Tribal Colleges in the News
AIHEC Welcomes Two New Tribal College Members: Ilisagvik College and College of the Muscogee Nation
Tribal College Journal Editor Awarded Fellowship to Stanford University
Utne highlights TCJ in May 2007 issue
Tribal Journal announces staff changes
Tribute to Dr. Robert A. Roessel, father of Dine College
Reforming Schools: Lessons learned in American Indian classrooms could serve others
New issue of TCJ finds heroes in everyday life
Tribal College Journal seeks Native high school students
Inconspicuous in Mancos, influence of Tribal College Journal is national
Tribal College Journal honors Native warriors
Mancos Resident Awarded Fellowship to Stanford
Articles in Volume 14 N.4 of the Tribal College Journal address cultural resilience
Utne Reader article about tribal colleges
Adjunct Advocate article by Vicki Urquhart about the Tribal College Journal
Tribal College Students Showcase Talents
AIHEC Welcomes Two New Tribal College Members: Ilisagvik College and College of the Muscogee Nation
November 19, 2007
Alexandria, VA: The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has admitted Ilisagvik College (Barrow, AK) and the College of the Muscogee Nation (Okmulgee, OK) as new members of the organization.
The AIHEC Board of Directors voted to accept Ilisagvik College as a “regular” member after sending a team to visit the college to determine eligibility. To become a regular member of AIHEC, a college must meet several criteria. It must be chartered by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or an American Indian, Eskimo, or Alaska Native community; governed solely by American Indians, Eskimo or Alaska Natives; and it must have a majority of American Indian, Eskimo, or Alaska Native students. In addition, regular members must be accredited or a candidate for accreditation.
Established in 1995, Ilisagvik College is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities as a two-year community college and serves a largely Iñupiat Eskimo student population. President Beverly Grinage explained: “Ilisagvik College is the only institution dedicated to serving the post-secondary training and education needs of Alaska’s North Slope. We are grounded in Iñupiaq values and committed to helping our residents assume professional control of our homeland. Our goal at Ilisagvik is to help our North Slope residents attain permanent employment on the North Slope, while strengthening and perpetuating our Iñupiaq culture, language, values and traditions.” Ilisagvik is the first and only federally recognized tribal college in Alaska.
Following an AIHEC team site visit to the College of Muscogee Nation, the AIHEC Board also voted to accept the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) as an “associate” member, which means the college has met general eligibility criteria for AIHEC membership and has taken initial steps toward seeking full accreditation. CMN was established in 2004 to serve as the institution of higher education for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, emphasizing Native culture, values, language and self-determination. CMN is the second tribal college in Oklahoma to be admitted. The Muscogee Nation is actively supporting the efforts of CMN in moving forward with North Central Accreditation processes. Currently, the institution has established a partnership with the Oklahoma State University system to utilize their accredited courses.
Dr. Gerald Gipp, AIHEC Executive Director, welcomed the new colleges and said, “These two new colleges represent the continuing growth of the Tribal College Movement. We understand that not all tribal communities can build their own college; however, we expect to see an increase in the number of new tribal colleges over the next decade.” Dr. Gipp added: “With the addition of our first member institution from Alaska, the advocacy base for the tribal college movement and for AIHEC is increased to 14 states.”
About AIHEC:
Founded in 1972 by the presidents of the nation’s first six Tribal Colleges, as an informal collaboration among member colleges, AIHEC is comprised of 36 colleges in the United States and one Canadian institution. AIHEC is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities. AIHEC provides leadership and influences public policy on American Indian higher education issues through advocacy, research and program initiatives; promotes and strengthens Indigenous languages, cultures, communities and tribal nations; and through its unique position, serves member institutions and emerging Tribal Colleges and Universities. For additional information, please visit www.aihec.org.
Tribal College Journal Editor Awarded Fellowship to Stanford University
June 22, 2007
Tina Deschenie (Diné/Hopi) has been awarded a fellowship to attend the Stanford Professional Publishing Course, July 13-21. Deschenie, resident of Farmington, NM, is the editor of Tribal College Journal (TCJ), a national magazine based in Mancos, Colorado. The fellowship is sponsored by the Magazine Publishers Association in partnership with Stanford University. Deschenie was eligible to apply due to her membership in the American Society of Magazine Editors.
Well-known publishers teach the intensive nine day program at Stanford University, which immerses participants into the topics of editorial development, design, production, marketing, sales promotion, finance, and new technologies.
