Volume 22 Fall 2010 Issue No. 1
In This Issue:
Native Activism
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ON CAMPUS
Student Congress Officers Elected at AIHEC Meeting
Tribal colleges in the Southwest sponsored the 29th annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) March 21-23 in Chandler, AZ. At the AIHEC Conference, teams of students compete each year in a Knowledge Bowl, a Science Bowl, Business Bowl, Art Contest, athletic contests, and creative writing contest. They also give speeches and make Critical Inquiry presentations related to contemporary American Indian life.
Campaign posters appear throughout the venue as students vie for the highly competitive officer positions in the AIHEC Student Congress.
A highlight of the conference was the announcement of Mr. and Ms. AIHEC, David One Horn from United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND) and Valerie Phair from Northwest Indian College (NWIC, Bellingham, WA).
One Horn (a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe) is studying business management-small business management. At UTTC he is a student senate member, vice president of the American Indian Business Leaders, and student union representative.
He says, “My family members are my inspiration. They have encouraged me not to quit and to always have faith. My blood line comes from a long line of chiefs -- Chief One Horn was a great Minneconju chief; including descending from Crazy Horse.”
“I think sometimes people forget that we all have the ability to motivate ourselves to transition if we are unsatisfied with what we see in the mirror, such as achieving our goal with our education.” One Horn wants to be one of the many pioneers to propel economic development within the reservation.
Phair (a member of the Lummi Tribal Nation) was raised by her grandparents, who always encouraged education. She is a single mother of three children and works hard to inspire those around her to make the choice to say no to drugs and alcohol. She says, “The young children of today are easily influenced to stray off the narrow path and onto the dark road.”
On campus Valerie is a student mentor, a member of the student executive board, a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society chapter, and a member of the NWIC Powwow Committee. In her community she is a member of the Morning Star Canoe Club and volunteers in a third grade classroom.
The conference rotates locations each year. In 2010, the host colleges included Tohono O’odham Community College, Diné College, Navajo Technical College, Haskell Indian Nations University, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Institute of American Indian Arts, and associate members Comanche Nation College and Muscogee Community College.
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Northwest Indian College Creates Center for Health
In response to the persistent disparities in tribal representation in health research, health education, and health professionals, Northwest Indian College has established the Northwest Indian College Center for Health (NWICCH). The center will pursue multi-faceted educational responses to the long-standing health disparities in tribal communities.
Research at the center will focus on supporting health education and services; developing culturally relevant research, curriculum, and publications; and continued tribal “ownership” of Native research and data.
The foundation of NWICCH’s projects will rest in Community-Based Participatory Research, ensuring all research is rooted in the needs of the communities, engaging communities, and serving communities. The research projects will be conducted with consensus and collaboration of tribal communities. It will be further supported through additional partnerships with the Northwest Washington Indian Health Board and its member tribes.
The NWICCH successfully applied for funding through the Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH). The NARCH Initiative, currently in its seventh year, supports partnerships between tribes and tribally-based organizations and institutions to develop opportunities for conducting research, research training, and faculty development to meet the needs of tribal communities (www.ihs.gov).
Northwest Indian College (NWIC) is located on the Lummi Reservation near Bellingham, WA, and serves the Northwest region. With the successful application to the NARCH, NWIC established partnerships with University of Washington’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, and Center for Genomics and Health Care Equality, as well as Washington State University’s Native American Health Science Program and College of Nursing.
The NARCH grant begins to fund the administrative foundation of NWICCH with approximately $1 million in grant support over the next four years.
The NWICCH is facilitating the following research projects: “Tribal Colleges & Universities: Alcohol & Drug Problems and Solutions,” “Caring for Our Generations: Supporting Native Mothers & Families,” “Pathways to Sobriety,” and “Grow our own.”
NWICCH is also funded by the Indian Health Service, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and National Institute on Drug Abuse in the National Institute of Health. NWICCH staff is currently composed of Director Karyl Jefferson (Lummi), Project Director William Freeman, Project Coordinator Colleen Berg, and assistant Sandy Ludgate (Kiowa/Comanche/Caddo).
For more information, email wfreeman@nwic.edu or karylj@nwic.edu.
SKC Offers New Science 4-year Teaching Degree
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Salish Kootenai College (SKC), the tribal college on the Flathead Reservation in northwest Montana, is offering a new four-year degree to prepare students to be middle school and high school science teachers.
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, graduates of the new Bachelor of Science in Science Education (BSSE) degree will be eligible to apply for a Broadfield Science teacher license -- the most commonly sought science teacher license in Montana and other rural states -- which licenses teachers to teach all science disciplines at the middle school and high school levels.
