Seven women and five men will take a break from their journalism careers next year as recipients of Harvard's prestigious Nieman Fellowships, marking the first time in the 46-year history of the Nieman Foundation that women will compare a majority of the American Nieman group.

The fellows, who will live in Cambridge and attend seminars and classes throughout the University, also include the first Native American to win a Nieman, officials will announce today.

Speaking of the seven women fellows James C. Thompson Jr., curator of the Nieman Fellowships, yesterday explained that journalism in the past decade has opened up from the point in 1972 when there were no females among the fellowships winners

"The field is changing belatedly and rapidly." Thompson said, noting the change in name from "The Nieman Foundation for Newspapermen" to "The Nieman Foundation for Journalists" that occurred when he assumed his position as curator in 1972.

The greatest number of women fellows previously was four in 1979-1980

The Native American fellow, Convoy China of KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, N.M. is the only one of next year's Niemans who does not work in the print medium

The other fellows are Nina Bernstein '70 of The Milwaukee Journal, Bruce Butterfield of The Providence Journal Bulletin, D'Veta Colin of United Press International, Jane Daugherly of The Miami Herald Nancy Webb Hatton of The Detroit News, Derrick Jackson of Newsday, Jan Jarboe of the San Antonio Express News, Albert Landler of The Great Falls Tribune, M.R Montgomery of The Boston Globe, Wendy Ross of The Washington Post, and Jacqueline Thomas of the Chicago Sun Times.