www.AIHEC.org
Gen-I Native Youth Challenge
TCU Update—May 2015
Tribal Colleges: Educating and Empowering Gen-I
From Cradleboard to Career—TCUs Engage Native Youth
The nation’s 37 tribal colleges, which collectively are
the American Indian Higher Education Consortium
(AIHEC), embrace the White House’s “Generation
Indigenous” initiative, and we are committed
to improving the lives to our Native youth by
ongoing engagement in enrichment, social and
academic support, service learning, K-12 outreach
and partnerships, healthy athletic activities, service
learning, and more. AIHEC and all Tribal Colleges and
Universities (TCUs) are perfect partners because the
tribal colleges have been engaging our Native youth
for generations.
TCUs are transforming our education systems—
training early childhood educators, successfully
managing once failing Head Start programs,
rebuilding schoolhouses and children’s lives;
reforming K-12 science and math programs and
providing summer and Saturday enrichment
alternatives; preparing an American Indian K-12
teacher workforce; transforming Native language
instruction at all levels; and working aggressively to
preserve and sustain our tribal language and culture.
For example, Aaniiih Nakoda College in Montana
runs a K-6 language immersion school, right on
campus. At the White Clay Immersion School, children
learn the White Clay language and culture in addition
to subjects they would routinely study at any other
school.
True to their mission, TCUs work tirelessly on all facets
of tribal Nation Building, beginning with restoring
tribal identity and self-esteem within students
through educational environments that are culturally-
based and uniquely relevant to our students. These
are a few examples of how the TCUs are working to
nurture and sustain Gen-I:
Northwest/Alaska
Ilisagvik College (Barrow, Alaska): “I Know I Can”
initiative is designed to spark student interest in
goal setting as well as career planning. Staff from
Ilisagvik College, graduates, and volunteers visit
second grade classrooms at Ipalook Elementary
Ipalook Elementary School students. Photo courtesy of IC.
School. The volunteers read a children’s story focused
on self-confidence and working towards a certain
career when they grow up. The students then draw
an image on a postcard of themselves in the future
depicting what their career they would like to
become in the future. The postcards are sent back
to them when they are in fifth to sixth grade to
remind them of their dreams as second graders and
encourage them to continue thinking about their
future as they get older. The program is expanding
to other elementary schools and Ilisagvik hopes to
continue this programming in every village during
outreach trips.
community. Several other TCUs, including Salish
Kootenai College, also host basketball tournaments
and workshops for local Native youth.
Northwest Indian College (Bellingham, Washington):
Salmon play an instrumental role in Lummi and Salish
culture. Every
year, students
from Northwest
Indian College
work closely
with the Lummi
nation to prepare
and host Salmon
Ceremonies.
They are able to
engage youth by
teaching them
the importance
of salmon in
Lummi culture;
practice their
language;
Northwest Indian College Salmon
prepare, host
Ceremony. Photo courtesy of NWIC.
and participate in
ceremony. By helping with Salmon Ceremony, youth
are working with tribal leadership, the College, and
learning how to be contributing members to their
culturally rich community.
Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, Montana): “Making
Fitness Fun.” With Type II Diabetes and childhood
obesity becoming a growing problem, Salish Kootenai
College provides fitness activities for the youth of
the Salish Kootenai and Pend Oreille tribes. Youth
starting at age seven engage in outdoor games,
kickball, football, basketball, native games, volleyball,
soccer, and bike riding. This helps the youth stay
active during their summer vacation. Additionally,
Salish Kootenai College provides nutritional
education. They provide a healthy, balanced
breakfast and teach youth the importance of a
healthy diet. Over 200 youth have been positively
impacted with their efforts.
Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency, Montana):
Basketball is a way of life on the Crow reservation.
To engage youth, Little Big Horn College hosts
youth basketball tournaments and workshops. The
tournaments offer youth a safe and family friendly
environment where youth can play and grow in the
sport they love. Little Big Horn College promotes
health, wellness and sport to youth ages 6–14.
Hundreds of youth come to play, bringing their
families, and gain a sense of pride in self and their
The Dakotas
Cankdeska Cikana Community College (Fort Totten,
North Dakota): The Wiconi Ohitika (Strong Life)
Suicide Prevention Project travels to local K-12 schools
(Four Winds, Minnewaukan and Warwick) Monday
through Thursday. To date, the workers have made
contact with 4,608 students, via implementation of
Wiconi Ohitika Suicide Prevention Project.
Photo courtesy of CCCC.