The tribal college expects its graduates to be prepared to effectively teach diverse student populations, particularly American Indian. Students enrolled in the four-year program will take a majority of courses in the sciences, with additional core courses in education theory and practice. In alignment with SKC’s philosophy, the coursework will focus on cultural competence by partnering tribal elders, tribal science professionals, a committed SKC faculty, and other members of tribal communities to work collaboratively with BSSE students.
Currently, there is a shortage of certified science teachers in the United States. American Indians are particularly underrepresented in the profession and in science-related fields in general. SKC seeks to address this shortage by offering competitive scholarships and a generous monthly stipend for selected American Indian students and tribal descendants who enroll in the BSSE.
For more information, contact Regina Sievert at the Indigenous Math and Science Institute at Salish Kootenai College at 406-275-4995 or Regina_Sievert@skc.edu for further information.
College Fund Announces 33 Students of the Year
Thirty-three American Indian students have been named 2010 Students of the Year by the American Indian College Fund. “These outstanding students have been named by their respective schools as both leaders in their communities and dedicated scholars,” says Richard B. Williams, president and CEO of the fund.
Each college nominated one student for the award. The Castle Rock Foundation funds the annual $1,000 scholarship award for each student.
Following are the students of the year and their majors:
Bay Mills Community College: Stacey Daley, General Science
Blackfeet Community College: Cole Wells, Liberal Arts
Cankdeska Cikana Community College: Dacia Tollefson, Natural Resources
Chief Dull Knife College: Misty LaFranier, Nursing
College of Menominee Nation: Lauren Stoehr, Education
Diné College: Brian Jones, General Studies
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College: Amy Wise, Chemical Dependency
Fort Belknap College: Kim Barrows, Computer Information Systems
Fort Berthold Community College: Laci Schettle, Human Services
Fort Peck Community College: Jennifer Yellow Hammer, Business Technology
Haskell Indian Nations University: Jenna Fox, Education
Ilisagvik College: Lindi Skin, Accounting
Institute of American Indian Arts: Tyler Blue Tarpalechee, Creative Writing/New Media
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College: Ryan Koski, Liberal Arts
Lac Courte Oreilles Community College: Roberta Morgan, Human Services
Leech Lake Tribal College: Marie Lowry, Education with STEM emphasis
Little Big Horn College: Brooke Stevenson, Nursing
Little Priest Tribal College: Sunshine Rave, Business
Navajo Technical College: Shane Tsosie, Veterinary Technician
Nebraska Indian Community College: Shona Campbell, Business Administration
Northwest Indian College: Valerie Phair, Business
Oglala Lakota College: LeoNora Garcia, Lakota Studies
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College: Nicole McMullen, Liberal Arts
Salish Kootenai College: Katie McDonald, Environmental Science
Sinte Gleska University: Sierra Bordeaux, Business Management
Sisseton Wahpeton College: Sophia Renville, Chemical Dependency
Sitting Bull College: Audra Stonefish, Environmental Science
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute: Rosan Primeaux, Business Administration
Stone Child College: Joshua Golden, Allied Health
Tohono O’odham Community College: Sky Antone, Creative Writing
Turtle Mountain Community College: Adrienne Laducer, Secondary Science Teacher
United Tribes Technical College: Sheila White Mountain, Business Administration
White Earth Tribal and Community College: James Libby Jr., Humanities & Social Science.
Skate Boarders Learn To Be Community Organizers
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Through Sinte Gleska University’s (SGU) in-service/community activism policy, Keli Herman leads The Lords of Prairie Dogtown, a fundraising group dedicated to creating a free public skate park in White River, SD.
Herman is a staff member at SGU’s Sicangu Heritage Center, an SGU Art Institute alumna, and a long-time community volunteer. But the skateboarders and youth are the driving force behind their skatepark, she says. They began by carrying picket signs through a local parade with their skateboards. The signs read “We need a skate park!” and “Help us get a safe place to skate!” They then gathered over 200 signatures from citizens who support the park’s creation.
Youth created “photo op’s” for the local newspaper, gaining publicity and awareness. They also set out donation jars and held fundraisers, such as a hip-hop concert, snack stand, Halloween spook house, rummage sales, and popcorn ball sales at local events. Skateboarders presented their project to the South Central Resource Conservation and Development Council, which then took it under its wing.
