Volume 18 Spring 2007 Issue No. 3
In This Issue:
Building Prosperity
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ON CAMPUS
RCCC Builds Digital Library Data Base, Marks 20 Years
The Red Crow Community College (RCCC, Alberta, Canada) Library has been involved in a 3-year, $33 million project called The Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library. This project will provide database access to all postsecondary institutes in Alberta, including six tribal colleges from the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium.
The project is providing funds for a new library automation system called the SirsiDynix, training on the new system, four new computers for each institute (RCCC has 6 to serve a satellite campus), travel for training and meetings (including the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Library Institute), and assistance with automation of library collections.
So far, $800,000 has been budgeted to upgrade the library systems to enable electronic student access. With these upgrades the RCCC library will have access to almost $2 million in databases. The new systems will be formally turned on in a ceremony to be held sometime in 2007.
Mary Weasel Fat, RCCC library coordinator, is the First Nations college library representative on the core committee for the digital library project. The college celebrated its 20-year anniversary in September 2006.
For more info, contact Mary Weasel Fat, library coordinator at www.redcrowcollege.com, or at (403)737-2400, ext. 223.
Blackfeet Classes Draw Students, Young and Old
 BLACKFEET ARTIST. Dale Fenner, a Blackfeet Studies major, made this parfleche cylinder during a college workshop. Photo by Jack McNeel. |
by Jack McNeel
Blackfeet Studies is an important part of the curriculum for all students at Blackfeet Community College (BCC, Browning, MT). Six credits in that area are required for all students to graduate with associate degrees, regardless of their field of study. Many Blackfeet families do well in teaching their children, but some don't. This requirement provides everyone the opportunity to learn about tribal history and culture.
The college also offers majors in both Blackfeet Studies and Blackfeet Language. These majors require a minimum of 30 credits in those subject areas out of the 60 total credits required for graduation after 2 years.
Lea Guardipee Whitford (Blackfeet) is the Blackfeet Studies Department chair. All students must select at least two classes from a group of six to fulfill graduation requirements. Those six include History of the Blackfeet, Early Indian Health and Medicinal Practices, Pikunii Humanities, Blackfeet Art Basics/History, Blackfeet Philosophy, Beginning Blackfeet Language, and an elective special study.
“Two of the more popular classes are History of the Blackfeet and the health and medicinal practices class that’s taught by Wilbert Fish,” she commented. “[Students] spend a lot of time in the field collecting and identifying plants. Wilbert talks about traditional ways of preparing the plants and their uses. He cautions students on not over- harvesting.”
“We're one of the largest departments in the school in terms of numbers of classes taught and student enrollment in those classes, although perhaps only six or seven students graduate from these two programs of study each year,” Whitford said.
Marvin Weatherwax, Sr. teaches the Blackfeet Language classes. Carol Murray founded the Blackfeet Studies program during her term as college president and still teaches some classes.
Whitford teaches humanities, history, and Blackfeet Women. “We'll look at stories and the role of the woman. In our culture, women were highly regarded. We also talk about today’s issues of concern to women, like health,” Whitford said.
There is a gradual change in the student demographics at BCC, she said, “as younger students enroll straight from high school to college. Nevertheless, there are still many older women returning to college.”
“The Blackfeet Studies classes often aren't as competitive as other subject areas and that helps ease the transition to college for some of the older students,” she said. “We're kind of a stepping stone for a lot of elders. They feel more comfortable starting with Blackfeet Language/Studies courses. Then they may branch out into other areas as they become more comfortable with college.”
“It’s also a social thing to some degree, an opportunity to get out and mingle and learn and also contribute,” Whitford says. “They (elders) also serve as role models to others: ‘If I can do this, you can do this too.’ It's awesome to see an elder in the community graduating with her grandchildren.”
Whitford sees former students wherever she goes in the community -- people now working in hospitals, in the education system, and elsewhere. She feels rewarded, seeing their successes.
Jack McNeel is a freelance writer who can be reached at (208) 665-9233. Reprinted with permission from Indian Country Today
Navajo Technical College Takes Internet to Hogans
 MEASURING BANDWIDTH. Navajo Technical College students use equipment to read measurements off a laptop. Credit: Navajo Technical College IT program |
by Steve Grey
Navajo Technical College (NTC, Crownpoint, NM, formerly named the Crownpoint Institute of Technology) has partnered with Navajo Nation for the Internet to the Hogan Project. The project will ensure technology is an integral part of the Navajo community development in education, health care, public safety, and economics.
