Looking back, it’s fair to say that 2021 was an improvement over 2020. But as we continue to struggle with the pandemic and escalating natural disasters, one can’t help but wonder if this is the new normal. One ray of hope is to remember that our ancestors experienced much, much worse, yet, through their resilience, persevered. May we remember their struggles and honor them as we look forward to this coming year.

One thing that has not changed is TCJ’s annual tradition of assessing our editorial content and sorting out which articles you, our readers, accessed most. Below is a retrospective of TCJ’s most-read articles of 2021.

1. Five Native Films and Shows You Should Be Streaming in 2021
   You have to hand it to him. College of Menominee Nation professor and TCJ columnist Ryan Winn has claimed the top spot in our retrospective for over five years. Of course, all of Professor Winn’s articles are worth reading, but his annual picks for the top Native films or shows of the year is a surefire treat.

2. New Study Reveals the Impact of COVID-19 on Tribal College Students
   Early on during the pandemic, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium conducted a survey to find out how COVID-19 was affecting tribal college students. TCJ released those findings in this special web-exclusive article.

3. AIHEC Receives Transformative Gift from MacKenzie Scott
   MacKenzie Scott has single-handedly reinvented philanthropy, giving away billions of dollars to various nonprofit organizations and institutions. What makes Scott’s gifts so exceptional is that she leaves it to her recipients to decide how to spend the funds. Last year, AIHEC received one of these transformative gifts.

4. Stringing Rosaries: The History, the Unforgivable, and the Healing of Northern Plains American Indian Boarding School Survivors
   TCJ’s media reviews section has always been popular with tribal college faculty and librarians, showcasing new titles in American Indian studies. But Denise Low’s review of this North Dakota State University Press title that appeared in TCJ’s spring issue was exceptionally popular, coming in at number four in our top 10 articles of the year—a first for a media review.

5. Daniel Wildcat: Champion for Climate Change Education
   Everyone who’s been a part of the tribal college movement for more than a few years knows Dan Wildcat. The longtime and much-beloved professor at Haskell Indian Nations University has led TCU efforts to grapple with climate change and its effects on Indigenous communities. A special thanks to Dr. Wildcat’s Haskell colleague and former NAJA president, Rhonda LeValdo, for contributing this long-overdue profile on one of our great educators.

6. Of Community and Culture: A Snapshot of Tribal College Alumni
   TCJ’s fall issue showcased the stories of tribal college graduates and how they are giving back to their local communities. During a time of isolation and sickness, this series of vignettes offers hope and inspiration while underscoring the enduring importance of community.

7. Oglala Lakota College Celebrates 50 Years
   One of the “original six” tribal colleges, Oglala Lakota College marked its golden anniversary last year. Although the pandemic thwarted a large, in-person celebration, this special video presentation offered accolades from both educators and friends of the college.

8. Culturally Congruent Care: Salish Kootenai College’s Registered Nursing Program
   TCJ adjusted its editorial schedule last year to make room for a special issue on public health. This contribution from one of the journal’s most talented writers, Dina Horwedel of the American Indian College Fund, investigates what makes Salish Kootenai College’s nursing program so exceptional.

9. Through Time and Space: Placeknowing and the Arts at Diné College
   In case you missed it, check out this feature article from TCJ’s spring issue that illuminates how a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities has enabled Diné College’s School of Arts, Humanities, and English to document and encourage traditional and contemporary Native arts in the Navajo Nation.

10. Implementing More Equitable IPEDS Race / Ethnicity Reporting Standards for Tribal Colleges and Universities
    Although this article was published as a web-exclusive study, it nevertheless garnered considerable attention in both the TCU and academic communities. Author Emily Sharma of Southern Methodist University examines how the National Center for Education Statistics’ data-reporting practices have adversely impacted tribal colleges and their students. Professor Sharma offers suggestions on how NCES can improve its data collection, confronting chronic underfunding.