Youth have learned valuable lessons and provided community activities in the process, says Herman, and so has she. “This project allowed me to gain valuable knowledge and skills including grant research and writing, project planning, publicity, working with youth, community activism, and making new connections with other programs,” says Herman.
Before the local skateboard group was formed, she says some locals viewed skateboarders as a nuisance. Recently, the city passed an ordinance making skates, scooters, and skateboards of all kinds unlawful throughout town. Youth, skaters and parents began circulating another petition asking that the city council rescind the new ordinance, and development of The Lords of Prairie Dogtown changed many people’s opinions.
“Our youth understand they are vital productive citizens of their world and hold the power to make a positive impact in society,” says Herman. “Our skate park provides a lasting recreational venue for area youth, and the achievement of this goal will increase the children’s self-esteem and their image as positive role models.” She also anticipates that the sense of ownership local youth have toward the skate park will lead to a decrease in vandalism, racism, and feelings of subjection.
The Lords of Prairie Dogtown was named after the Lords of Dogtown, the originators of the skateboard movement in the 1970s in California. The skateboarding movement is growing nationwide in Indian Country. The Smithsonian Institution created an exhibit, titled “Ramp it Up,” spotlighting “the vibrancy, creativity, and controversy of American Indian skate culture.” That exhibit was at the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City from December until Aug. 8, 2010.
The skate park was installed this summer. The successful completion of the skate park has served as a model for the collaboration of entities such as the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, The Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Tony Hawk Foundation, City of White River, South Dakota State University, Sinte Gleska University, South Central Resource Conservation and Development, O’Bryan Construction, American Ramp Company, Tribal Youth Affairs, and the local tribal youth.
“It demonstrates we can work together to create a better environment for our youth, and we believe in our youth,” says Herman. “And what is more important, our youth will believe in themselves.”
Obama Gives Nobel Peace Monies to College Fund
President Barack Obama announced in March that he plans to donate $125,000 of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize monies to the American Indian College Fund. That fund is one of nine organizations that will receive donations from the president.
“We are thrilled that President Obama has chosen to publicly acknowledge the work the American Indian College Fund is doing in Indian Country by sharing $125,000 of his prestigious Nobel Peace Prize award with us,” said Richard B. Williams, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. “As a result of President Obama’s vision and leadership, through his donations, he is setting an example for how all Americans can help those less fortunate.”
2 Tribal Colleges Win In DOI Renewable Challenge
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the winning college and high school teams that designed and built the most efficient portable wind turbine systems as part of the 2010 Indian Education Renewable Energy Challenge.
The contest promotes renewable energy development for Indian Country among students and teachers at the high school and college level. The contest is co-sponsored with the Bureau of Indian Education, the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.
At the college level, first place was shared by the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) from Albuquerque, NM, and the College of Menominee Nation from Keshena, WI. At the high school level, the first place winner was the Oneida Nation High School from Oneida, WI.
During Phase I of the contest challenge, student teams submitted designs for a portable wind turbine installation that generates energy, stores it mechanically or electronically, and then uses the stored energy to power an array of light emitting diodes. During Phase II, the 10 best designs (five from high schools and five from tribal colleges) were selected and each team was awarded $1,300 to construct a prototype.
“We support and encourage science and engineering programs to get Indian students engaged in renewable energy resources, and we would like to congratulate all of the schools that participated in this initiative to make it a success," said Bart Stevens, acting director of the Bureau of Indian Education in the Interior Department.
For more information visit www.dep.anl.gov/indianed_energychallen
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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
- Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation), president of the Institute of American Indian Arts, has received the 2010 American Indian College Fund Tribal College Honoree award sponsored by the Castle Rock Foundation. The award is given to recognize “an outstanding leader within the tribal college movement” and is based on merit and one’s significant contributions to tribal colleges. It is awarded to one tribal college president annually.
- Diana Canku (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), president of Sisseton Wahpeton College and a 2009-10 academic year fellow in the American Indian College Fund’s Andrew W. Mellon Career Enhancement Program, has successfully defended her dissertation and completed her doctorate degree. Under the program, fellows receive a $30,000 sabbatical fellowship with additional funding for research-related travel, with the purpose of increasing the intellectual capital, job satisfaction, and retention among faculty at the tribal colleges and universities. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of Minnesota, a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and earned her Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University.
- Joyce Cochran, a 2010 graduate of Fort Belknap College (FBC, Harlem, MT), was selected as a Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) summer intern in the 2010 Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network Internship Program in Washington, DC. The internship provides a 10-week experience conducting research on science policy issues as well as education/health disparities related to underrepresented groups. She was mentored by science education professionals in federal agencies and local organizations. She earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Technology and Associate of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from FBC. She plans on transferring to Montana State University-Northern in the fall to get her bachelor’s degree in the same field.