People who have never had access to a personal phone will be able to connect at high bandwidth speeds to the World Wide Web.
The first phase of the project is designed to build a major wireless pipe using 0C3 speeds and the Lambda Rail from downtown, urban Albuquerque, NM, to NTC. From Crownpoint, using backhaul technology and canopy technology, broadband connectivity is being built to 31 chapter houses.
The chapter houses serve as community centers for social, cultural, and political organization on the New Mexico side of the Navajo Nation. Canopy technology will allow connectivity to be radiated out from community centers to schools, medical clinics, hospitals, police departments, firehouses, and homes within a 15- to 30-mile radius of the chapter houses.
One part of the project was building an IBM blade cluster on the NTC campus. This cluster brings supercomputing capabilities to research and education projects at the college, moving it toward the forefront of research institutions of higher learning in New Mexico.
Tied into both the wireless connectivity and cluster effort is the construction of a supercomputing grid using a technology called Little Fe, which allows the inexpensive building of a cluster that can be located at a school or chapter house.
These Little Fes effectively make possible a distributed supercomputing grid that can allow research and education activities to take advantage of the enormous powers and speeds of supercomputers tied into a single grid architecture.
The connectivity effort involves partnerships built with TeraGrid. High-performance networks will integrate high-performance computers, data resources and tools, and high-end experimental facilities around the country; the University of New Mexico’s high performance computing center; and national laboratories, scientists, and universities from around the world.
E-Learning programs will bring the excitement of advanced collaborative education models to the most remote communities in the United States. This E-Learning system (based upon open source software like Moodle) is especially useful for science, technology, engineering, and math education that teaches students how to collaborate over distance.
With this project, enterprises in remote education communities could compete in niche and national markets. This would allow Navajo people to become leaders in diverse fields ranging from arts and crafts to technological and scientific innovation.
The Internet to the Hogan project could create a real world model for eliminating the digital divide. It will also answer the last mile problem by providing broadband connectivity service for data, voice, and video to some of the most remote communities and households in the continental United States.
NTC and its Native staff are providing significant portions of the expertise needed to engineer and implement the project. Partners in the project include the San Diego Supercomputing Center, High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network at University of California San Diego, Computer Science and Engineering, Terra Grid Project, Department of Energy National Laboratories, and the Navajo Nation.
Student Wins Award For Global Warming Research
 BEN DANIELS: “As the climate changes, many of the conifers are at risk.” Credit: NASA Student Employment and Internship program. |
Ben Daniels won the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Rahsaan Jackson Presentation Award at an event on July 2, 2006. Daniels is a graduate from the College of Menominee Nation (CMN, Keshena, WI) who majored in Sustainable Development. In fall 2006, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete his baccalaureate degree.
As a CMN student, Daniels participated in the 2006 NASA Summer Internship Outreach Program. At the end of his internship, Daniels presented his report, “ Global Warming and the Future of the Menominee Forest,” based on his summer research, to NASA officials.
He found that as the climate changes, certain species of trees will be less suited to their environment, and many trees will experience a great deal of stress by the end of the century.
Many of the conifers are at risk. As these trees are stressed, they are more at risk for pests. He found that remote sensing or satellite imagery can play an excellent role in monitoring forest health on a large scale. Tools such as these provide more detailed information, which is increasingly important to managing for climate change.
The internship at Goddard involved 10 weeks of intense, real world experience for more than 70 of the country's brightest graduate and undergraduate students in the fields of science, engineering, mathematics, and other disciplines. (See TCJ, Vol. 18, No.2.)
CCCC to Build Center For Technology, Fine Arts
Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC, Fort Totten, ND) has received a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant totaling $1.5 million to build a technology/fine arts center. The 10,000-square foot building will combine space for technology programs and for expanded art classes. Construction will start in the spring of 2007.
The fine arts area will have two classrooms with natural lighting and space for easels. A raised ceiling in one classroom will allow for large projects and will ensure that the space is appropriate for the expansion of the fine arts program into various media. This facility will allow use of paint and other materials without creating odor problems in other classrooms.
