities.pdf . Also, you get a trip out there, no cost to you! Williams College, where my child goes, has a program called Windows on Williams which all but guarantees that participating students get in (and a legendary art curriculum to boot). What a fall-back option for you!
To clarify @NoKillli 's advice, which is I am sure what was meant since this is what would be allowed, the sentence should read, “Purely from a strategic view I would SCEA to one of HYP…”
I GOT IN!!! YAY!!!
Congrats.
Congratulations! So happy for you! Thanks for cycling back and letting us know! Go Big Red!
Good job!
@efefsef,
Congrats. So happy for you.
Hope you will consider choosing Holland International Living Center (HILC) for tour dorm. It is a very friendly and welcoming community living center. Somehow, I think it will be a great fit for you.
for your dorm, not tour dorm
Groundhog Day?
Congrats!
Congrats! Make sure you connect with any native organizations on campus before you go. They might be able to extend to you a warm welcome. I know Penn has an active community - maybe Cornell, too? It was fun reading your story and I wish you all the best.
@efefsef Congratulations!!! This is GREAT news! I had a strong hunch that you would get in, and I was rooting for you! I’d love to hear about your orientation and adjustment to freshman year. Will you continue to post?
Thanks everyone! I’ll try to post updates if I have time.