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…

Genealogy and family history projects can be an excellent way to foster students' sense of identity and connectedness to their heritage and relatives. Such activities can help students develop pride and knowledge in their identities and personal histories. Because knowledge of family histories is often valued within Indigenous communities, and…

Many American Indian education leaders advocate for the need to combine evidence-based reading instruction with cultural-based educational practices. In the broader education literature, education philosophers propose analogous models such as culturally responsive teaching to meet the educational realities of diverse students. Culturally…

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…

There will be many celebrations with the 150-year birthday that Canada will be celebrating this year. For First Nations Peoples, the celebration continues with the ability to take control of their own education. The Residential School legacy has left generational effects. Leaders across Canada are working together to infuse Aboriginal perspectives…

In the fall of 2019, the American Indian College Fund published a report about a Gallup survey on tribal college alumni. The report illustrates how tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are institutions that provide Native students with the education, skills, and support they need to succeed. The report also shows that Native students who attend…

Located in Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, I?isagvik College draws from the strength of its Arctic community, striving to equip its graduates with the knowledge and skills to ensure their success. The institution's mission is "providing academic, vocational and technical education in a learning environment that perpetuates and…

This case introduces the current educational leadership context found in the executive branch of the Osage Nation, which is experiencing an era of rapid growth in the wake of a constitutional reform effort in 2004 to 2006. Utilizing a specific narrative that puts an Osage educational leader in charge of developing a 10-year plan that will guide…

Native education is rooted in the Native cultures and languages of North America. This brief provides key insights and examples of the work accomplished in Native education across the United States to revitalize and strengthen Native cultures and languages. This brief focuses on the following themes: (1) History and culture in curriculum for all…

Within weeks of school building closings in spring 2020, it became clear to many educators that the fear and isolation experienced by students and educators would force changes to schooling in ways that will reverberate for a long time to come. Many educators were particularly concerned about students and communities of color that were already…