"I’m looking forward to the opportunity to gain new knowledge from some of the top leaders in the publishing world. I’m very pleased to receive the MPA diversity fellowship since it covers tuition and lodging, costs that would be prohibitive otherwise," Deschenie said.
Deschenie has been editor of Tribal College Journal since June 2006. She is the third editor in the magazine’s 18-year history, and the first Native to hold the position. Prior to becoming editor, she did some behind the scenes work for TCJ by writing articles, copy editing, and selling ads. She has contributed articles to Native Peoples, Winds ofChange and New Mexico Woman. Deschenie has also been an educator and administrator in American Indian education for over 20 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and a master’s degree from University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
TCJ is published by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, an organization of 35 tribally-controlled colleges in the U.S. and Canada. The magazine focuses upon higher education issues affecting Native American populations. For more information, call (970) 533-9170 or see the website, www.tribalcollegejournal.org.
Summer 2007 issues catches Utne reviewer's eye
May 20, 2007
A colorful depiction of Sitting Bull and his wife adorns the cover of the summer issue of Tribal College Journal. The quarterly is published by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which represents 35 tribal colleges and universities. Native American heritage themes recur throughout as the journal looks to the future of tribal education and parses its role in the community. In the latest issue, editor Tina Deschenie writes that tribal colleges "present a positive and courageous face against the growing crisis of illness and needless deaths" confronting Native Americans today. -- Natalie Hudson
Tribal College Journal selects new editor and new publisher
June 7, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION or a jpeg image of the staff, contact Rachael Marchbanks at 970/ 533-9170, rachael@tribalcollegejournal.org
MANCOS, CO: The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has hired Tina Deschenie (Diné, Hopi), M.Ed., as the new editor of the Tribal College Journal. TCJ is a quarterly magazine published in Mancos, CO, by AIHEC, an organization of 35 tribally-controlled colleges and universities based in Virginia.
Deschenie has over 25 years of experience in Indian education. She is a former associate dean of continuing education at Crownpoint Institute of Technology in New Mexico and a former executive director of the Navajo Nation branch of the North Central Association accreditation agency. In May 2003, the New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education named Deschenie as the Native American Educator of the Year.
In the past, Deschenie has contributed articles to TCJ, Winds of Change, and Native Peoples. She volunteers as a board member for various community organizations.
“I see the job of editor as a natural extension of my work in Indian education. I believe tribal colleges are essential so I am deeply honored to be associated with their work,” says Deschenie.
AIHEC has promoted Rachael Marchbanks to become the publisher of TCJ. Most recently the marketing director, Rachael has filled several different positions at the journal since she started in August 1997. Rachael will direct AIHEC’s Mancos office.
The former editor, Marjane Ambler, has resigned after 11 years in the position. She plans to return to freelance writing.
TCJ has covered American Indian higher education for over 17 years. The Navajo Tribe started the tribal college movement 38 years ago by establishing Navajo Community College, now known as Diné College in Tsaile, AZ. Most members of AIHEC are chartered by tribes and located on reservations where they provide standard academic courses and work to revitalize reservation economies, culture, and languages. For more information, call (970) 533-9170 or see the website, www.tribalcollegejournal.org.
COLORADO MEDIA ADVISORY: Both Deschenie and Marchbanks are graduates of Fort Lewis College. The third staff member in the photo, Office Manager Marvene Tom, is also a Fort Lewis graduate and a resident of Durango for most of her life.
NM MEDIA ADVISORY: Deschenie is also a graduate of the University of New Mexico and a resident of Farmington, NM.
NAVAJO MEDIA ADVISORY : Deschenie and Tom are both Navajo.
Reforming Schools: Lessons learned in American Indian classrooms could serve others
May 26, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION or a jpeg image of the cover, contact Marjane Ambler at 970/ 533-9170, editor@tribalcollegejournal.org
Elementary and secondary schools often fail to adequately educate American Indian children. Statistically, K-12 Indian students have the highest dropout rates and the lowest achievement rates in the nation.
Some teachers and some schools have discovered ways to change their approach, and their success could be utilized in classrooms everywhere, according to the latest issue of the Tribal College Journal (Vol. 17, N. 4), “School Reform, Native Style.”
The responsibility for effective schools lies not just with the teachers but also with the community, according to author Paul Boyer, Ph.D. His nationwide research focused upon National Science Foundation-supported school reform in some of the country’s poorest, most isolated schools.
“When a clear and compelling vision takes root, real change can happen,” according to Boyer.