- Ravi Srivastava, formerly on the faculty at Diné College, is now a U.S. diplomat -- a Foreign Service Officer. After working at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai for two years in his country of birth (India), he has now been assigned to the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan, for one year. His work as a consular officer involves helping U.S. citizens who need assistance while in the country and interviewing applicants who seek U.S. visas for travel to America. Srivastava served as an environmental engineering specialist in the Math and Science Department at the Shiprock, NM, campus of Diné College from 1993 to 1996. After that, he worked as an environmental engineer in Colorado for over 10 years before deciding to join the U.S. State Department. During his assignment to Pakistan, his wife, Simer, and their two children will live at their home in Fort Collins, CO. Family members are not permitted to accompany U.S. diplomatic personnel in Pakistan because of the danger. He agreed to this TCJ news item in hopes that it might inspire tribal college students to consider careers in the diplomatic/international arena (http://careers.state.gov) and is available to answer questions on such careers. Write to Ravindra M. Srivastava, Unit 62400, Box 135, APO AE 09814-2400
UND Honors Alumnae, V. Fowler, L. Vermillion
The University of North Dakota (UND) College of Education and Human Development presented alumni achievement awards to two tribal college presidents, Dr. Verna Fowler, founding president of the College of Menominee Nation (CMN, Keshena, WI), and Dr. Laurel Vermillion, president of Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, ND).
Fowler (Menominee) earned a master’s degree in 1986 and a doctorate in 1992, both in education administration from UND. In 1999, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities Board and was reappointed by President George W. Bush in 2006.
Vermillion, a member of the Hunkpapa Lakota Tribe of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, chairs the TCJ Advisory Board. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 1980, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration in 1992, and a Doctoral Degree in Teaching and Learning in 2005, all from UND.
AIHEC Succeeds in Major Funding Increase for TCUs
This year, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) was successful in working with Congress to include in the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), $300 million ($30 million per year for 10 years) for the tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). The funds will be administered through the Department of Education TCU-Title III developing institutions program.
This funding, which is not subject to annual appropriations, is in addition to the discretionary funds appropriated each year for the TCUs Title III grants program.
In the prior reconciliation act, the “College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA),” which was enacted in 2007, AIHEC secured two years of mandatory funding for the TCUs. Unfortunately, because the 2007 funding was distributed competitively, only about one-third of the eligible TCUs were able to benefit from that pot of money.
In contrast, the new funds will be disseminated through the distribution formula included in the reauthorization of the TCUs’ Title III program, ensuring that for the next 10 years all eligible TCUs will benefit from the new mandatory funding.
Native American Rapper Inspires SBC Graduates
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Native American rapper and entrepreneur Litefoot gave the keynote address at the graduation ceremonies for Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, ND) in May 2010, focusing on spirituality. “Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray,” he said.
“An education is important, but what you do with it is just as important,” Litefoot said. “But even more important than what you do with it is your spiritual relationship with the Creator.”
Litefoot began his professional singing career almost two decades ago, when there were no Native American rappers on the national scene. Since then, Litefoot has released over 20 albums nationwide and is currently collaborating on a joint music project between his own Red Vinyl Records and rap mogul Jay-Z’s ROC Nation record label.
He has appeared in several movies and television shows, including the lead role in “The Indian in the Cupboard.” Today, he is one of Indian Country’s most sought after public speakers. “It was an honor to have such a distinguished guest speaker who serves as a role model for our 2010 graduating class,” Vice President of Academics Koreen Ressler says. “He is an inspiration to our students and proof that dreams can come true and not to give up on oneself.”
A special highlight of the 2010 graduation ceremony was the presentation of honorary degrees to elders from the local area, including Elaine St. John of Kenel, SD, and John Eagle Shield, Sr., of Fort Yates, ND. St. John and Eagle Shield both received honorary degrees in general studies for their life-long commitment to education and service to the Standing Rock Reservation.
“These honorary degrees are a way for Sitting Bull College to provide recognition to deserving individuals who have served as role models and who have championed the important role education plays among the people living on the Standing Rock Reservation,” Ressler says.
Student enrollment at Sitting Bull College for the 2009-2010 academic season reached 320 students in the spring of 2010. The college offers seven accredited bachelor of science degree programs, 19 associate degree programs, and seven certificate programs. Established in 1971 under the name of Standing Rock Community College, the tribal college changed its name to Sitting Bull College in 1996.
