Volume 20 Spring Issue No. 3

In This Issue:
Tribal Athletes Fight for Their Place

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ON CAMPUS

MAKING FIRE. Jesse Helms (Saginaw Chippewa Tribe) works a mullein stem on cedar to start a traditional fire. Helms is secretary of the Saginaw Chippewa College student council. In Fall 2008, he received one of the college’s new science scholarships. Photo by Cheryl Calhoun

SCTC Developing Program In Environmental Science

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC, Mt. Pleasant, MI) is developing an environmental science program with the help of the SCTC Native American Studies Program, community groups, students, and a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES Tribal College Equity Grant program).

The program developers are focusing upon recruitment and community outreach. A full-time science faculty member was added to the staff last spring. Two scholarships are available to students: the Environmental Science Research Scholarship and the Linking Our Community and Colleges Scholarship. The program also includes biannual SCTC Green Earth Environmental Forums. USDA CSREES awarded the 4-year equity grant to the college in 2006.

The forums, scholarships, and outreach have opened doors for students, staff, and stakeholders to help develop this program while enhancing their academic and community relationships. These relationships with universities, other tribal colleges, elders, and cultural groups have helped SCTC infuse cultural relevancy within the science, technology, engineering, and math curricula while connecting the larger community closer to the tribal college. At the forum last fall, teachings were led by elders Curtis Hopkins and Bucko Teeple. The gathering was hosted by the tribal college and The Seventh Generation Cultural Center.

Recently, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council purchased a building to be renovated into a wet laboratory. The tribe has purchased 23 acres of land that had traditionally belonged to them. The site consists of a pond, woodlands, and meadows, which will be useful in natural and indigenous science class activities. The ultimate goal is to locate the college campus at this site, closer to other tribal facilities such as the Elders Center.

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IAIA Student Films, RAs Recognized Nationally

In 2008 more than 15 Native American students from all over the country participated in the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Summer Television and Film Workshop. At the campus in Santa Fe, NM, they spent long days and nights producing, directing, and editing short films.

The hard work paid off for three of the participants, whose creations were shown in November 2008 at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, CA. Presented by the American Indian Film Institute, the festival is the nation’s most prominent outlet for Native American films. The film festival premiered over 80 new feature films, shorts, music videos, and documentaries from American Indian and Canada First Nation communities.

The films selected from IAIA included:

• Lumbini Park – Directed by Eve Little Shell LaFountain (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), this film’s story investigates loss, fear, and hope that can be found in unexpected ways.
• The Hand Drum –Directed by Stephanie Painter (Washoe/Shoshone/Oneida), The Hand Drum follows the escapades of a young Native man as he tries to get the girl of his dreams the traditional way – through the songs of the American Indian hand drum.
• Nizhoni – Directed by Annikka Frostad Thomas-Kenaitze (Dena’ina Athabascan), Nizhoni is a film based on actual events. A troubled young woman looks to a traditional medicine man for help, only to get ripped off, but later finds help from someone unexpected.

IAIA holds the summer television and film workshop in collaboration with Disney ABC Television Group each year. IAIA New Media Arts Department oversees the program each year.

In other IAIA news, three IAIA resident assistants (RAs) attended their first RAppin' Conference, hosted by the Association of Intermountain Housing Officers (AIMHO), in Grand Junction, CO, in October. The team was composed of Yura Nordvold (Cheyenne River Sioux), Nick Begay (Diné), and Kit Julianto (Shoshone Paiute), accompanied by IAIA Housing Support Specialist R. J. Martinez (Santa Clara Pueblo). The RAppin' Conference was organized to provide opportunities for networking between college resident assistants from eight states in the United States and Saskatchewan.

The IAIA group received the top score out of the 38 college teams in a special competition with their presentation on traditional games. As a result, the IAIA team was invited to attend the annual conference in Greeley, CO, in November. 

Martinez says, “College brings people together from different places, different backgrounds, to form one school.  It is up to us RA’s to help unite them as a community. At IAIA, we start off with a game that everyone can play. ‘Traditional Games’ is a program developed by IAIA students and staff from different tribes. We use a hand drum and traditional songs to do round dances and round dancing games to help promote closeness, build a sense of trust, and most importantly to have fun.”  He believes the IAIA group won by getting everyone at the conference into a big circle and having them participate in games and dance.

For more information about the films or about IAIA’s New Media Arts Department, email Shawna Begay at sbegay@iaia.edu or call (505) 424-5716. For information about IAIA, see www.iaia.edu. For information on the housing support program, contact Richard Martinez, housing support specialist, orIAIA Housing Director Carol Reed at (505) 424-2380 or creed@iaia.edu

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Department of Defense Awards $200,000 to SBC

As Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, ND) continues t

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER UPGRADE. Inside the center at Sitting Bull College, new laboratory equipment will enhance science studies. Photo by Ron Walters

o expand its bachelor of science degree programs, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded an equipment grant in the amount of $200,627 earmarked for purchase of new laboratory equipment. Dr. Gary Halvorson, the director of the SBC Analytical Laboratory, says, “This funding will not only help enhance our current bachelor of science degrees, but it will also allow us to advance our capability in analyzing water, soil, plant and animal tissue.”