The new technology area will include two instructional computer labs that accommodate 36 students each, a general access lab that will seat 24, a hardware repair and maintenance lab, an IVN system classroom, office space for five staff members, and a climate-controlled server/storage area.
“North Dakota's future depends on our students, so it is vital that our colleges have the best tools and resources available,” a North Dakota legislative delegation said in a joint statement. “This funding will provide important facilities so students can have more opportunities to succeed.” The delegation included U.S. Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and U. S. Congressman Earl Pomeroy.
UTTC Students Stunned By Defacement of Sculpture
 “REFLECTIONS” SCULPTURE. UTTC students (from left) Jeremy Joe Pettigrew, Mike Francis Gopher Jr., and Josey Denise Redday sculpted an eagle enfolding its wings around “Mother Earth.” Photo by United Tribes News. |
Despite a racist attack on students’ art, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC, Bismarck, ND) focused on celebrating this fall. The college had a lot to celebrate – student creativity, cultural sharing, and a new wellness center.
Over the summer, UTTC art students created a 12-foot tall sculpture called “Reflections.” One day before its dedication, the sculpture was found loosened from its concrete foundation and defaced with a racial slur.
“I was pretty stunned,” said Jeremy Joe Pettigrew (Oglala Lakota), one of the artists. “Didn’t that die out in the ‘50s? Why are people still being racist towards American Indians?”
“It just makes me so mad I don’t know what to say,” said Josie Denise Redday (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate). “They didn’t see all the work we put into this. It’s supposed to be something for everyone to enjoy.”
City workers removed the writing and the dedication program was held as scheduled on Nov. 3. The sculpture was commissioned by the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District.
Redday described what the “Reflections” sculpture stands for: “The majestic spirit eagle engulfs the globe with its powerful wings. Courageous eagles are seen as spiritual messengers. They carry prayers from the earth world to the spirit world.”
“Despite the vandalism, this work remains as a valid symbol of cultural sharing and unity,” said David M. Gipp, UTTC president. “American Indians are a vital part of the Bismarck-Mandan community. We’re not going anywhere; we’re here to stay,” said Gipp.
A new wellness center was dedicated Sept. 5, 2006, in the name of one of the college’s founders, Lewis Goodhouse. Goodhouse was chairman of the Devil’s Lake Sioux Tribe (presently the Spirit Lake Nation) from 1957 to 1972.
Community wellness services will be provided by staff specializing in student health, counseling, chemical health, dormitory wellness, and the college’s athletic and fitness programs. The $2.7 million facility is part of a long-range initiative to improve and sustain the health and wellness of members of the campus community. The effort is headed up by Wellness Services Director Dennis A. Renville (Sisseton-Wahpeton).
For information, contact Dennis J. Neumann, UTTC director of public information, at (701)255-3285, ext. 1386, at opi@uttc.edu, or at www.uttc.edu.
LPTC Students Research Eyes as Health Indicator
 STUDYING SCLEROLOGY AND IRIDOLOGY: Little Priest student researchers (from left) Sarah Rowland, Mikaeya Wright, and Shelly Dion focus on the eye in their bio-medical research. Photo Credit: Jan Beingen, Native IMAGE Director, Little Priest Tribal College |
Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC,Winnebago, NE), is conducting a bio-medical research project involving a study of the eyes and of the energy released or discharged by all living organisms. The research involves three separate and independent studies.
The first, Sclerology, is a study of the sclera (white of the eye) and what it can tell us about the health of the person. This involves mapping the sclera with body systems, organs, and tissues.
The second, Iridology, is the study of the iris (coloring of the eye) and what it tells us about the health of the individual. This also involves mapping the iris with body parts.
The third study involves photographing the electrical field discharged by all living things. These photographs are then analyzed and the findings compared with established norms.
The research is conducted by selected science students at LPTC and is supported by a National Institutes of Health grant from the INBRE Program of the National Center for Research Resources. This year’s research students are Sarah Rowland, Mikaeya Wright, and Shelly Dion.
This is the first year of the research. Preliminary findings when compared to a confidential participant health questionnaire are showing reliability and accuracy in the 90 th percentile. When all three studies are compared and corroborated, it should prove very interesting. In the meantime it is a valuable learning experience for the science students.
Sclerology was first observed being used by Native Americans (the Blackfoot and Nez Perce). No written record was apparently ever made, however.
