In the wild river region of northeastern Wisconsin, the Menominee people conserved a portion of their ancient homelands now known as the Menominee Indian Reservation. The Menominee are nationally known for their majestic forests. The Wolf River flows southward for more than 200 miles from its headwaters in Pine Lake to Lake Poygan near the city of…

Partnering with museums and Indiana University, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has helped create e-Humanity, an online cultural portal. Launched in June 2011, E-Humanity represents the beginning of a new form of cultural institution, one that will blur the lines between traditional museum authority and collections of…

Tribal colleges are often performing little miracles in their communities. Most tribal colleges operate without benefit of local and state taxes. Yet, they bring in new money from other sources that stimulate the local economy. Students gain knowledge and skills that can transform their communities and local economies. Tribal colleges not only…

During the author's early years of high school, he made it his mission to do well. He is proud and honored to say that he has attended Dine College (Tsaile, Arizona). Dine College was the foundation of his college career. It allowed him to develop a sense of financial awareness and readiness and the right place for him to begin--financially. Now,…

The author never thought he would succeed in college--and yet he is. This article presents the short story of who the author is, where he came from, his college experience, and the issues he encountered funding his college education. He is enrolled Northern Cheyenne. He graduated from Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) in May 2011 with an associate's…

Over the past four decades, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have emerged as a cutting-edge approach to post-secondary education in the United States and across the world. They have emerged as exceptional institutions--and their leaders still have promises to keep and new goals to achieve. As people look to the future of the tribal…

This article describes how the American Indian College Fund helps tribal college and university (TCU) faculty members conduct research and complete their Ph.D.s--and tackle unique challenges. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the fellowship programs administered by the College Fund pay a one-year stipend…

When students graduate from a tribal college or university (TCU), everyone in the community celebrates. They recognize the sacrifices the students have made, juggling their responsibilities as students, parents, and community members. Many people have contributed to this success, including the tribal college presidents. Eight tribal college…

For 20 years, the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) has been helping students to afford a higher education. In addition to providing more than 4,000 scholarships for American Indian students last year, it also provides tribal colleges with funding and programmatic support. The Fund was created in 1989 by the tribal colleges and universities…

This article profiles American Indian Higher Education Consortium's (AIHEC) President and CEO Carrie Billy. Billy's experience in law, a U.S. senator's office, and in the legislative and administrative branches of government is crucial for an institution that relies on state and federal legislative processes to gain funding and support. AIHEC is a…

Last year at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), President Robert Martin (Cherokee) led the faculty, staff, students, alumni, board members, and donors though a strategic planning process that resulted in a number of important new directions. Among these was a new mission statement to guide their work. Like most tribal educational…

From the very start each issue of the "Tribal College Journal" (TCJ) was (and remains) a result of weeks of planning, thinking up themes, brainstorming story ideas, and tracking the progress at the various tribal colleges, and then putting it all into a single quarterly issue. In the past 20 years there have been 80 issues dedicated to the Tribal…

From its inception in 1988, the "Tribal College Journal" (TCJ) has been a family affair. Paul Boyer, the buoyant founder of the TCJ who published, produced, and edited the magazine until 1995, says the magazine sprouted not from an idealistic plan but from a combination of his own youthful enthusiasm; the support and guidance of his late father,…

Years before she became editor for the "Tribal College Journal" (TCJ), Marjane Ambler had already demonstrated her dedication and generosity to the Tribal College Movement. Ambler arranged for some of the royalty payments from the sale of her first book, "Breaking the Iron Bonds: Indian Control of Energy Development" (University of Kansas, 1990)…

Far from the glitzy streets of New York or Los Angeles... where many of this nation's magazines are published... and on the edge of the famed Four Corners Region in the town of Mancos, Colorado ...is the home of the Tribal College Journal (TCJ). Tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, it's much like the tribal colleges it serves, far from big city…