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 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…

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…

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…

Describes the multi-million dollar initiative announced by W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 1995 to support the Native American Higher Education Initiative, and how the Kellogg initiative deserves attention from the nation as a whole because it is attempting to fundamentally rewrite the way foundations do business with Indian communities. (VWC)

Describes the growing network of institutions of higher learning chartered by American Indian tribes and located on reservations to meet the unique educational and cultural needs of the surrounding reservations. Highlights culture-based curricula, training for tribal needs, need for state and federal support, and need for professional development.…

Discusses the history and background of the founding of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). Describes the difficulties experienced by the AIHEC and the actions taken to improve the state of tribal education and to promote unity. (YKH)

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…

Recounts the history of some of the earliest tribal colleges and poses questions regarding the current state of American Indian higher education institutions. Argues that, though the colleges are expanding, the larger goals of nurturing sustainable communities remain unfulfilled. Compares tribal colleges to Maori schools in New Zealand. (NB)

Provides an interview with Brian Palecek, an English instructor at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC), in Bismarck, North Dakota, and an instructor in UTTC's Integrated Studies Program. Describes the program's attempts to provide an interdepartmental, theme-based curriculum as an alternative to traditional general education practices. (MAB)

Describes the Learning Lodge Institute, a collaboration of seven Montana tribal colleges that utilizes language courses to promote and strengthen knowledge of traditional culture. Also discusses documenting the loss of language and building support for tribal languages. The institute supports existing language instruction programs to make them…

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…