SBC Leaps Forward With New Campus Construction
Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, ND) dedicated two new buildings (the Science and Technology Center and the Family Support Center) on Founders Day in September 2006. On that day, a $724,000 gift from the USDA Rural Development Office of North Dakota was also acknowledged for the college’s new $3.7 million Business Entrepreneurial Center.
The next month, the college was awarded $1.5 million by the U.S. Department of Education for phase one of a two-phase Student Support Center construction project.
SBC is helping to spur economic development on the Standing Rock Reservation. To help speed up groundbreaking on a business entrepreneurial center, it has enlisted former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle as honorary co-chair of its capital campaign committee. Daschle spoke on “Rediscovering America’s Path to Prosperity” at the college’s ongoing lecture series on economic development.
“It’s amazing to me how the momentum of our new campus project continues to grow,” said Dr. Laurel Vermillion (Standing Rock Sioux), president at SBC.
SBC has successfully raised $19 million of a $40 million capital campaign goal, including the $2.6 million raised since November 2005.
“Our partnership with the Department of Education has really been a blessing for students, faculty, and staff,” Vermillion said. “New modern facilities always bring a renewed spirit to our students as they pursue their academic goals.”
Once completed, the Student Support Center will serve between 350-400 students and include two service areas, a 4,710-square foot developmental education wing and a 4,900-square foot library complex.
The developmental education area will house staff offices, four classrooms equipped with the latest audio and visual technology, a small library, a study area, tutoring area, and an adjoining 20-seat computer writing lab.
The new library complex will include a reference area, periodical stacks, and study carrels. Special features include a children’s room, climate-controlled archival space for tribal documents, a research room, and an acoustically-sound oral history studio with listening and recording equipment.
Koreen Ressler, vice president of academics, says, “The new complex will be a treasure and incentive for all students, including future students.”
To complete phase one, the college is seeking $750,000 more in grants and donations.
“I think it’s important that as we make progress on our new campus, we stop once in a while and reflect on our accomplishments,” Vermillion said. “The efforts of our current and past board of trustees are truly a gift to our college.”
For more information, contact Ron Walters, director of resource development and media relations at SBC, (701) 854-8011.
Native American Bank, SCC Foster Development
Stone Child College (SCC, Box Elder, MT) is a depositor and supporter of the Native American Bank, National Association (NAB). The Chippewa Cree Tribe, which charters SCC, is a shareholder of NAB, whose mission is to help foster economic sovereignty in Indian Country.
SCC receives very competitive rates on its funds, all the while helping turn tribal dollars in its own community. A loan production office and an ATM are located on the college campus located on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in north central Montana.
NAB is s a federally chartered bank that is owned by Native American Bancorporation , a bank holding company that has been organized by a group of tribal nations and Alaska Native Corporations. Over 85% of NAB's lending efforts are in Indian communities across the United States.
NAB's broad vision is to: (1) be a powerful engine for Indian economic development, (2) establish a significant Indian presence in the financial marketplace, and (3) project the growing economic power of tribes and Indian businesses onto the national scene.
For information, visit SCC at http://btc.montana.edu/scc or NAB at www.nabna.com.
Diné College Warriors Win National XC Titles
 CHAMPION RUNNERS: Diné College teams won the men’s races and placed second in the women’s races at the USCAA Cross Country National Championship. Photo credit: Edward McCombs, Public Relations Officer, Diné College |
The Diné College (Tsaile, AZ) cross-country teams took the top spot in the men’s national championship and second in the women’s races at the U. S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Cross-Country National Championship in Buena Vista, VA, on October 27, 2006.
The woman’s cross country team finished in second place, the team’s highest finish yet. The Lady Warriors were led by Academic All-American Lynette Dennison (Navajo), in eighth place with a time of 27:45.
A stride behind Dennison was Shantell Willie (Navajo) in ninth place. Blaire Belle Maryboy (Navajo) finished in 11th place; Maureen Tomasiyo (Navajo) in 12th place; followed by the sister duo Charmyne and Zena Archie (Navajo) in 15th and 16th places, respectively.
The men won their 8k race with a team score of 30 and a little controversy. The Warriors were led by Jacob Kirwa with the winning time of 27:01. Kirwa, a native of Kenya, won, despite being misdirected 300 meters off course by a course official.
