The article reports that Tribal colleges and universities in the United States seek to promote culturally appropriate development and to improve the financial situations not only of their students but the tribal matrix they come from. A study by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Institute for Higher Education Policy…

The article discusses Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, Washington, which has stated that its number one priority is to strengthen individual and tribal prosperity through excellent and culturally relevant education, research, and training. The college mandates both monthly and quarterly monitoring using baseline data and performance…

The article profiles Native Americans in the United States who own their own businesses. Kim Johnson, a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, owns KC's Oil and Lube, a business on the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana. Johnson spoke to a business teacher at the "tribal college", received a scholarship, and took several years of…

The article focuses on public health research projects which are being conducted at two Indian colleges; Candeska Cikana Community College in Fort Trotten, North Dakota and Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, North Dakota. Candeska Community College was given a 6 year grant funded by the National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and…

The article focuses on the Daya Tibi Community Wellness Center of Fort Peck Community College in Poplar, Montana. The idea for the center came from the college's President Haven Gourneau. The center contains a tanning bed, sauna, and state of the art exercise equipment and can be used by students, tribal elders, diabetics and people with high…

As the sun rises across Indian Country students attending tribal colleges wake up to another day of classes, kids, work, and culture. Many tribal college students are not fresh out of high school. They have often worked, married, and had children before returning to school. A big factor in their decisions to attend tribal colleges is maintaining…

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have a recognized track record of preparing graduates for leadership. Perhaps not as well known, however, is the role they have played in growing their own leaders from student to tribal college president. This article presents a few stories of those people who have risen from the student ranks to lead their…

This article reports on the re-emergence of some historic films from the '60s which creates excitement amongst Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe people and inspires them to launch a project to digitize and edit the old media. The "Audio Visual Production Project" began to take shape in the fall of 2006 when the tribal vice chairman, Rusty Barber,…

The author explored how the oral tradition is currently "voiced" in tribal college and university classrooms. He asked a number of instructors how they approach literature and writing--particularly if the texts that they assign represent the value that Native people have historically given to traditional stories, teachings, speeches, tribal…

Cankdeska Cikana Community College Regent Phillip John Young was presented with the Community Service Award by North Dakota Indian Education Association in October 2005. The award recognized Young's advocacy and support of education for the people of Spirit Lake Nation for many years. In this brief article, the author provides some information…

In this article, the author shares his experiences as a teacher in Dine College, a tribal American Indian college. He recalls how teaching there for seventeen years has brought him joy and frustration. He relates that a teaching approach he discovered over the years has helped him become an effective teacher. He also discovered that some of the…

Recent studies on historic and multi-generational trauma among Native people have assisted individuals and communities in dealing with the continuing aftereffects. Following in the footsteps of Native American elders and activists, social workers, mental health professionals, and scholars are seeking to revitalize cultural traditions to combat…

This study, which was conducted during the summer of 2005, employed in-depth interviews using open-ended questions to develop an understanding of the history, purposes, and roles, curricula and programs, successes and challenges, and futures of the two Wisconsin tribal colleges: the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) in Keshena and the Lac Courte…

Natural disasters and terrorism have raised national awareness of major human trauma. In fall 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate from their homes. Among American Indian people, these times bring to mind the trauma suffered by their ancestors: The Trail of Tears during the 1830s removed 18,000…

In preparation for this issue, suggestions were sought from throughout the tribal college community of people who stand out as heroes. Some are featured elsewhere in this issue. In this article, some of the heroes who were identified were asked who they most admire. Some named tribal college presidents who have been involved for several decades;…