To find out what makes a good teacher, Thomas Peacock, Ed.D., interviewed American Indian students across the country, including students in southwest Colorado. Adding the students’ comments to the wisdom of experienced teachers, he concluded that teachers must engage students in doing “significant work.” By providing authentic (based on real life) learning experiences, students want to learn.
For a free sample copy of the school reform issue, stop by the office in Mancos, CO, or call (970) 533-9170 for bulk prices. Tribal College Journal is a quarterly magazine published in Mancos, CO, by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, an organization of 35 tribally-controlled colleges and universities.
For more information, call or see the website, www.tribalcollegejournal.org.
Native Heroes of Today: New issue of TCJ finds heroes in everyday life
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 24, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION or a jpeg image of the cover, contact Marjane Ambler at 970/ 533-9170, editor@tribalcollegejournal.org
MANCOS, CO. When most people are asked about American Indian heroes, they think of icons of the 19 th century. Geronimo. Sitting Bull. Crazy Horse. Tecumseh. But what about the Indian environmental activists, teachers, film producers, soldiers in Iraq, and spiritual luminaries of today?
Articles in the spring issue of Tribal College Journal (Vol. 17, N. 3) look at such contemporary heroes and their importance to modern Indian young people.
The cover of the issue features Gwendolen Cates’ photograph of the Big Foot Memorial Ride, a 300-mile horseback ride taken by American Indian people across the frozen Northern Plains prairie each December to help young people remember the sacrifices of their ancestors. A Cates’ photograph of this ride was featured on the cover of Parade magazine on May 16, 2004.
Violent deaths in the past year at Red Lake, MN, and Standing Rock, ND, sent journalist Dorreen Yellow Bird searching for answers. She concluded that the heroes we need today may be parents, teachers, friends -- those who stand beside us when we are the most rebellious. Her article resonates for people everywhere, not just on Indian reservations.
TCJ authors look at both the heroes and the need for heroes. The costs of the European colonization of North America are well documented. While most non-Indians feel revulsion for the federal Indian policies of the past, some ask, “Why dwell on these events of the past? Why can’t Indians just get over it?”
To explore this issue, Tina Deschenie (Diné) of Farmington, NM, interviewed Dr. Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart about “historical trauma” and how American Indians can heal from centuries of pain.
The journal also includes essays on personal heroes by movie producer Chris Eyre (Cheyenne and Arapaho), author Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee), and educators Dr. Jim Shanley (Assiniboine), Dr. Joe McDonald (Salish-Kootenai), and Dr. Janine Pease (Crow and Hidatsa).
Tribal College Journal is a quarterly magazine published in Mancos, CO, by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, an organization of 37 tribally-controlled colleges and universities.
For more information, call (970) 533-9170 or see the website, www.tribalcollegejournal.org.
Tribal College Journal seeks Native high school students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2005
For more information or photos, contact Marjane Ambler at (970)
533-9170 or email editor@tribalcollegejournal.org
The Tribal College Journal (TCJ) in Mancos, CO, is offering free subscriptions to a limited number of American Indian high school students in southwest Colorado.
A quarterly magazine, Tribal College Journal has been published since
1989 by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. TCJ provides
information on how American Indian higher education is changing the face
of Indian Country. It includes profiles of students and alumni who have
found conquered various obstacles to find success.
Of special interest to high school students and placement counselors, the magazine also provides information on scholarships, internships, and universities that are recruiting Native students.
TCJ has won nationwide recognition, including a nomination by the Western Publications Association for general excellence and two Native American Journalists Association honorable mention awards. There are 36 tribally controlled colleges and universities in the consortium, and their presidents serve as the advisory board for the journal.
TCJ received money for the subscriptions from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Sky Ute Casino May 14. After submitting a grant application to the casino, the magazine staff was selected to participate in the 6th annual non-profit money booth in Ignacio.
TCJ along with representatives of 14 other selected non-profit organizations in the area went to the casino May 14 where they took turns grabbing flying money in a booth. Each organization received $500 plus the money they were able to get in 45 seconds; a total of $19,710 was given away by the casino.
American Indian high school students and counselors who want free subscriptions can call Marvene Tom at the Tribal College Journal, (970) 533-9170 or email marvene@tribalcollegejournal.org. The subscriptions will be given free to the first eligible people who respond.