For more information about Sitting Bull College, contact the Student Services Department at (701) 854-8000 or log on to www.sittingbull.edu.
Leech Lake Student Tutor Earns National Honors
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Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC, Cass Lake, MN)) student Lynda Morrison was honored at the Association for the Tutoring Profession (ATP) national conference in New Orleans on March 31, 2010. The ATP is a nationwide organization that provides resources and professional development for tutors and those involved in learning assistance. Morrison was selected as the ATP . of the Year from a pool of candidates representing two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the country.
The Peer Tutor of the Year Award honors students who are innovative in their approach to tutoring and who go above and beyond the normal duties of tutoring. Morrison is a second-year student studying Liberal Education with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) emphasis. She graduated from LLTC in May.
Her tutoring was often about how to be a successful student—that is, teaching others how to learn, instead of just focusing on what to study. This emphasis has proven vital to the success of LLTC’s Learning Center.
Morrison also initiated a Talking Circle that gave students a comfortable forum to discuss challenges they faced, helping them overcome their problems and enabling them to focus during their tutoring sessions. In addition to her work at the Learning Center, Morrison has volunteered her time and money, tutoring middle school and high school students in remote reservation communities.
Last year, Morrison was elected to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Congress as the Great Lakes regional representative. In February, she visited Capitol Hill to advocate for better funding for tribal colleges.
After receiving the award, Morrison gave special thanks to LLTC Learning Center Director Deborah LeClaire and her fellow peer tutors, who she said were integral to her success, offered her support, and were “like her family.”
Tribal College Creates David Gipp Fellowship
United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND) has created the David M. Gipp Native American Leaders Fellowship to empower the next generation of Native American Leaders. Fellowships will be awarded to UTTC students who exhibit significant leadership qualities and who will clearly continue to display such qualities.
Gipp Fellows should have clear goals about what they want to accomplish in life and should have begun preparing for this work. Their goals must be related to the betterment of an Indian tribe or community.
The fellowships will be geared toward students planning to return to their communities, both reservation and urban. They will be awarded based on merit and on who is the most likely to improve the lives of Indian people.
Fellows receive professional and personal skill development and will be provided with opportunities to interact with the media, write reports/press releases, fundraise, testify at key policy hearings, and participate in key meetings with top policy officials and leaders. They will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, clarify their career commitments, build a leadership network within the campus, and extend their contacts to other leaders beyond the college.
Fellows will begin their leadership path with a new understanding of personal potential, talent, and leadership strengths along with skills and management tools to more successfully engage in their responsibilities and step up to challenges. Fellows will receive a stipend to help with educational expenses.
For more information about the David M. Gipp Native American Leaders Fellowship, contact Suzan O’Connell, Development Director, (701) 255-3285 x 1533 or email soconnell@uttc.edu.
Fort Belknap Building Work Training Center
Anyone driving past the campus of Fort Belknap College (FBC, Harlem, MT) is sure to notice construction for the new Workforce Training Center. The two-story, 13,630-square foot building will incorporate tribal images throughout the building—and is also considered “green” because much of the building’s material is recycled.
According to architect Bruce Davidson of Davidson Architecture, one-quarter of the steel siding is recycled, as is some of the wood and carpet. All of the glues used are of low VOC, water-based products. The mechanical system is an air-to-air heating and cooling exchange, which means the building will consume less electricity and make a lower carbon footprint. It’s one of the first green buildings in the area, and it is also fully handicapped-accessible.
The center will house the carpentry class, the Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP), and the Adult Basic Education Center. Recently, FBC carpentry instructor Robert Kittson and his students poured new sidewalks. The construction students get “hands on” experience working on projects like this, says Kittson, adding that “for the building trades, that’s really the only way to learn.”
Landscaping will include a grassy courtyard with benches and tables that will act as a centerpiece between the FBC Library and the FBC Cultural Center. The Workforce Training Center’s tentative completion date is early 2011.
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Bush Fellow Will Design New Distance Ed for TCUs
Solving the tough problems communities face requires courageous leadership from both those who have formal positions of authority and those who do not. In choosing the 19 individuals who are Bush Leadership Fellows for 2010, the Bush Foundation selected candidates who serve in both spheres.
One of those is Carolyn DeLorme of Fargo, ND. Her passion for education began early as she watched her father, born on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, become the first college-educated person in his family.
