An unlikely promoter of tribal development, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has set the bar for collaboration and capacity building. At first glance, the NSF was an unlikely and even unpromising administrator for a program promoting tribal development. Unlike the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Department of Education, the NSF did not have a…

Of the 37 tribal colleges and universities in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 33 are tribally controlled--located on Indian land and chartered by tribes. In governance and funding, the four intertribal colleges differ from tribally-controlled colleges. Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example,…

The problems many Indian children experience in schools-- low academic achievement, absenteeism, high drop-out rates-- cannot be solved by any one individual. Instead, it requires action by the entire school system and, especially, greater leadership by Indians themselves. Tribes must become partners in the process of school reform and become…

The article presents the author's views on the important role of tribal colleges in shaping the social and cultural development of their tribes. The author says that even small tribal colleges can manage programs that promote wellness, economic development, and basic scientific research. Tribal colleges need to develop culturally based approaches…

This article examines issues regarding the organizational identities of tribal colleges. It provides views that despite being modeled on conventional colleges and universities, tribal colleges need to become more uniquely Native American institutions. A suggestion is explored that tribal colleges offer more courses of study involving tribal…

The article discusses the sovereignty of tribal communities in the U.S. Tribes are not simply ethnic neighborhoods but actual nations with a land base, a unique "government-to-government" relationship with the federal government, and a status. In the 1970s, the federal government gave tribal governments more responsibility to manage programs that…

Bill Leap responds to questions regarding reasons for the disappearance of traditional languages, steps in and barriers to language renewal, the need for written language, the importance of understanding a community's culture when studying or teaching the language, and the roles tribal colleges and linguists can play in language preservation. (DMM)

Traces increases in Indian-controlled economic development, community health, and cultural programs on reservations, highlighting the role of tribal colleges. Discusses Indian education's prior goals of complete submersion in White culture and separation of students from their heritage/language. Considers ways this legacy persists. Highlights…

Reviews elements of traditional scientific method and trends among Native American and other scholars to include intuitive, spiritual, and personal categories of understanding. Suggests four areas of focus to evaluate the new scholarship: importance of the research, integrity of the process, explanation of the methodology, and acknowledgment of…

Provides the insights of Dr. John Red Horse regarding Native American tribal control over research conducted in Indian communities, the role and approaches of non-Indian academic scholarship regarding Native Americans, and changes in research methodology brought about by Native American researchers focusing on immediate needs of the community.…

Describes the community-based research approach of Barbara Bowman, a non-Indian studying psychological issues at Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Reviews tribal-researcher relations at the reservation and discusses tribal requirements for research, including approval of the study, tribal ownership of the data, and formal presentations of…