Many tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have a strong focus on career and technical education (CTE), offering students a plethora of opportunities to develop skillsets that prepare them for the workforce. In today's job market, there is a dearth of skilled laborers such as hospitality workers, construction managers, dental hygienists,…

Indigenous peoples have rich ways of knowing that have been passed down for generations. Specifically, mathematical ways of knowing are embedded within a nation's and community's language, culture, and place. This article describes how Turtle Mountain Community College now teaches three courses on Ojibwe mathematics which were designed and…

After serving more than 20 years as president of Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) in Montana, President Carole Falcon-Chandler leaves behind a long list of accomplishments, a legacy of compassionate and visionary leadership. This article examines President Falcon-Chandler's life and contributions to the college and that of her successor, Dr. Sean…

The application of appropriate forms of Native science, culturally responsive education, and creative strategizing in the teaching and learning of science enhances the participation of Native American students. The fact that science is presented in most American schools entirely from the Western cultural perspective can create very real…

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is helping to facilitate tribal colleges' role as a link between Native communities and national and global scientific resources. AIHEC's STEM initiatives are in the early stages of what is a long-term effort to respond to the rapid acceleration of emerging challenges and opportunities that…

The Aseto'ne Network Project (ANP) is a healthcare initiative of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) that builds relationships with tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and promotes student interest and engagement through mentorship and self-paced, Native-relevant, health research education. The curriculum emphasizes a…

American Indian Higher Education (AIHEC) Student Congress president Chris Sindone (Pawnee of Oklahoma) was headed down a rough road, until Haskell Indian Nations University helped turn his life around. This profile describes Sindone's path to Haskell, highlights his successes and influences, as well as his plans for the future.

The story of Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl (D-Q) University is rooted firmly in the land and peoples of California, but also in other Native nations and nationals who have recently relocated. There are many versions of where and how D-Q began. D-Q's articles of incorporation, which were based on the "brief proposal" of June and August 1970,…

According to the American Council on Education, only 30% of all college and university presidents are women, and only 5% are women of color. However, 43% of presidents at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are women, and 100% of those women presidents are Native. Tribal colleges have always led the nation in appointing women presidents. But…

Traditionally, care for the environment has always played a role in the Dakota-Lakota way of life, which includes taking care of the air. As a tribal college originally chartered by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Sitting Bull College (SBC) takes seriously its role as an institution guided by Lakota-Dakota culture, values, and language. These…

"Dikos Nitsaaígíí-19" or COVID-19 has threatened the lives of people of color and Indigenous communities at a higher rate. Across the Navajo reservation, these emergencies have motivated Diné communities to step up and help their people as quickly as possible by distributing care packages to families; providing computers, laptops, free…

What does it mean to be a good citizen? In some ways, the answer is simple: participate in government (vote), pay your taxes, don't break the law, and contribute to the economic well-being of the United States. But there is more. The definition of being a good citizen is bound up in society's core cultural values and how those values are practiced…

Each day when the sun rises at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) professors reach back to the traditional teachings of their elders to prepare lessons for the students of today. It is the connection to Native cultures, attitudes, and philosophy that is what sets TCUs apart from mainstream colleges and universities. For most, teaching…

In September 1975, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council chartered the Northern Cheyenne Indian Action Program, Inc., the organization that became Dull Knife Memorial College. It was funded by the Indian Technical Assistance Center of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and directed by six appointed Northern Cheyenne representatives. Dull Knife Memorial…

There has been a steady decline in the number of Indigenous people pursuing and achieving PhD degrees in the U.S. In 2021, barely 0.3% of the 31,674 students in the United States who were conferred PhDs were American Indian or Alaska Native, as there has been lack of support for the advancement of Indigenous students to doctoral-level study. This…