Currently, SBC offers bachelor of science degrees in Environmental Science and Secondary Science Education. The SBC laboratory houses a variety of professional grade equipment. “The new equipment will help SBC in seeking accreditation from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for analyzing water samples under the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

Once accredited, the new sampling service will provide new jobs to SBC environmental science graduates. It will also provide a service to local tribal agencies, which will not have to send samples off the reservation. “This new equipment will allow us to analyze elemental parameters down to the lowest parts per billion and in some cases into the parts per trillion,” Halvorson says. “We need this capability to effectively analyze low levels of some metal atoms found in local water samples.”

The grant will also allow Sitting Bull College to do more extensive investigations into mercury concentrations. “There have been several documented concerns about mercury levels in the environment on the Standing Rock Reservation,” Halvorson says.
The new auto analyzer has the capability of automating many analyses currently being done separately by old-fashioned, wet chemistry methods. “This should greatly improve our efficiency and accuracy in analyzing parameters, such as nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus, and chloride,” Halvorson says.

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LEAH CARPENTER (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) AND STUDENTS.  The former Leech Lake Tribal College President (third from left) with STEM students at the 2008 AIHEC Annual Conference.  Photo by Dennis Neumann

Leech Lake Government Compels College Changes

In October, nearly three months into its fiscal year, Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC, Cass Lake, MN) received notice that the Leech Lake Tribal Council had reduced its funding to the college by $500,000. College administrators said this came as a complete surprise since Leech Lake Tribal Chairman Archie LaRose had endorsed the college’s original budget appropriation just months earlier while serving as the band’s secretary/treasurer. LaRose is now the tribal chairman.

In the tribal newsletter, LaRose explained that he had instituted a government-wide direct funding reduction on programs of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians. “The country is now heading into a recession at the same time we are seeing increased food, heating, and fuel costs,” he said. He said that the tribal council required all divisions to make at least a 10% across the board cut, according to the article in DeBahJiMon November newsletter.

He said the tribe had provided $731,000 to the college. The chairman did not explain why the cut to the college’s funding was so much more than 10% of tribal funding. The tribe’s funding to the college was cut by $500,000 or 68%. LaRose did not respond to numerous calls from TCJ for explanation.

In response to the funding cut, LLTC Vice President of Operations Sharon Kotla (Leech Lake Band) said that having a half-million dollar cut from the tribal government, a quarter of the way into the fiscal year, made dealing with it “incredibly difficult.”

Tribal college officials say that nearly 30% of the college’s general fund budget ($2.6 million) for the current year came from the Leech Lake Band. General fund revenues pay for the college’s day-to-day operations, including salaries and benefits for staff and faculty members.

The dramatic drop in general fund dollars endangers grant funds because the general fund dollars are also used to leverage funds in many grant proposals. The college had procured nearly $4 million in grant funds annually. Grant funds represent the bulk of the total college budget, but they are restricted for use in specific programs and can not be used for operating funds or to pay most salaries.

The only option available to cover the unexpected $500,000 cut by the Leech Lake Tribal Council is to drastically reduce personnel costs, according to tribal college officials. Work hours and pay for up to 25 full-time employees were reduced from 40 hours to 32 hours per week. Employees impacted by the pay cuts included then college president Dr. Leah J. Carpenter (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), administrative assistants, and other support service personnel. “Having hours reduced will severely impact affected staff during these very tough economic times, and especially with the coming of the holiday season,” says Carpenter.

Tribal college administrators were trying to spare students from the impacts of the budget crisis by cutting as much as possible from administrative staff while leaving faculty as intact as possible. Carpenter said, “The college leadership team is working to ensure that the services to our students are preserved, and that students continue to have access to educational resources including the library, learning center, and tutoring services.”

However, the impact of an unexpected funding cut of this magnitude will not only affect the current status of the college but also its future, she says. The reduced capacity will likely mean that construction and other projects planned for the next year will have to be postponed indefinitely.

The Leech Lake Tribal College Board of Trustees terminated Dr. Carpenter as president of the College on December 19, 2008.  Dr. Carpenter had served as vice-president and interim president beginning in 2003, before she became president in 2005.  According to a news release from the board of trustees, the decision to terminate Dr. Carpenter was precipitated by the deteriorating relationship between the newly elected Leech Lake Tribal Council and the President and the Board of Trustees.

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TMCC Program to Improve Courts, Legal Systems

The U.S. Department of Justice has released $482,363 in federal funding for programs at the University of North Dakota and Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC, Belcourt, ND). “The funding will support programs to increase the number of Native American lawyers and enhance training in the tribal courts,” according to a joint statement by U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy.