Over a career working in education, she has witnessed the ways that American Indians who pursue advanced education often must leave behind their traditional culture and assimilate. She plans to design distance education practices for tribal colleges so that students may study broadly in a setting that supports their connection to their community and heritage.
DeLorme is an instructional designer at North Dakota State University. With her fellowship, she will complete a doctoral program in occupational and adult education at the university. The 2010 fellowships will support full-time academic and/or self-designed study that is focused on engaging communities to solve problems through acts of courageous leadership.
For more information, see www.bushfoundation.org.
TMCC’s Service Learning Students Play Tom Sawyer
By Peggy Johnson
Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC, Belcourt, ND) has for the past four years had a successful interdisciplinary service learning program, which has been partially funded through a grant from the Community College National Center for Community Engagement (CCNCCE). CCNCCE receives its funding from Learn and Serve America, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
TMCC students partner with area coalitions and agencies, including the Rolette County Wellness Coalition, the Indian Health Service, and the Tribal Diabetes Program, to make a difference in the community by educating people about the epidemic of diabetes affecting the area. Through a variety of projects and activities, they are encouraging everyone to fight back by adopting a healthier lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing diabetes or complications from diabetes.
During June of 2009, service learning students in a number of classes at the college, including students in the elementary education program, assisted with a Big Read project at the college. The Big Read sponsored a Tom Sawyer camp for adolescents to encourage reluctant readers to develop a more positive attitude about reading. The camp also encouraged the participants to acquire a healthier lifestyle. It made them aware of diabetes and the increased risk facing Native Americans.
Librarian Kathe Zaste and the Big Read committee worked with service learning students and instructors to plan the camp. The campers had a good time while they read and discussed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Campers built a raft, learned about healthy snacks such as “log” sandwiches, wrote and produced a play with appropriate messages about healthy choices, went on a treasure hunt using GPS technology to locate a chest filled with healthy food, and hiked through the Anishinaabe woods following string (as Tom Sawyer did) to find watermelon.
Service learning students were able to apply what they had learned in their classes to real life situations. For example, TMCC students in elementary education classes learned ways to make reading more enjoyable for children while integrating other disciplines into a literature unit; science students were able to use their knowledge of GPS technology; and everyone had fun trying to construct a raft that would really float.
For more information, contact Peggy Johnson, an assistant professor at TMCC and the project director for service learning, at pjohnson@tm.edu or (701) 477-7817.
Lummi Visualize, Build Student Success Center
Northwest Indian College (NWIC, Bellingham, WA) celebrated its latest building addition to the Lummi campus, the Center for Student Success, June 1, 2010. First visualized in 2005, the center will serve as a cornerstone for student access and retention.
The center brings together all of the services that students need, from registration and financial aid to critical student counseling on how to effectively use a culturally-based education to bridge future personal, tribal, and Native success.
From a student perspective, the 10,000-square-foot facility consolidates student services programs to keep adult learners and historically underserved, non-traditional students in college once they have arrived.
From the college’s perspective, the center builds institutional capacity to support a four-year university. It provides a centralized location for researching student trends and educational best practices as well as delivering outreach in the areas of pedagogy and professional development.
For more information, contact Dean of Student Life Cindy Dodd at (360) 392-4221.
Two KBOCC Students Learn From Trip to U.S. Capitol
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe Community College (KBOCC, Baraga, MI) students Ronald Brunk and Chalsea Smith visited Washington, DC, last winter as part of the college’s student leadership program. The students were accompanied by KBOCC President Debbie Parrish and board member Robin Chosa. The trip is made annually to meet with Michigan’s Congressional delegation to discuss the key priorities of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).
The KBOCC representatives met with U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee and his legislative assistant as well as with legislative assistants for U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak.
This year the tribal college’s shortlist of priorities included 1) full funding of the institutional operations as authorized under the Tribal Colleges and Universities Assitance Act of 1978, 2) THE PATH (Promoting the Advancement of Tribal Health) legislation to establish health education programs and economic development at tribal colleges, 3) increased funding for 1994 Land Grant Institutions, and 4) establishment of a tribal college-specific student services program and Native language vitalization program.
In his trip report, Ron Brunk said he will never forget this trip and it will always be a great memory in his life. In her trip report, Chalsea Smith said of her visit with Kildee, “That was the best visit overall. He really listened and showed interest in us. He wanted to talk to us. He really loves the Anishinaabe people. It was like we were old friends and not an appointment.”
Each winter, students from the tribal colleges accompany their presidents and others on visits to Capitol Hill to talk about their tribal college experiences. The visits are coordinated by the AIHEC Central Office.