Inconspicuous in Mancos, influence of Tribal College Journal is national
March 17, 2004 The Mancos Times, Mancos, CONot many national academic journals are headquartered in old, two-story, frame houses in tiny western towns. That doesn't bother the national staff of the Tribal College Journal a bit; Mancos is exactly where they want to be!
The fact that the house where Josephine Goff lived 15 years ago is the editorial base for a high-quality publication reporting the issues and activities of 35 two- and four-year tribal colleges across the United States and Canada is probably not widely known, even here in the Mancos Valley. Yet the small staff of TCJ is quietly, steadily establishing the Journal as a major voice of Indian education in North America.
Tribal colleges themselves are little known in the larger academic world.
Navajo Community College, at Tsaile, Ariz., was the first; it is now the four-year Dine College, with branch campuses. Most of the colleges are chartered by their sponsoring tribes and are sited on reservations, such as Stone Child College in Box Elder, Mont., and Crownpoint Institute of Technology in Crownpoint, N.M. Others are in urban locations, including the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. Red Crow Community College, in Cardston, Alberta, is presently the lone Canadian member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the sponsor of TCJ.
Most of the colleges are still two-year schools, but several have expanded to offer four-year degrees and two, Sinte Gleska University in Mission, S.D., and Oglala Lakota College in Kyle, S.D., offer masterıs degrees.
As the link among these scattered institutions, TCJ focuses on the needs and concerns of the tribal college students and staff, but they also look beyond and address the families, tribes and the world at large. The TCJ mission statement says: ³On behalf of the American Indian Higher Education Consortiumıs member tribal colleges and universities, we provide information for everyone interested in American Indian higher education. Our culture-based publication addresses subjects important to the future of American Indian and Alaska Native communities utilizing both journalistic and scholarly articles.² Ask Editor Marjane Ambler what that means, then sit back for a description of the schools, people and issues that could go on for hours. The normally quiet and soft-spoken Ambler is a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for American Indian higher education, and she has imbued her co-workers with the same devotion to the Journal and its mission.
One thing you might learn is that each quarterly issue's 7,000 copies probably reach at least 20,000 people. Copies are passed around and they also go heavily to public and academic libraries.
The Tribal College Journal has been in publication 15 years, starting out as a traveling publication - here a year, there a year, etc. When Editor Ambler moved to Mancos nine years ago, TCJ found a permanent home in Mancos.
Ambler realizes that, as the AIHEC-sponsored publication, TCJ has an exclusive niche. She says "We sell education, not slick art", and their specific focus is the education being received by 30,000 full- and part-time students in tribal colleges.
If you would like to learn more about the Tribal College Journal and about tribal colleges, stop by the headquarters at 130 E. Montezuma Ave. (theyıll give you a free TCJ), write to them at P. O. Box 720, Mancos, or visit the Web site: www.tribalcollegejournal.org, where you will find a jobs board, career opportunities and an order list for back issues of the TCJ.
You can help out, too. The staff welcomes help at their quarterly "stuffing parties." Phone 533-9170 to find out when the next one will be held.
Tribal College Journal honors Native warriors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2004
For more information,
contact Rachael Marchbanks at (970) 533-9170.
In its current issue, TCJ appeals to its readers to honor the sacrifices of Indian soldiers and their families by donating subscriptions. There is a long history of Indian people serving in all branches of the Armed Forces, starting with the American Revolution. Recent publicity has honored the work of the Navajo code talkers in World War II, but during both world wars, American Indian code talkers helped bring victory by using various languages, including Choctaw, Comanche, Lakota, Crow, or Navajo words.
"Americans hold differing viewpoints about war in general and the degree of U.S. involvement, but each of us appreciates the dedicated men and women willing to give their lives, the sacrifices they are willing to make, and the impact their decision has on their families," says Dr. Gerald E. Gipp (Hunkpapa Lakota). Gipp is the executive director AIHEC.
The current issue of Tribal College Journal discusses the importance of Native languages and the controversy over English Only laws. TCJ points out that Native code talkers have saved hundreds of lives. Dr. Richard Littlebear discusses more subtle benefits of being bilingual.
In his essay, "Confessions of a freedom-loving bilingual," Littlebear says, "I like reading and hearing the soaring words of Martin Luther King, Jr., the solemn phraseology of the Lake Poets, the majesty and wit of Shakespeare, the whimsicality of Ogden Nash, and the inspiring obscurity of Dylan Thomas. I enjoy hearing the Cheyenne lyrics and vocatives of our honor and flag songs. I like hearing the rhythmic, precise terminology of Cheyenne prayers. For me, both languages have equal weight and influence in all that I do."