“More Native American lawyers and improved training will enable tribes to focus on the specific problems within their courts and develop localized solutions. With these programs, North Dakota is taking a pro-active approach to tribal courts, and we commend both UND and TMCC for their efforts.”

Turtle Mountain Community College will receive $212,408 to support and strengthen tribal justice programs. The funding provides legal studies education to Native American students, transitioning the existing “Project Peacemaker” into a permanent program, “TMCC Legal Studies – Indians into Law.” It will also develop the TMCC Tribal Justice and Policy Center, which will tailor strategies to improve the tribal justice system. With these programs the Turtle Mountain Community College will address the lack of Native American lawyers and increase the overall tribal members’ knowledge of the law.

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Students, Parents Attend Money Management Class

(Reprinted by permission from USA Funds Education Access Report)

Ed Curtis sees his role at Diné College (DC, Tsaile, AZ) as somewhat of a transition specialist. It’s his job – and the job of all faculty and staff members – to help students learn the skills they need to succeed at 4-year universities as well as in the world outside the reservation. A key part of his strategy is USA Funds® Life Skills®, a financial literacy program designed to teach students to manage their money and time wisely while in school and after graduation.

“I really like the practical concept of it,” says Curtis, a student development specialist who helps recruit, advise, counsel, and provide career development services to the college’s 2,000 students. “USA Funds Life Skills focuses on how to save money and use money wisely, not just when students are in school but throughout their whole lives.”

Curtis, who grew up on the 26,000-square-mile reservation and has worked at the college for 25 years, explains that education about the concept of saving money is not a focus in the Native American culture. “Everyone pitches in where necessary. If there’s a need to contribute to your family or another family, you help out,” he says. “We’re really trying to get across to the youth that money management is important.”

During DC’s student orientation session last fall, over 200 students and parents attended Curtis’s presentation. He now is considering providing workshops on campus as part of a student success class and as part of his summer residential program for high school students.

Curtis says most students receive Pell Grants and scholarships through the Navajo Nation. About 50% go on to pursue bachelor’s degrees at state universities in Arizona and New Mexico. “They do well after they leave here. Our campus gives them exposure, and it’s much easier for them to make the transition to a university or other college,” Curtis says.

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Land Tenure Curriculum To Be Used in Two States

The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) Board of Directors recently awarded $90,094 in grants and contracts for curriculum development and implementation in South Dakota and Montana.

The foundation gave $50,000 in contracts for tribe-specific curriculum development in Montana to Julie Cajune (Salish and Kootenai Tribes), a curriculum specialist working out of Pablo, MT. She is tribal history project director for Salish Kootenai College and lead consultant with the Montana Indian Education Division’s curriculum development initiative.

Cajune will consult with individual tribes and tribal members to develop tribe- and reservation-specific lessons for the Indian Land Tenure Curriculum that align with the existing Montana Content Standards as well as the Essential Understandings of Montana Tribes.

“The seven reservations in Montana are home to several very distinct tribes with very different land histories, experiences, and cultural practices,” explains Terry Janis, ILTF program officer. “Julie’s work will help to highlight these unique differences. It will also add depth and localized tribal stories and histories to enrich curriculum content for all grade levels.”

In 1999, the Montana Legislature passed the Indian Education for All Act requiring all public schools throughout the state to include coursework in the history and culture of Montana’s Indian tribes. As a part of this mandate, the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Indian Education Division, has made the Indian Land Tenure Curriculum available to educators, administrators and other educational partners.

Janis hopes that Cajune’s work in Montana will “serve as a catalyst” for other states with significant Indian populations, such as South Dakota, that are taking steps to ensure that their academic standards reflect the history and diversity of their regions.

ILTF awarded $40,094 to the South Dakota Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, to support developing state academic standards in American Indian history and culture for the state’s K-12 programs. The grant will allow members of a steering committee, made up of educators and representatives from each of South Dakota’s nine reservations, to develop the core concepts essential to understanding and teaching the history and culture of South Dakota’s American Indian tribes. These core concepts will be used to modify existing state academic standards, establish new standards that include Indian history and culture, and develop the supporting curriculum and coursework for use in the classroom and for teacher training.

In 2007, South Dakota passed an Indian Education Act that ensures ongoing support for several existing statewide programs and includes new provisions for teacher training in South Dakota Indian Studies and the development of curriculum on Native American history and culture.