Fellow Warrior Tony Perez (Navajo) finished in third place; followed by Aaron Johnson (Navajo) in sixth place; James Nduati (Kenya) in seventh place; Cody Tipler at 13th place; Erwin Chaco (Navajo) in 15th place; Edwin Shipp (Apache) in 21st place; Lucario Padilla (Apache) in 23rd place; and Bryant Goodluck (Navajo) in 25th place.
Four of the men’s team garnered All-American honors: Jacob Kirwa, Tony Perez, Aaron Johnson, and James Nduati. Abraham K. Bitok earned Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.
Bitok, a Diné College alumni and former runner, is a native of Kenya who has successfully coached the men’s team to five USCAA national titles in six years.
He was nominated and selected as one of the Top Ten Most Caring Coaches in the country by USA Today Weekend in its October 1, 2006 edition.
SIPI Gains President, Business Accreditation
The business department at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI, Albuquerque, NM) achieved national recognition by obtaining accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). SIPI also hired Dr. Jeffrey Hamley (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) as its new president.
A long-time tribal college educator, Hamley previously served as president of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Michigan. He has also served as academic dean at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico and extension dean at Northwest Indian College in Washington.
ACBSP providesspecialized accreditation for business education and supports, celebrates, and rewards teaching excellence. ACBSP encourages faculty involvement within the contemporary business world to enhance the quality of classroom instruction and to contribute to student learning. SIPI is the first tribal college to obtain ACBSP accreditation status, according to ACBSP.
The college received a full 10-year accreditation status from ACBSP in spring 2006. Four staff members represented SIPI at the ACBSP national conference held in June 2006, in Chicago: Val Montoya (Ohkay Owingeh) , then SIPI interim president (current vice-president of academic programs); Wilfred Beaupre, business department chair; Dorothy Wester, business instructor; and Ken Perry, accounting instructor.
NIEA and NCAI Choose 3 TCU Students as Leaders
 CRYSTAL J. CARR. Miss NIEA Ambassador 2006-07, Diné College student body president. Photo by National Indian Education Association. |
 TIFFANY STUART. NIEA Student Board Member, 2006-07, Haskell education graduate. Photo by National Indian Education Association. |
 PATRICIA CARTER. NCAI Ambassador 2006-07, Northwest Indian College Native studies student. Photo by National Congress of American Indians. |
At the NIEA convention in Anchorage, AK, students from Diné College (DC, Tsaile, AZ) and from Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU, Lawrence, KS) were selected to represent the organization.
Crystal J. Carr (Navajo) was crowned the first Miss NIEA Ambassador for the organization, but representing Indian education from a student perspective is not new to her. She is also student body president at DC and the Southwest regional representative to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s Student Congress.
The sophomore majors in mathematics, physics, and Navajo Studies. She also plays basketball for the college, enjoys creative writing, and aspires to earn a Ph.D., which she hopes to use to teach secondary mathematics.
Tiffany Stuart (Confederated Tribes of Stiletz of Oregon) was named a NIEA student board member. Stuart has been a student leader at HINU for 3 years. While being a leader for many groups, she has maintained a GPA of 3.6 and graduated with an Associate’s of Arts in Para Educator Elementary Education. She has experience using Robert’s Rules of Order while serving as president of several HINU student organizations.
Patricia Carter (Nez Perce) was selected to be the female ambassador for NCAI after a 3-day competition in Sacramento, CA. She is a sophomore majoring in Native American Studies at Northwest Indian College (Bellingham, WA). Carter hopes to pursue further studies in anthropology and business administration. She works at the Nez Perce tribe’s Clearwater Casino and also in a local children’s home.
According to a story in Native Youth Magazine, Carter is honored and privileged “to serve Native America and looks forward to being an instrument of transformation and progression for Native youth…With this newly created Ambassador Leadership program [she hopes to] enable other youth to take action against issues posing threats in their communities and model [collaborative] solutions for those problems … creating a revolution in our communities.”
For more information, visit NIEA at www.niea.org and NCAI at www.ncai.org .
College Fund Gala Honors TCJ Former Editor Ambler
 AICF AWARD CELEBRANTS. Long-time TCJ staffers (from left) Rachael Marchbanks, Marjane Ambler, and Marvene Tom have much to smile about. |
Marjane Ambler, former editor of Tribal College Journal (TCJ), was honored with the Flame of Hope Award from the American Indian College Fund at its annual gala fundraising dinner in New York City in November 2006.
