The Tohono Land Connections group rests after a morning run to greet the sunrise. The sacred Baboquivari Peak is in the background. Photo by Paul Buseck

Summertime turns many tribal college campuses into a haven for high school students eager to be a part of campus life and take part in a variety of summer camp programs. Some camps are even designed for elementary and middle school students.

For the past 10 years students have clamored to get in to the Summer Transportation Institute sponsored by the College of Menominee Nation in Keshena, WI. “I never have a problem recruiting students for this program, ever!” says Youth Project Director Alegra Fowler (Menominee).

At the six-week long camp, youngsters between the ages of 11 and 14 learn about various careers in the field of transportation. Activities range from learning how engineers determine how much weight a bridge can hold to stopping by the local zoning office to learn what roundabouts offer as opposed to four-way intersections. And of course, with so many lakes nearby, students learn about water transportation and safety.

They also visit the local airport where they are invited to sit in the cockpit, take the controls alongside the pilot, and fly over Green Bay. “That is the most fun!” says Fowler. She says the experience plants the idea in children that they, too, can become pilots. The program hires one high school student and two college students as mentors.

In southern Arizona, students between the ages of 14 and 17 compete to join the “Safeguarding Natural Heritage: Tohono Land Connections” program at Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC, Sells, AZ). This year, two former participants were hired as peer educators for the 11-day camp.

Students have many reasons for applying, says program co-director Paul Buseck, including wanting to “stay out of trouble.” And word is spreading fast about the three-year old program.

Buseck and his staff want to engage students in agriculture, natural resources, and land-based careers. They also introduce young students to a community college campus as well as a major university, the University of Arizona. “We have presentations from TOCC and also classroom activities at the college,” says Buseck. Students stay in the University of Arizona dormitories and meet with members of the American Indian student association.

“I just want students to know that college is a realistic goal,” says Buseck. Of course, organizers hope that some students will decide to earn degrees in agriculture or natural resources.

Another popular aspect of camp involves working with horses. The students learn about horse care and in the process also learn physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness. In the morning they run and greet the sun. They learn how to stay focused and handle horses so they can ride them without worry. And finally, they embrace the spiritual side of the O’odham people by becoming conscious of tradition and respecting that tradition as well as their environment.

At Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS, students delve into the world of government policy and discuss what it means to be members of a sovereign nation. The first annual Bureau of Indian Education Youth Leadership Challenge was held there in June 2009.

“Being able to provide these students with an opportunity like this is wonderful,” says Darryl Monteau (Kiowa), a staff member at Haskell who helps coordinate the new camp. A total of 70 students from across the United States were selected to participate. They tackled topics such as “What is Tribal Sovereignty?” and “Globalization in Indian Country” and learned how to set goals and work toward the future.

“Each group worked on a project with the intent to develop a model they could take back into their communities,” says Monteau. For example, one group wanted to develop a wellness project addressing an issue like diabetes or alcoholism, so they posed the question: “What are the steps to start that?” Mentors will keep track of their progress to see if those ideas end up being implemented or shared back home.

Guest speakers included Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith. “It was interesting,” says Monteau, “a lot of them were pretty aware of tribal politics and tribal governance.”

Monteau says the challenge left students wishing it had been longer. “I think everyone walked away with a good feeling,” she says. “They had energy to go back and do something positive for their community.”

Patty Talahongva (Hopi/Tewa) is a frequent contributor to Tribal College Journal. For more information about the Tohono Land Connections program, see www.tocc.cc.az.us/upcoming_ events.htm.