The Indian Land Tenure Curriculum, which is used by educators throughout Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, and several other states, is a free, interdisciplinary Indian land curriculum for Head Start, K-12, and college. To download the curriculum, request a copy of the entire curriculum on CD, or learn about curriculum implementation grants available through ILTF, visit the Indian Land Tenure Foundation website at www.indianlandtenure.org

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GIFTED COUPLE. Cheryl Crazy Bull and Alex Prue, her husband, display one of her gifts, at the conclusion of her honoring ceremony. Photo by Marvene Tom

AIHEC Honors Crazy Bull, Elects Board Officers

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Board of Directors elected officers at its fall board meeting in Seattle, WA. The board is made up of the presidents of all the member tribal colleges and universities. David Yarlott, Ed.D., (president of Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, MT) is the new chair; Cynthia Lindquist Mala, Ph.D., (president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten, ND) is vice chair; Ferlin Clark (president of Diné College, Tsaile, AZ) is secretary; James E. Shanley, Ed.D., (president of Fort Peck Community College, Poplar, MT) is treasurer; and Cheryl Crazy Bull (president of Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, WA) is now an at-large member.

Crazy Bull, who served as the AIHEC board chair for the past 4 years, was honored by the board at the end of the annual meeting with words of appreciation and honor songs. The honoring was facilitated by Phil Baird of United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck, ND), who said he has known Crazy Bull since high school. Both are Lakota from the Rosebud Reservation. “We miss her since she’s at Northwest Indian College now, but we hope she’ll return to Rosebud someday to lead the Lakota people.”

Lionel Bordeaux (president of Sinte Gleska University, Mission, SD) said, “Northwest has gained a lot in Cheryl. When she leaves the AIHEC leadership role, she’ll be called upon to take up something else. That always happens.” He sang her a Sun Dance song of encouragement to keep on dancing.

Clark, the president of Diné College, said, “Sitting next to you for the past 2 years I’ve been on the board, I have learned a lot from you. You have protected us and shielded us, and we thank you.” Clark sang a Diné song of blessing. Marlin Spoonhunter (president of Wind River Tribal College, Ethete, WY) also thanked Crazy Bull for her leadership and good humor. He said she inspires his daughter through his stories about the female tribal college presidents. He sang a Northern Arapaho song about the eagle. Candace Wilson (Northwest Indian College board member), who happened to be in the room at the time, grabbed the microphone to tell Crazy Bull, “You are a jewel to us. Thank you.”

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CMN Wins Sustainability Award from Association

In November 2008, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) named the winners of its annual Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards. The winners are: College of Menominee Nation (Wisconsin), Tulane University (Louisiana), Ithaca College (New York), and Northland College (Wisconsin).

The awards recognize institutions that have demonstrated an outstanding overall commitment to sustainability in their governance and administration, curriculum and research, operations, campus culture, and community outreach.

“We had the most applications ever (59) this year, so winning one of these awards is a significant accomplishment,” says Judy Walton, the acting executive director of AASHE. The winners of the campus and student sustainability leadership awards are highlighted in the October 2008 issue of Sustainability:The Journal of Record and on the AASHE website. AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada working to create a sustainable future.

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High School Students Can Enroll at Leech Lake

The Minnesota Department of Education has approved Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC, Cass Lake, MN) to participate in the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program. The program was implemented by the Minnesota Legislature to give students an opportunity to enhance and enrich the education they receive at their local high school, alternative area learning center, charter school, or home school.

Students who are capable of working at the post-secondary level have the opportunity to complete post-secondary credits while completing high school graduation requirements. The tuition and required textbooks are paid for by the state of Minnesota for qualified 11th and 12th graders. This helps students to cut down the overall cost of their education.

For information or to receive a free brochure on LLTC’s PSEO Program, contact the registrar at (218) 335-4222. For other Leech Lake Tribal College events and activities, contact Kyle Erickson, director of institutional advancement, at (218) 335-4286 or kyle.erickson@lltc.edu

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KBOCC Initiates Welding, Woodworking Programs

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC, Baraga, MI) has developed two training programs in welding and woodworking. The program is designed to provide job skills training for low-income, under-skilled, unemployed or underemployed residents in Baraga County. The goal of the project is to reduce the unemployment rate and poverty level.

The Regional Skills Alliance for Baraga County has identified welding and woodworking as a need in local manufacturing and industry. Currently, there are no training programs for adults offered in the county in these occupations.

According to the Michigan Works office, there is a high demand in these areas based upon the large number of openings in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. This project also ties in with Michigan’s mission of No Worker Left Behind. The tribal college received a grant of $48,042 to start the program.

Training in welding and woodworking will allow participants to gain the entry level skills necessary to become gainfully employed in the region. KBOCC will collaborate with the Tribal Employment Rights Office and Michigan Works to provide soft skills and identify job opportunities.

The welding training will offer both basic and advanced welding. Materials and supplies will be made available to income-eligible students at no charge. The woodworks program will provide training in basic woodworking followed by step-by-step projects and designing individual pieces. The college also will provide training in AutoCAD (a software application for two- and three-dimensional design and drafting).

Training was slated to begin in January. All students who complete an area of training will receive Continuing Education Units or Certificates of Training.