The current issue features a new design by Walt Pourier of Nakota Designs, which shows off the writing by some of Native America's most respected scholars.
The "English Only?" issues will be available March 1. TCJ would like to receive the names and mailing addresses of the American Indian soldiers soon after that time. Subscriptions will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Send the information by email to info@tribalcollegejournal.org or write to TCJ-Native Warriors, P.O. Box 720, Mancos CO 81328.
Mancos Resident Awarded Fellowship to Stanford
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2003
For more information, contact Marjane Ambler or Rachael Marchbanks at 970/ 533-9170. digital photo available on request
Well-known publishers teach the intensive nine-day program at Stanford University, which immerses participants into the topics of editorial development, design, production, marketing, sales promotion, finance, and new technologies.
"I am thrilled at this opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the magazine publishing business. TCJ has an enormous potential to increase understanding and support of American Indian education, and I want to bring back knowledge that will help us in this endeavor," Marchbanks said.
Marchbanks first began working at the Tribal College Journal in 1997. While working, she studied international studies and journalism at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., and graduated with honors in June 2000.
TCJ has been published in Mancos, CO, since 1995. It focuses upon new models for American Indian higher education. For more information, phone (970) 533-9170 or see the website, www.tribalcollegejournal.org.
February 23, 2003: Volume 14, Number 4 - TCJ
Articles in Vol. 14 N.4 of Tribal College Journal address cultural resilience. When outsiders look at Native communities, they tend to focus on the problems. Indeed, Native people suffer from addictions, family violence, and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Communities are constantly reeling from the impact of needless deaths. The reasons are complex, including poverty, cultural disintegration, historical trauma, and oppression. At the same time, American Indian people have proven remarkably resilient when they utilize their families, culture, and spirituality. This issue focuses upon a strength-based approach that taps students' natural resilience to help them graduate and succeed. The issue will be available in May 2003.Articles scheduled for this issue include:
- Iris Heavy Runner (Blackfeet) and Kathy Marshall are two of the nation's leading experts on cultural resilience. They use their own personal stories to explain the importance of shifting from seeing individuals and families as "damaged" to understanding how families can survive and regenerate despite overwhelming stress.
- Drawing from her experiences as a Sicangu Lakota person and as a tribal college president, Cheryl Crazy Bull addresses how to create a healthy institution when many of the people who work and teach there suffer from grief, violence, chronic health problems, or post-traumatic stress.
- David Risling, founder of D-Q University, and Miss America contestant Vanessa Short Bull, graduate of Oglala Lakota College, share their thoughts on the importance of the tribal college movement.
- Joyce Strand, Ph.D., and Robert Peacock, Ed.D., provide a resource guide of books, articles, and websites on cultural resilience.
- Journalist Ron Selden scrutinizes casinos and tells who is making money, who is not, and whether tribal colleges benefit.
- Thomas W. Sileo, Ed. D., and Myrna A. Gooden, M.S.W, discuss the rapid increase in HIV infection in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and the need for culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention curricula.
- also campus shorts and book reviews
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education is a 56-page quarterly magazine published by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the organization of 35 tribal colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It focuses upon new models for Native American higher education.
The bulk issue rate for classrooms and conferences is $4/ copy for orders of 10 or more (plus shipping and handling) while supplies last. The single-issue price is $6.50 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling.
As a special offer to new subscribers, you can get 5 issues for the price of 4, including this "resilience" issue. $22 for individuals or $30 for institutions (universities, agencies, or schools). We accept credit cards, purchase orders, or checks. Contact:
Tribal College Journal
P.O. Box 720
Mancos, CO 81328
Phone toll free (888) 899-6693
Fax: (970) 533-9145
Email: subscriptions@tribalcollegejournal.org.
October 7, 2002: Volume 14, Number 3 - TCJ
Articles in Vol. 14 N.3 of Tribal College Journal address history from the American Indian point of view: Your Heroes are not Our Heroes. The bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition provides an opportunity for American Indians to share their perspective on the expedition as well as other historical events. This issue will be available in February 2003.Articles scheduled for this issue include:
- Dr. Richard Littlebear (Northern Cheyenne) feels ambivalent toward the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. However, he believes it provides an excellent opportunity for indigenous people to learn about non-indigenous people and vice versa.
