Traveling outside one's comfort zone can plant the seeds for a collaborative, positive exchange of ideas, information, and perspectives. And that's just what happened when two groups of tribal college students, representing many nations, embraced traveling far from their families and communities. These two groups of students and faculty--one from…

In this article, the author describes the Summer Leadership Conference which was sponsored by the AIHEC Student Congress (ASC) and held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) on June 24-27, 2010. This was the third year that IAIA has hosted the conference. Tribal college students chose the theme "Red Movement:…

The heart of Little Big Horn College (LBHC) is wrapped in the passion of Joseph Medicine Crow. Medicine Crow, 96, a nationally renowned tribal elder and historian, has been influencing education on the Crow Reservation in Montana for decades. As one of the founding members of the Crow Education Commission, he helped start LBHC in 1980. Medicine…

The first thing J. Carlos Peinado tells his students is that every good story begins with a story. Peinado chairs the New Media Arts Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA, Santa Fe, New Mexico). He lives what he teaches. Before coming to IAIA, he worked as a professional filmmaker, most recently training his lens on the Fort…

Every year, faculty members publish hundreds of thousands of research papers in academic journals at the nation's colleges and universities. Almost none of these papers are written by tribal college and university (TCU) faculty. Is this good for TCU faculty because without the pressure to "publish or perish," they are able to focus entirely on…

AIDS affects thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives: They have the third highest rate of AIDS diagnosis in the United States, despite having the smallest population. To tackle this problem, the federal agency has provided capacity-building grants to seven tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) for an innovative, peer-to-peer initiative.…

Linda Taylor (Dine) raises sheep and horses, creates sculpture, paints, teaches traditional weaving classes, hunts solo for elk and deer, and volunteers at the Methodist Thrift Shop. In the past, she has also cared for Native children in need, and she is currently applying to foster a Navajo girl. On weekends, she sells bales of hay at the…

In late 2009, the author first spoke with several tribal college students in Denver, Colorado, where they gathered to celebrate their achievements at the American Indian College Fund 20th Anniversary Gala. These students have unique interests and different goals, but they are united by two factors: (1) each one is a recipient of an American Indian…

Students at Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC) have spent their entire lives hearing about the environmental issues facing the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara). Located on the high plains of northwestern North Dakota, the area contains rich coal and oil resources, the development of which can damage air and water quality.…

When everyone told them it couldn't be done, Joe McDonald, Ed.D., remembers how firmly tribal leaders stuck to their guns and helped draft federal legislation to fund the tribal college system. When her own husband questioned her efforts to get a college degree, Alvena Oldman ignored his cutting remarks and kept on taking classes. When people try…

Compared to the general population, American Indians are experiencing an alarmingly increased rate of suicide, which some estimate at 50% higher than other ethnic groups. On the campuses of some tribal colleges, things look equally bleak, with 15% of students reporting that they seriously considered suicide over the past 12 months. While the…

To create a strong local economy, the community needs a workforce. In Native communities, the workforce should be grounded in the local culture and values. On the North Slope of Alaska, this has long been a goal of leaders. To achieve this goal, North Slope leaders came together February 2010 in Barrow, Alaska, for the "Tumitchiat" Leadership…

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…