For more information or to register, call the KBOCC Admissions Office at (906) 353-4604 or the dean of student services at (906) 353-4628.

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UTTC Dedicates Ground, Hosts Horse Culture Camp

FORT NO MORE. After 40 years of utilizing buildings designed as a military fort (Fort Lincoln), United Tribes Technical College is building a new campus. Photo by United Tribes News

With the expanse of its south property as a backdrop, college leaders dedicated the new United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND) campus on Sept. 5, 2008. The ceremony marked the start of construction on a 135-acre tract located immediately south of the current campus. When completed, the phased expansion will roughly double the size of the college and cost more than $200 million.

The new campus offers the college its first opportunity in 40 years to design the setting and build facilities specifically for educating college students. Over 100 people attended the dedication. Representatives of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce conducted a formal ribbon-cutting to mark the occasion.

In June, UTTC hosted the seventh annual Nokotas on the Prairie: Math, Science, Technology, and American Indian Culture Camp. The campers, third through sixth graders, participated in math, science, technology, culture, wellness, and equine-care activities. Studying horse culture and working with horses were the camp’s main focus. During the 12 lessons, the students progressed from leading and walking the horses to riding.

The camp’s horsemanship instructor, Virginia Eck, says, “These lessons bring out the best in everyone….There certainly is a disconnect nowadays with rural life and horses in particular. This is a great way to learn and bring out leadership skills. Along with learning respect for horses, it brings out something in a kid’s personality. It’s a great thing.”

In addition to the hands-on horsemanship training, instruction was provided in ecology, water quality, equine health, horse care, and genetics. Other study subjects were botany, wellness, and gardening. Campers picked a topic to research and presented their findings at a community event the last week of camp.

The students also participated in overnight outings to the home of the Nokota Horse Conservancy and a trip to the North Dakota Badlands where a herd of wild Nokota horses roam in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Camp facilitators were: Butch Thunderhawk, American Indian culture facilitator; Derek Schulte, math facilitator; Virginia Eck, equine care and horsemanship facilitator; Dr. Margi Coyle, science facilitator; and Denise Folston, co-director. The camp was also assisted by Rebekah Olson, graduate teaching intern; Frank Bosch, Center for Educational Outreach technician; Barb Schmitt, Leadership Solutions director, and Jim Schmitt, parent volunteer/master griller.

The Nokotas on the Prairie Camp originated in 2003. The camp has been featured at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. It is made possible with support from the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and United Tribes Technical College.

For information on the camp, contact the camp founder and director, Dr. Jen Janecek-Hartman by phone at (701) 255-3285, ext. 1396, or by email, jjanecek@uttc.edu

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RCCC Creates Foundation, Features Suzuki at Gala

In November 2008, the Mikai’ Sto Foundation hosted a fundraising gala in Calgary, Alberta, featuring David Suzuki as keynote speaker. Natooeestuk (Holy Mountain), a member of the Kainai Chieftainship, spoke on traditional values and his scientific views on the environment. Narcisse Blood and Ryan Heavy Head, both of Red Crow Community College, also spoke on the environment from a Blackfoot perspective.

The event was part of a capital campaign for a new Learners’ Resource Centre at Red Crow Community College (RCCC) on the Kainai/Blood Reserve. Recognizing that it needed to raise funds beyond those available from conventional government’s sources, RCCC applied to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) seeking recognition of its foundation as a charitable organization. In February 2008, the agency granted the application for the Mikai’ Sto Foundation.

One of the foundation’s main objectives is: “Establish, operate, and maintain a library or other physical infrastructures necessary to support the educational objectives of the Blood Tribe and house books, periodicals, as well as other spiritual, ceremonial, or culturally significant artifacts of the Blood Tribe to allow Blood Tribe members, students, researchers, scholars a place to study and preserve these historical artifacts.”

Francis First Charger, CEO of the Mikai’ Sto Foundation, thanked the presenters and welcomed David Suzuki back to the Blackfoot Territory. “We wish him all the best in his endeavors towards our Mother Earth’s health for if she is not healthy, we will not survive.”
David Suzuki, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster. He is now professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, Sustainable Development Research Institute.

Suzuki is also recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology. He is the recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for Science, the United Nations Environment Program Medal, and the Global 500. He is a fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science.

For more information on Suzuki, visit www.davidsuzuki.org  For more information on Red Crow Community College, call (403)737-2400 or (866) 937-2400.

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Sitting Bull Offers New Horsemanship Program

HORSE CULTURE. Students in the horsemanship program become re-acquainted with the horse’s historical and cultural significance for Lakota/Dakota people. Photo by Ron Walters

Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, ND) teaches students and community members about the care and training of horses through a certified horsemanship program. Joe Dunn directs the 9-month certificate program, which provides classroom instruction and hands-on activities. Students study equine management practices and the spiritual and historical significance of the Lakota/Dakota horse culture.