Ambler served as editor of TCJ for 11 years before resigning earlier this year to return to freelance writing and editing.
"Marjane's determination and dedication are undeniable and have brought the magazine to a level of sophistication and quality unsurpassed,” said Dr. Gerald Gipp, executive director of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). “[She] contributed to the important goals of Indian self-determination and self-reliance for Indian people by preparing three young women to carry on the work of the Journal,” he said.
Upon receiving her award, Ambler expressed appreciation to Jerry Gipp and "to the American Indian College Fund for the very special blanket honoring our friend, the late Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College president, Jack Briggs.”
Ambler added, “TCJ is very high profile, especially the editor position, but there are many dedicated faculty and staff at the tribal colleges and colleagues at the College Fund and AIHEC who work very hard. I wish it were possible to honor those people.”
Ambler referred to current and past presidents and board members and colleagues who have moved on to other positions, specifically John Gritts from the College Fund, Deborah His Horse is Thunder from AIHEC, and Anne Edinger from AIHEC. She concluded, “I accept on behalf of all of them and hope that someday they can each feel as honored as I feel tonight.”
Succeeding Ambler at TCJ are Tina Deschenie (Navajo/Hopi) as editor and Publisher Rachael Marchbanks. Other staff members include Office Manager Marvene Tom (Navajo) and Advertising Coordinator Laura Hawes.
The American Indian College Fund began operations in 1989 with the goal of raising funds for the urgent scholarship needs of students at the nation's tribal colleges and universities. Run by and for Native Americans, the colleges serve nearly 30,000 full- and part-time students each year.
Formed in 1973, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium is the national organization of tribal colleges.
USDA Supports TCU Rural Development with Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development awarded nearly $4.7 million in Tribal College Initiative grants in September 2006 to 15 tribal colleges, according to an article in Indian Country Today.
Sitting Bull College in North Dakota will use its $724,361 grant to build an entrepreneurial center;
Bay Mills Community College in Michigan, $300,000 for administration building improvements;
Leech Lake Tribal College in Minnesota, $139,800 for equipment purchases;
Stone Child College in Montana, $300,000 for technology lab equipment purchases and vocational education;
Blackfeet Community College in Montana, $300,000 for land purchase;
Chief Dull Knife College in Montana will use its $300,000 grant to complete construction of an early childhood learning center;
Fort Belknap College in Montana, $300,000 to design a cultural heritage project;
Fort Peck Community College in Montana, $300,000 to build a dormitory;
Little Big Horn College in Montana, $300,000 to build a tribal archives and college administration building;
Salish Kootenai College in Montana, $300,000 for renovation and repair projects.
The Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico will use its $200,000 grant to build a conference and academic center;
Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota, $100,000 to make repairs to a campus building and water line and $225,000 for equipment and supply purchases;
Sisseton Wahpeton College in South Dakota, $300,000 for heating and air conditioning renovations;
Northwest Indian College in Washington, $300,000 to build a child care facility;
College of Menominee Nation in Wisconsin, $300,000 to build a training and maintenance facility and install a sewer system.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in rural communities. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development has invested more than $72 billion since 2001 in home ownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. More than 1.2 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments, according to Rural Development.
Pioneers in Education Sends Three to Academy
 KELLEY MITCHELL: “A leader creates a democratic environment.” |
 ORLANDO AVERY: “Leadership is a technique of showing how to be productive in everyday life.” |
 DAVIAANN CONNYWERDY: “Being willing to help is a leadership trait.” Photos by Pioneers in Education. |
Selected students get a two-week leadership training experience, a $1,000 scholarship, and a mentor for life. DuPont sponsored the tribal college students as well as five others who came from families who were impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Instructors, session presenters, and mentors come from the ranks of Fortune 500 companies, the military, government, and educational institutions. The program provides leadership development and mentoring opportunities for under-served, under-represented college students who are U. S. citizens or have permanent resident status.
“This is a great opportunity for kids who, for example, would not otherwise get to meet the president of Exxon/Mobile,” says PiE Executive Director Jim Paige.
The students were selected partly based on their essays about leadership. Daviaann Connywerdy (Psychology major) said, “I am a natural leader at Comanche Nation College because I'm always available to assist other students with their research, writing, and other study skills. I think being willing to always help is a leadership trait.”
