A Simple Question Sparked a Movement

Many of you know the story better than me. Some of you even remember the day—not that long ago— when Guy Gorman, Ned Hatathli, Robert and Ruth Roessel, Dillon Platero, and the other founders of Navajo Community College asked the question: “What do we want our schools to look like?” Such simple words, such tremendous power. It was a question never asked in that form or with those goals, and it led to the single greatest experiment and experience in American Indian self-determination: the tribal college movement.

I often wonder, did Dr. Gorman and the Roessels ever dream that their simple question, their passion, and their belief in the power of our culture, traditions, and values would lead one day to 38 tribal colleges and universities in 17 states serving nearly 130,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives every year in academic and community-based programs? That is AIHEC today. And it all began with a group of people who had no money and no real template to follow, but who had an enormous vision of an education system like none other in the world. One rooted, nurtured, and growing from our own languages, cultures, and traditions. Where Native philosophy and ways of knowing are at the heart. These visionaries planted a seed, and 50 years later their nourishment and care still is there, in our soil, our air, our water, our minds, and our hearts. It was their careful nurturing of that seed that led to AIHEC. Today, we continue to work toward our common vision: Strong sovereign nations through excellence in tribal higher education.

That’s what this issue of Tribal College Journal is about—celebrating the best of who we are as Native people, celebrating our faith, hope, and conviction in the power of tribal higher education.

Just as the birth of the tribal college movement depended on that small group of visionaries more than 50 years ago, today our future as Native people depends on this generation of tribal college students. Our future—the opportunities and successes of our generations to come—is in the hands and the hearts of the students on every tribal college campus.

Today, in this 50th year, we are on the edge of the second circle of the tribal college movement, climbing into the next 50 years and beyond. Today’s tribal college students are that generation. They are the generation that will lead us in the second circle, envisioning new tribal colleges and a new Indian Country of sustainable, strong, and sovereign tribal nations.

Ahe’hee!