Students can take part in National Inter-Collegiate Rodeo Association events and help local schools establish rodeo teams and events. They can participate in two annual horse rides (Future Generations Ride and Chiefs Ride) hosted by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Sitting Bull College, and local area ranchers along the route.

The annual Future Generations Ride (formerly known as the Bigfoot Memorial Ride) is a 2-week event in December. Riders retrace the route taken by Chief Bigfoot and his Lakota followers, who fled the Standing Rock Reservation immediately following the murder of Lakota leader and medicine man, Sitting Bull.

For additional information about the Sitting Bull College horsemanship program, contact Joe Dunn at (701) 854-8000 or email joed@sbci.edu

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People in the News

• Rhonda LeValdo (Acoma Pueblo), a graduate student in journalism at the University of Kansas and a teacher at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS, was one of 10 semifinalists in a YouTube competition that encourages aspiring journalists to tell stories that may not be told in traditional media. LeValdo profiled her maternal grandmother, Rachel Blackwater.

In her video, LeValdo explains that her Red Corn clan of the Acoma Pueblo is a matrilineal society, and she hopes to pass her grandmother’s values to her own daughter. Blackwater talks about her childhood and expresses her belief that in today’s world, one of her grandchildren could become president of the United States.

During spring 2008, LeValdo received a $10,000 National Minority Consortia fellowship to help increase minority coverage. She produced three stories for the Jim Lehrher News Hour on PBS website: federal education funding, Indian Health Service funding, and Native American delegates at the Democratic National Convention. To see her stories, search for her name on www.pbs.org

LeValdo teaches TV production at Haskell (see TCJ, Vol. 20, No. 1). She also produces Native Spirit, a weekly radio show on KKFI, a community radio station in Kansas City, MO. For more about YouTube Project: Report, visit www.youtube.com/projectreport

• 2008 CHAMPION OF LIBERTY. David Gipp, president of United Tribes Technical College was awarded by the ACLU of ND for his work in social justice. Photo courtesy of D. Neumann

  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) named David M. Gipp (Hunkpapa Lakota) as its 2008 North Dakota Champion of Liberty. Gipp is president of United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND). He is being recognized for his lifetime of work in the area of racial justice.  He was a founding member and first president of the University of North Dakota Indian Association.

He has served on the board of the National Indian Education Association. He is a past executive director, past president, and current board member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium; past chair and current board member of the American Indian College Fund; and current chair of the Indians Into Medicine Advisory Council at the University of North Dakota. He currently serves on the Native Nations Institute policy advisory board at the University of Arizona, and the Harvard Honoring Nations Board of Governors.

“President Gipp has been a powerful voice for racial justice and advancement through education throughout his long career,” says Jennifer Ring, executive director of the ACLU of North Dakota.

• Cherry Davidson (Comanche), of Walters, OK, a freshman at Comanche Nation College (CNC, Lawton, OK)  is the recipient of an American Indian College Fund scholarship for $2000. The award was made through the generosity of the National Indian Gaming Association funding to the American Indian College Fund and earmarked for Sovereignty Scholars at tribal colleges. Davidson, a scholastic achiever, presented her short play “The Exchange” at the Annual CNC Awards Banquet. She is an independent, full-time student in Comanche Cultural Studies.

• ROBERT COOK (Oglala Lakota), NIEA BOARD PRESIDENT. NIEA Photo KEVIN KILLER (Oglala Lakota), STUDENT LEADER. NIEA photo

  Kevin Killer (Oglala Lakota), a student at Oglala Lakota College (OLC, Kyle, SD), was elected to the South Dakota State Legislature last fall. He represents District 27 and resides in Pine Ridge, SD. Prior to his state win, Killer was elected as student board member for the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) at its annual convention in Seattle, WA. He was also selected to be the NIEA board treasurer. He is majoring in business administration and political science. He currently serves as the student senate president and as the student representative on the board of trustees for OLC.

Killer was the first-ever president of the fellowship network for Young People For, a nationwide People For the American Way Foundation program that supports leadership development through internships and social justice projects. He is also a trainer with Wellstone Action’s Native American Leadership program and Campus Camp Wellstone, which trains students in the community organizing philosophy of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone.

• Robert Cook (Oglala Lakota) is the new National Indian Education Association (NIEA) board president. Cook earned his Master's Degree in Education Administration from Oglala Lakota College and now serves as the Cultural Affairs/Education Outreach Specialist at Crazy Horse Memorial. Cook is married to Daphne Richards-Cook (Oglala) and together they have two sons: Lamont and Caleb. He has 18 years of teaching and administrative experience in American Indian education.

• Brandon Stevens, 2004 alumnus of United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND), was elected to the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin’s Legislative Operating Committee. Stevens assisted at a UTTC fundraiser held in New York City in October 2008 by presenting $500 contributed by the Smokey Robinson Foundation and $5,000 contributed by the National Indian Gaming Association.