American Indian Life Skills curriculum and Suicide
Prevention activities. The program uses Spirit
Lake Dakota Elders as special speakers at events
and activities. Wiconi Ohitika held and sponsored
community events, such as beading classes, regalia
making classes, trainings, conferences and pow
wows. Regular monthly activities include: Community
Rosary, Day of Prayer, Elder Advisory meetings and
Open Mic Night. Wiconi Ohitika also hosts monthly
Spirit Lake Suicide Prevention Coalition meetings at
Cankdeska Cikana Community College, averaging 13
to 15 participants from BIA Law Enforcement, Spirit
Lake Tribal Court, Tribal Social Services, Lake Region
Human Services, Spirit Lake Youth Healing and
Wellness, and community members.
Sitting Bull College (Fort Yates, North Dakota): There
are approximately 2,800 children and youth under
the age of 18 on the Standing Rock reservation.
Tragically, youth suicide is considered by some to
be at epidemic proportions on the Standing Rock
reservation. Seeing the need for youth to get
involved in projects where they can feel good about
Youth participate in annual horse rides hosted by the
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Photo courtesy of SBC.
themselves, acquire life skills, learn to make and keep
friends, and feel part of their Lakota/Dakota culture
is a priority of Sitting Bull College. The horsemanship
program has helped address this need. Lakota youth
are invited to learn of their traditional farming and
ranching ways, as well as gain knowledge on horse
tacking. The clinic offers coping techniques through
equine therapy. Youth learn equine management
practices and the spiritual and historical significance
of the Lakota/Dakota horse culture. The youth are
able to participate in two annual horse rides hosted
by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Sitting Bull College
and local area ranchers.
Sinte Gleska University (Rosebud, South Dakota):
Rosebud Sioux tribal member, Don Moccasin, was
very active in Lakota culture as a fluent speaker,
dancer, singer, teacher, and Sundancer. He started
documenting people’s stories in the mid-1990s, which
grew into the Lakota Elder Documentary Project.
The media department at Sinte Gleska University
has preserved Don’s video archives, turning his clips
into films for the local community. They share the
film—along with a traditional meal—with youth
because Don wanted children to know their ancestry
and stories through education and through Sinte
Gleska University. Through film and food, Sinte
Gleska University is engaging youth in Lakota culture,
values, language, and sense of community and most
important, passing Don’s love of his native Lakota
language to the next generation.
Oglala Lakota College (Kyle, South Dakota): “Life
is Beautiful Poetry Slam” was hosted by Oglala
College at the Woksapi Tipi Library. The poetry
slam was a collaborative effort with the College,
Sweet Grass Suicide Prevention Project, the Native
Youth Leadership Alliance, as well as KOLC-TV. Each
participant was given a journal. The College wanted
to make sure everybody got something as generosity
is a Lakota Virtue. Prize money was given to the top
three winners. Concerns of youth suicide on the Pine
Ridge reservation were the origin for the poetry
slam. Oglala Lakota College wanted to provide a
safe environment for youth and members of the
community to express their feelings in the form of
poetry.
The Southwest
Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona): Helping to increase
college bound students on the Navajo Nation, the
Diné College Dual Credit Program provides high
school students the opportunity to get a jump start
on college by earning college credits while still in
high school. Diné College partners with nine high
schools in Arizona and New Mexico. Currently, more
than 250 high school students are on track to attend
college.
Diné College also hosts Chuska Youth Camp every
summer to educate Navajo youth about the dynamics
of land and water. The camps allow youth to learn
by doing with an emphasis on environmental science
Chuska Youth Camp. Photo courtesy of DC.
concepts. Youth learn safeguarding and restoring
natural resources by elevating the health of a
watershed through collecting basic ecology data at
local streams and lakes, classifying plant vegetation,
identifying sources of pollution and human impacts,
and observing wildlife habitat, forest, rangelands,
and watersheds. Diné College students serve as
mentors and guide Chuska Youth Camp participants
through the entire camp. Exposure to environmental
science in their traditional land and having a tribal
college student mentor them encourages cultural
pride and a desire to stay in school.
The Woodlands
College of Menominee Nation (Keshena, Wisconsin):
The College of Menominee Nation, in partnership
with the University of Wisconsin Extension,
Menominee Indian School District, Menominee Tribal
School, and Woodland Boys & Girls Club, created
the Menominee Youth Empowerment Program.
The Menominee Youth Empowerment Program
was developed to unify the Menominee community
and break the cycle of high risk behaviors while
promoting family resiliency. The program targets
11 to 14 year olds, providing at risk Menominee
youth with opportunities to learn skills and gain
experience that contribute to a more positive lifestyle
and enhance their capacity to make healthier
choices. College of Menominee Nation staff works
directly with schools to address tutoring needs and
academic requirements for a student to be successful.
The program covers: academia, culture, personal
development, wellness, unintentional injury, diabetes
prevention, substance abuse, teen dating, and
violence.
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
121 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314