Tribal colleges and universities have emerged as exceptional institutions—and their leaders still have promises to keep and new goals to achieve.

Recently, I witnessed many Native people of all ages and tribes sharing Native intellectual knowledge of generosity, talent, leadership, and spirituality at the gathering of the Woksape Oyate. Lakota for “Wisdom of the People,” Woksape Oyate is a project of the American Indian College Fund meant to build intellectual capital at tribal colleges.

One of the most remarkable, rewarding, and challenging experiences is being called to serve in a leadership role at a tribal education institution. From the time I first moved into tribal college administration in 1983, I have been in awe of both the personal challenges and the many opportunities.

Research that revitalizes our cultural traditions and ways of living is sacred work, essential to our survival.

When workers bring their personal crises to the workplace, what can be done to change unhealthy behavior?

Land has its own story to tell. It speaks of the joyful experiences of human beings, animals, and plants. It tells of blood that has spilled, tears that have fallen, and broken bodies that have been laid to rest. This is the story of a piece of land that once was the site of the most troubling of tribal educational experiences – the boarding school. Now Sinte Gleska University is transforming that land into a model of tribal land use.

A Tribal Code of Education is widely recognized as an act of a sovereign nation, developed and implemented by a tribal government under the authority granted by its tribal constitution. Throughout Indian Country, tribes aim their education codes primarily at K-12 education, but their interest in pre-school and college level issues is increasing.

In this essay, educational leader Cheryl Crazy Bull summarizes viewpoints expressed at the Native Research and Scholarship Symposium in July 1996 as well as the thoughts of many people “with whom I have discussed research and scholarship issues over the years.”

In the spirit of building allies, we offer suggestions to the non-Native researcher and research institution who come to work in our communities.

Sinte Gleska University Vice President Cheryl Crazy Bull urges tribal colleges to pursue self-accreditation.