• Erik Anderson, a reading and computer instructor at Tohono O’odham Community College, passed away in October 2008. Anderson was one of the five full-time faculty members originally hired when TOCC opened in 2000. He received the Faculty of the Year Award at TOCC’s Commencement in May 2008. TOCC President Olivia Vanegas-Funcheon says, “Erik was always thinking of ways to involve students and faculty in the growth of the college. He started an annual event called Assessment Daze in which students voluntarily wrote about their learning. He taught all of us by example about the meaning of collaboration.” On his own initiative, Anderson developed an online database of TOCC courses, which can be searched for topics such as “critical thinking” and “problem-solving” in the curriculum. This data can be used for assessment and curriculum development.

DANNY LOPEZ, HONORED ELDER. Photo by Chris Mooney

• Danny Lopez (Tohono O’odham) passed on Oct. 21, 2008 at age 71. He taught the O’odham language and culture at Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC, Sells, AZ). Lopez is survived by his wife, Florence, and their three children: Monica, Michael, and Mark. A college press release indicated that Lopez made significant contributions to the development of Tohono O’odham Community College. He chaired and actively served on the college’s Him:dag Committee for several years. He counseled students and mentored faculty and staff. He served as co-chair of TOCC’s internal development campaign, part of the college’s overall capital campaign to raise funds for a permanent main campus and a satellite campus. He was the TOCC Faculty Senate vice chair for 2 years, and he inspired his colleagues with his continued learning and participation in the community.

TOCC President Olivia Vanegas-Funcheon (Tohono O’odham) says, “We remember Danny Lopez as a singer, storyteller, historian, spiritual leader, songwriter, and educator. But most of all, he was a wonderful person who taught us all by example what it means to care for others.”

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PLAYING THE ODDS. Jason Chambers shakes the bowl of dice as Sanica Lining and their classmates look on. Photo by Mekko Tyner INDIAN DICE. Photo by Mekko Tyner

CMN Gaming Class Plays Traditional Dice Game

At the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN, Okmulgee, OK), instructor Mekko Tyner, J.D. (Muscogee /Creek Nation), incorporated Indian Dice into his Native American Gaming Law class. At the beginning of class, Tyner discussed technical aspects of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Then students participated in a game of Indian Dice, a traditional Native game.

Under the federal gaming law, Indian Dice is recognized as a Class I game that can be played by individuals. Indian Dice is played by many different tribes and is sometimes called bowl game. It is played with a bowl and eight dice or pieces carved out of bone, wood, peach seed, or other material.

The dice are flat and two-sided. One side is plain, usually a light color, and the other is painted or darkened by burning. Two game pieces are different from the six – usually an animal, hearts, or feathers. Players shake the bowl to score points. Points are scored by the color of the pieces that land. A dice game can be won in one shake, but dice games usually last a couple of hours.

The final game pitted two first-year gaming students, Jason Chambers (Cherokee Nation) from Checotah, OK, and Sanica Lining (Muscogee-Creek Nation) from Okmulgee, OK.  Chambers won.

For more information on the College of the Muscogee Nation or this article, contact Mekko Tyner (instructor/student services) at (918) 758-1480 or www.mvsktc.org

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Navajo Technical College Ed Program Earns Award

By Karen Francis, reprinted with permission from the Gallup Independent

Formerly on probation by the state, Navajo Technical College’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program earned an Award of Distinction within one year after Jasper Joe (Diné) took over as director. “This is a dramatic turnaround,” says Dr. Francis Becenti (Diné), director of outreach and engagement at Navajo Technical College (NTC, Crownpoint, NM).

Navajo Tech’s ABE program was one of six statewide that received the award from the New Mexico Adult Education Association for “having demonstrated outstanding performance.” With the award, the program also received $19,410 to supplement its budget. Joe says the extra funds will be spent enhancing the instruction program so that more students are able to earn a GED (General Educational Development) diploma in the future. Parn Etre-Perez, state director of ABE, commended the programs for achieving the honor.

As a result of his efforts, Joe was recently appointed one of the six members of the state’s ABE/GED Director’s Committee, which advises the New Mexico Higher Education Department on issues related to program management, assessment, and accountability.

With the appointment, NTC was designated an official GED-testing center for the first time in its history. “This means that students will no longer have to travel to Gallup to take their tests,” Joe says. With locations in Crownpoint, Torreon, and Pueblo Pintado, the Navajo Tech ABE program serves a total of 268 enrolled students.

The program also has received a $130,000 grant from the Navajo Department of Workforce Development to strengthen the college transition program where students can enroll in college programs when they are close to passing the GED exam. About 60 students enrolled in ABE are expected to take part in the transition program. They will receive full tuition, books, and supplies as incentives to continue to work toward college degrees.