- Carrie Moran McCleary (Chippewa) profiles Indian Superintendent Asbury, who tried to destroy Crow Indian culture by paying a bounty for the bodies of Crow Indians' horses and by forbidding the ceremonies of the sacred Tobacco Society.
- Dorreen Yellow Bird (Arikara) describes the efforts of tribal colleges in North Dakota to provide accurate cultural and historical information to bicentennial tourists while also stimulating the local economy.
- A pageant produced by Salish cultural leader Johnny Arlee at Salish Kootenai College conveys the mutual misunderstandings of the meeting between Lewis and Clark and the Salish Indians of Montana. This photo essay shares that elaborate production with readers.
- Resource Guide for History Teachers wanting to include an American Indian perspective by Mary Jo Tippeconnic Fox, Ph.D.; Sheilah E. Nicholas; and Claudia E. Nelson
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education is a 56-page quarterly magazine published by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the organization of 35 tribal colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It focuses upon new models for Native American higher education.
The bulk issue rate for classrooms and conferences is $4/ copy for orders of 10 or more (plus shipping and handling) while supplies last. If you want to order many copies, please place your order as soon as possible. The single-issue price is $6.50 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling.
As a special offer to new subscribers, you can get 5 issues for the price of 4, including this "history" issue. $22 for individuals or $30 for institutions (universities, agencies, or schools). We accept credit cards, purchase orders, or checks. Contact Tribal College Journal, P.O. Box 720, Mancos, CO 81328. Phone toll free (888) 899-6693, fax: (970) 533-9145, or email: subscriptions@tribalcollegejournal.org.
March 2002: - Utne Reader
Utne Reader published an article about tribal colleges. Writer Andy Steiner told the magazine's 250,000 readers: "The colleges are redefining the Western idea of learning by combining mainstream curriculum with Native wisdom." To illustrate this point, the article quoted at length from an article in TCJ by Michael Wassegijig Price about how he brought culture into the science classroom when he taught at Leech Lake Tribal College. The article also featured the American Indian College Fund's capital campaign, which is helping to build new campuses at the colleges. Utne Reader is a national publication for progressive people. See www.utne.com.
March 2002: - Adjunct Advocate
Vicki Urquhart of Adjunct Advocate almost made us blush with her glowing review of our magazine and website. This news magazine has been published for adjunct college faculty since 1992 and serves some 60,000 readers. Urquhart says TCJ "balances the personal with the academic." She recommends that adjunct faculty read it and also use it for writing models in classroom writing activities. "TCJ deserves credit for facing issues that are unique to tribal communities and colleges head on," she says.
Who should subscribe? She says anyone interested in American Indian higher education, especially anyone teaching in an American Indian Studies program, but also instructors in ethnic studies or humanities programs. The entire review can be seen at their website www.adjunctnation.com.
Tribal College Students Showcase Talents
Emerging voices express their creativity in several languages
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 10, 2001
For more information or to receive digital copies of the cover image,
contact Marjane Ambler at (970) 533-9170
Some of the best emerging writers of Native America are finding their voices in writing classes at tribal colleges and universities. In the latest edition of Tribal College Journal's annual student edition, Sammie Bordeaux of Sinte Gleska University writes of her communion with her grandmothers' spirits when she visits the Crazy Horse Monument. Kamie J. Houle of Fort Berthold Community College describes her loss of innocence when her seventh grade teacher humiliated her because of her tribal heritage. A photograph by Deborah McDonald of Salish Kootenai College, "SKC Girl with Sunglasses," graces the student edition cover.
Not only are students honing their creative writing and artistic skills at tribal colleges. The college and university instructors are also encouraging students to use their Native languages and participate in their cultural traditions.
For the first time in the seven-year history of the student publication, several students presented their stories in their Native languages. Damita Tracy Fedyn of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College wrote her poem about her mother in both English and Ojibwe. (Fedyn also reads and writes German and Spanish.) Cindy Weaver of Leech Lake Tribal College uses Ojibwe to write her poem about her personal joy in using her Native tongue creatively. Joyce and Didier DuPont-Little White Man of Oglala Lakota College present their story about a young man's dream in three languages: English, French and Lakota.
The magazine includes 21 writers of all ages from across the country who won the annual competition sponsored by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). There were over 68 entries from 18 colleges.
The student edition is an annual publication of the Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education in Mancos, CO, which is published by AIHEC, the organization of 33 tribal colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
For more information on ordering a copy of the journal that includes the student writing, contact the Tribal College Journal toll-free at (888) 899-6693 or visit the website at www.tribalcollegejournal.org