Orlando Avery (Teacher Education major) said, “I define leadership as a technique of showing yourself and others how to be productive in everyday life and giving them the guidance to show them the way to reach their goals.”
Kelley Mitchell (Museum Studies major) said, “By respecting cultural, ethical, and intellectual attributes, a leader creates a democratic environment in which all members have the opportunity to input their unique voice to add to the advancement of the group's goals.” Mitchell is vice president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium(AIHEC)Student Congress.
Following his experience, Orlando Avery, Pioneer intern and a member of the AIHEC Student Congress, said he would petition the AIHEC Board to work with PiE to develop a PSLA Leadership Academy for tribal colleges across the nation.
“This is exactly the kind of program we need in Indian Country” said Comanche Nation College President Dr. Kim Winkelman, who has been involved with PiE for several years.
Next summer’s academy will be hosted by George Washington University. Applications are now being accepted, and the deadline will be in April.
For more information, see www.pioneersineducation.org or contact Jim Paige at jkpaige@aol.com.
Salish Kootenai College Has High Hopes for Hoops
by Jack McNeel
 COACHING. Salish Kootenai College women's basketball coach Juan Perez talks with team members Carla McLean, Genevieve Cochran, and Kodi Kuka during a practice. Photo by Jack McNeel |
Salish Kootenai College (SKC, Pablo, MT) is beginning to build a basketball dynasty among Native colleges. The men's team has won the National Tribal College Basketball Championship the past 2 years, and with six returning players and some promising newcomers, they hope for a third consecutive championship. The women's team hasn't been at that level of success recently, but it's certainly the goal.
Zachary Conko Camel (Salish/Kootenai) has coached at SKC for 8 years and is now in his 5th year as men's basketball coach. This year's team is a little smaller than last year, but he's expecting another excellent year.
Women's team coach Juan Perez (Klamath) said that basketball at SKC dates back to the early 1980s and was organized basically to play for the National Tribal College Basketball Championships. “Since then, the program has progressed, and we've added more games and more structure. We have about 25 games scheduled this year, depending on a couple of tournaments, and will be on the road quite a bit.”
“Both teams played in the Thunderbird Classic in North Dakota last year and both were successful against United Tribes Technical College, which is a more established program. Then during the Tribal College Basketball Championships in Lawrence, KS, our men's team played Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) on the team’s own floor and was successful against them in the championship game.”
SKC is a 4-year school, but this year's women's team will only have one upperclassman. Recruitment for both teams is largely via word of mouth. No athletic scholarships are available, although tuition is waived during their first year out of high school.
SKC has been somewhat handicapped by not having a gym of its own, but that's about to change. The teams practice at Two Eagle River School next to the college and play home games 6 miles away in Ronan. A gymnasium is presently under construction on SKC property, and it should be completed sometime during the 2007 - '08 basketball season. It will hold slightly more than 2,500 fans. They expect the gym will be filled most nights.
Perez said, “We always had fairly full stands at the Ronan Events Center, which seats about 2,000. We also have a number of Blackfeet girls on the team, and having them here will pull in people from across the mountains.”
Camel hopes to see the college join a conference, and having a gym should advance that goal. SKC Board Chairman Bud Moran said, “We're very supportive of the basketball programs. It makes us proud. We're a small college, but I always say we're the No. 1 Indian college in the nation. The dedication of these coaches, Zach and Juan, with the tight budget, they give a lot of their own time. It's what you need in a small program, and we also have good support in the community.”
And how do the players feel about the program? Pius Takes Horse (Crow) was working for the Job Corps before starting to play ball at SKC and will graduate next spring. He plans to transfer to the University of Montana and go into sports management. “I want to become a basketball coach and teach young kids. If not for basketball, I wouldn't have gone to college.”
Carmelita Matt (Salish/Kootenai) is majoring in dental assisting and plans to go on to Montana State University-Great Falls for its hygiene program. “This year's schedule is really good. We've never played any of the Washington teams before. The fan support here is awesome.”
Rikki Ollinger (Blackfeet) is a freshman. “I like the team. There's a little teasing about the different tribes, but it's actually pretty fun. We work real well together.”
Perhaps Perez summed it best: “When you play your hardest and the best you can, that's all we ask. That's being successful.”
Jack McNeel is a freelance writer who can be reached at (208) 665-9233. Reprinted with permission from Indian Country Today