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CMN Offers Region’s Only Official Apple Training

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN, Keshena, WI) now offers northeastern Wisconsin’s only Apple Authorized Training Center. The academic and commercial training center provides official Apple certification classes and professional development training while serving as an official testing site for certification exams in all Apple Pro Applications.

CMN’s Apple Authorized Training Center features certified trainers in Apple-certified curriculum utilizing state-of-the-art multimedia production equipment. The training center has a studio area for recording professional audio/video and a green screen, special effect staging area available for student projects. Students work with professional-grade video, motion graphics, and professional audio-mixing capabilities as well as animation and advanced digital compositing.

During the fall 2008 semester, CMN offered its first Apple-certified course, Introduction to Final Cut Pro.

For further information, contact Nathan Fregien by email at nfregien@menominee.edu or phone at (715) 799-5600 ext. 3105.

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HLC Gives Diné College 10-Year Accreditation

For the first time in its 40-year history, Diné College (DC, Tsaile, AZ) received 10-year accreditation status for its associate degree programs. The college also received approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to award DC’s first bachelor’s degree in elementary teacher education.

“A 10-year accreditation is the gold standard for colleges and universities throughout the country,” says President Ferlin Clark (Diné). “This visit re-affirms the quality and integrity of our curricular offerings, services, and our faculty and staff.”

The college also received approval to offer upper-level courses in Diné Studies, which Clark says will pave the path toward a BA degree in Diné Studies in the near future.

A team of eight accreditation reviewers visited Diné College in April 2008 as part of an intensive comprehensive visit to review the college’s academic programs, credentials, funding, assessment programs, and its request to offer bachelor degrees.

Accreditation is vital for higher education institutions and allows for course transferability; scholarship funding; and for tribal, state, and federal funds to support the operations, maintenance, and development of colleges. The HLC team recommended a focus visit in 2012/2013 to include the new bachelor program, as well as areas of consultation in communication and governance.

“We believe that the prayers, songs, ceremonies, and good thoughts, which were offered many years ago and just recently, have come to fruition today,” says Clark, adding “We are thankful to everyone who has contributed to Diné College.”

“We are proud of this historic accomplishment as we celebrate our 40-year anniversary, says Diné College Board President Fannie Atcitty (Diné). “ It took the entire college community 3 years to prepare and to achieve this tremendous milestone.”

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$400,000 Raised at Fund’s Flame of Hope Gala in NY

WRAPPED IN GIFT. Musician Jakob Dylan receives a blanket from American Indian College Fund President and CEO Richard B. Williams following his performance at the 2008 Flame of Hope Gala. Photo courtesy of Dina Horwedel

The 13th Annual Flame of Hope Gala raised $400,000 for American Indian student scholarships. The program was held Nov. 6, 2008, in New York City at Gotham Hall, a gilded former bank dating back to the turn of the century. CBS Correspondent Hattie Kauffman was the evening’s Mistress of Ceremonies.

The program honored American Indian College Fund supporter Pendleton Woolen Mills for its support as it gets ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Richard B. Williams, president and CEO of the fund, wrapped Pendleton President Mort Bishop, III in a Pendleton blanket to symbolize the fund’s appreciation and friendship.

Justin Finkbonner (Lummi), an alumnus of Northwest Indian College and community activist for the Lummi Reservation, was the alumni speaker for the event. Finkbonner detailed his struggles as a youth and his search for meaning, which was rewarded in education. He works as the program coordinator at the Potlatch Fund, a Native nonprofit organization that expands philanthropy for Pacific Northwest tribes and has worked to raise more than $350 million dollars for his tribe, tribal communities, and tribal non-profits over the last eight years without tribal gaming dollars.

The fund also unveiled its new public service advertisement, which was developed in collaboration with the Portland-based advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. The new campaign titled “Think Indian!” details ways in which Native knowledge cultivated at tribal colleges and universities is helping to solve modern-day problems.

The Brooklyn-based Redhawk Dance Troop performed several dances for the crowd, culminating in a round dance. Jakob Dylan, frontman for the band The Wallflowers, a well-known solo artist and son of Bob Dylan, played several numbers for guests and was honored for his support of the fund with a blanket-wrapping.

A silent auction of artisan-made Indian jewelry and art was also held at the event. With economic challenges ahead, the fund continues to rely on donors to increase its support for American Indian students seeking a higher education.

In December 2008, the UPS Foundation awarded the fund $128,000 for scholarships benefiting American Indian students for 2008-09 academic year scholarships.

John Cooper, employee relations manager at UPS in Denver, along with the Fund’s UPS delivery driver, Vince Barajas, presented Williams with the check.

The grant will support qualified American Indian students by providing financial resources to encourage them to complete a college degree.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. The UPS Foundation has identified literacy, hunger relief, and volunteerism as its focus areas.

For more info, contact Dina Horwedel, Director of Public Education, American Indian College Fund, at phone number (303)430-5350, or by email: dhorwedel@collegefund.org

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