Volume 21 Spring Issue No. 3
In This Issue: Tribal College Faculty
Subscribe to Tribal College Journal
Current issue table of contents
ON CAMPUS
Keweenaw Bay College Is Accreditation Candidate
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC, Baraga, MI), received word on Oct. 5, 2009, from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association that the review committee had recommended the tribal college for accreditation candidacy status.
KBOCC President Debbie Parrish says, “This is fantastic news.” Candidacy makes the college eligible for several sources of funding, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, HUD/ Tribal College University Program. Under the bylaws of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), KBOCC was an associate member of the organization until it achieved candidacy. Parrish attended the AIHEC board meeting in New Hampshire in October where she requested and received full membership.
Candidacy also makes the tribal college eligible to receive funding from the American Indian College Fund, including operating funds ($100,000), restricted funds from donors ($50,000), and student scholarships.
In the coming years, Parrish says KBOCC plans to bring back a business degree, a two-year Native American Studies degree, and an Informational Systems degree. In addition, KBOCC is working with the Tribal Historical Preservation Office on mapping the Pinery Cemetery.
The candidacy status is for four years. There will be another comprehensive visit in two years to prepare for full accreditation. Parrish thanked members of the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Tribal Council for their continued support during the long endeavor to achieve this milestone.
 BEHIND THE MASK. Oline Lowe and Laura Willett from the Rose Urban Teacher Exchange Program, organized by Ilisagvik College (IC, Barrow, AK), learn to make traditional masks from Lela Ahgook, an elder and guide from the Anaktuvuk Pass. The exchange aims to strengthen relationships between urban and rural Alaskans by building mutual respect, understanding, and a statewide sense of community through a cross-cultural exchange of ambassadors from urban and rural communities. |
Fort Berthold Plans New Bachelor’s in Education
Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC, New Town, ND) received funding in August 2008 from the National Science Foundation to establish a four-year baccalaureate program in elementary education with a minor in middle school science or mathematics. The accreditation process with the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board has begun, and the program is scheduled for certification in the spring of 2010.
FUTURE SCIENCE TEACHERS. Culture will be a major curriculum component for the teacher education students, including front row (from left) Tammi Hale, Shanda Lee, and Camarilla Hunter, and back row (from left) Kirsten Morsette, Ron Martel, Clinton Wolf, and William Wells III. |
The Mada Maagarishtauo Awa Hee Aadsa Maa Aru Maa Giguckiigash (The Ones Who Teach Our Children How Everything On This Earth Works) program will be standards-based and use constructivist methods that focus on content education and science/mathematics courses.
The program designers intend to develop a strong foundation in science and math in Fort Berthold elementary students in order to advance their learning in those subjects at the middle and high school levels. Teachers graduating with a strong background in science and math are expected to naturally pass this on to children.
The program is centered on four core merits: Culture, Constructivism, Comprehension, and CREDE (Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence). The culture of the three Fort Berthold tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) is woven into every class at FBCC. Constructivism is a hands-on approach to learning where students use what they already know to form new information. Comprehension concentrates on truly understanding what is being taught in the classroom. CREDE focuses on diversity and learning styles and gives insight into the way Native American students traditionally have learned.
Starting last fall in 2009, a new cohort begins at the junior level each fall and works and studies together in the learning community model. Upon graduation, students will be certified to teach grades one through eight, according to FBCC Director of Teacher Education Anna Rubia.
For more information on the program, contact FBCC Director of Teacher Education Anna Rubia at (701) 627- 4738, ext. 225.
CMN Reduces Greenhouse Gases, Cuts Costs
A four-lane highway runs between the two campuses of the College of Menominee Nation (CMN, Keshena, WI), providing students and staff a scenic drive from the main campus on the Menominee Reservation to the college’s urban campus in Green Bay, near Oneida Nation lands. But that 90-mile round-trip commute also worries those who are concerned about gas prices and carbon footprints.
Now, the college and the Menominee Tribal Department of Transit Services (DOTS) have partnered to offer free, door-to-door bus services for all current students and employees. They only have to call half an hour before they want to depart, according to Shawn Klemens, director of transit services.
The new service supports CMN’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (see TCJ, Vol. 20, No. 2). It is being underwritten by the college’s Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) with Clinton Global Initiative funding.
Transportation-related emissions are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions at CMN—and provide the best opportunity to make reductions, according to Melissa Cook, SDI’s director. “As environmental leaders we need to model what is right, and we hope many students and staff will see it that way also.”
The new service will also save money and provide free transportation for students who might lack vehicles. “Transportation is a top retention issue for tribal colleges in rural locations,” says Gary Besaw, vice president of student services at the college. “Our goal is to help reduce travel problems that cause students to miss classes, delay enrollment, or entirely miss a great opportunity to earn a college degree. If transportation was the problem, then we now have a solution.”
For more information, contact Gary Besaw at (715) 799-5600.
Youth Summit Encourages Native Students’ Dreams
The Expanding the Circle program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA, Santa Fe, NM) offered three programs last summer for Native American high school students in the Southwest to encourage them to explore career options and attend college.
The IAIA Native Youth Summit provided Native American high school students with a glimpse of their career futures. Workshops provided a taste of the “real world,” as well as guidance on the educational paths students should take to obtain degrees and certifications to meet their professional goals.
