First established in 1971, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is one of two tribal colleges that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) operates and funds. SIPI offers a variety of certificate and two-year associate's degree programs, but its primary curricular focus remains the science, technology,…

The relationship between American Indians and the U.S. federal government and state governments is complicated. It is a relationship that controls almost all aspects of tribal life and has resulted in American Indians being the most legislated people in the United States. For many years tribal people relied on non-Native attorneys to help navigate…

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…

This article describes the activities during the annual Summer Student Leadership Training held July 8-10, 2009, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The leadership training was attended by thirty-five students from 12 tribal colleges and universities. It was presented by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Student Congress at the…

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…

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…

Before 2000, Indian tribes were forced by federal law to get permission to hire an attorney. This article invites readers to consider all of the disputes Indian tribes have had with the United States, state governments, and others before the year 2000, and how in each instance the federal government had to approve the arrangement between the…

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.…

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,…

While tribal college athletic programs were not designed to market the colleges, there is no denying they have generated positive attention and have perhaps even helped to highlight the colleges' purpose. Dine College and Navajo Technical College are among a handful of tribal colleges who have made athletic programs a priority. They have since…

Tribal colleges and universities around the country are harnessing natural sources of energy on their campuses. Renewable energy and sustainable building design have many advantages--they save money and provide healthier learning and working environments while allowing people to live in greater harmony with the earth. This article discusses…

This article profiles teacher Leroy Silva (Laguna), 27, a.k.a. "Buster". Silva describes himself as an active guy who stays busy working out, playing basketball, softball, and more recently golf, soccer, and lacrosse. He teaches personal wellness and sports (not physical education), a job he began in 2006. Before that he was a trainer at…

Reports on the creation of a public health degree at Dine College in Shiprock, New Mexico, the first degree of its kind at a "tribal college". Review of the work of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Centers for Disease Control, who developed the degree with the goal of increasing the number of American Indians in…