Careers explored at the three-day workshop included graphic design, filmmaking, journalism, radio, law, forensic science, game design, screenplay writing, song writing, photography, and concert production. The keynote speaker was Royale Dá (San Ildefonso Pueblo), news anchor for KOAT Channel 7 in Albuquerque, NM. About 100 students in grades 9-12 participated from all over New Mexico and parts of Arizona, according to Alissa Chavez (San Felipe Pueblo/ Navajo/Hopi-Tewa).
The IAIA Expanding the Circle program also sponsored College Road Trip 2009, a week-long journey to tour colleges and universities in New Mexico and Colorado, including IAIA, New Mexico Highlands University, the University of Denver, Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and Fort Lewis College.
Native American youth from New Mexico’s 22 tribes and pueblos were recruited to visit college campuses in the state, learn about each college’s admission procedures, and see the academic programs offered at each college. About 20 students and the same number of parents/guardians participated.
Seventeen high school students from New Mexico and Arizona were selected to participate in the third program, a three-week session designed for summer enrichment. They explored independence, learned self-advocacy, and acquired life skills for college, according to an account by Layli Long Soldier. Adapted from a curriculum developed for Native students by the University of Minnesota for students in transition to college, the lessons covered finances, developing a support system, tribal and family history, and note taking.
Students also were taught how to make schedules that take family and tribal ceremonies and celebrations into consideration.
To learn more, call Ben Calabaza at (505) 424-5732 or Alissa Chavez at (505) 424-2341 or visit www.iaiaetc.org.
NSF, Fort Belknap Create Science Excellence Center
The National Science Foundation has awarded Fort Belknap College (FBC, Harlem, MT) a $1.1 million, five-year grant to establish the Aani- Nakoda Environmental Science Excellence Center. FBC is the only minority-serving institution to receive the grant.
The tribal college envisions a model of indigenous science education firmly rooted in the culture and homeland of the A’ani (White Clay) and Nakoda people.
According to Development Director Dr. Deborah His Horse is Thunder, students will receive rigorous and relevant training in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The training will affirm and reinforce the validity of indigenous knowledge, address community needs, and prepare students to make meaningful contributions to an increasingly diverse STEM workforce, both locally and globally.
Rural Development Grants Improve TCUs
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the agency has selected 22 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) in nine states to receive a total of $4.7 million through the USDA Rural Development Tribal College Grant program.
“This funding will help tribal colleges make much-needed infrastructure improvements so they can continue to provide job opportunities for local residents and spur economic development,” Vilsack says.
USDA Rural Development Tribal College Grants are provided to landgrant institutions for education and outreach to provide essential services to Native American communities and to help meet residents' needs.
In North Dakota, for example, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND) will receive a $220,000 grant to help remodel and expand the college’s cafeteria. The facility was built more than 40 years ago and does not meet the needs of the current student body, which has increased 173% since 2002. The project will expand the facility by 3,500 square feet and double the number of people that can be served. There also will be more space for food preparation, serving, cooking, and storage. The college will replace small appliances with more energy-efficient ones.
The White Earth Tribal & Community College (WETCC, Mahnomen, MN) plans to use a $199,500 grant to purchase and renovate a building the college currently rents. The renovation will include improving accessibility, replacing interior doors, upgrading bathrooms and the electrical system, and expanding classroom space. Also, new vestibules will be added to increase energy efficiency.
In 2008, Salish Kootenai College (SKC, Pablo, MT) used a $272,350 USDA Rural Development grant to add three classrooms to an existing art building to accommodate increased enrollment. USDA Rural Development funding has played a significant role in upgrading and expanding facilities on the campus, which has helped boost enrollment. In past years, USDA funds have helped pay for a performing arts center and a wellness facility at the college and for renovating a day care center, as well as paving and infrastructure work.
The other recipients are:
• Ilisagvik College (IC, Barrow, AK):
$220,000 grant
• Tohono O'odham CommunityCollege (TOCC, Sells, AZ):
$220,000 grant
• Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC,
Cass Lake, MN): $219,625 grant
• Little Big Horn College (LBHC,
Crow Agency, MT): $220,000 grant
• Fort Peck Community College (FPCC, Poplar, MT): $220,000 grant
• Fort Belknap College (FBC,
Harlem, ND): $220,000 grant
• Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC,
Lame Deer, MT): $220,000 grant
• Blackfeet Community College:
(BCC, Browning, MT): $220,000
grant
• Stone Child College (SCC, Box
Elder, MT): $220,000 grant
• Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC,
Winnebago, NE): $85,000 grant
• Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC, Fort Totten, ND):
$220,000 grant
• Turtle Mountain CommunityCollege (TMCC, Belcourt, ND):
$220,000 grant
• Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort
Yates, ND): $220,000 grant
• Bay Mills Community College
(BMCC, Brimley, MI): $220,000
grant
• Oglala Lakota College (OLC, Kyle,
SD): $220,000 grant
• Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC,
Sisseton, SD): $220,000 grant
• Northwest Indian College (NWIC,
Bellingham, WA): $220,000 grant
• College of Menominee Nation
(CMN, Keshena, WI): $220,000
grant
• Lac Courte Oreilles OjibwaCommunity College (LCOOCC,
Hayward, WI): $220,000 grant
For further information on rural programs, see USDA Rural Development’s website at www.rurdev.usda.gov.