Grounded in Indigenous core beliefs with an eye toward the future of higher education, Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) represents a fixture in the tribal college landscape. NICC was founded in 1973, chartered by the Umonhon and Isanti nations, and created to broaden access to higher education, increase economic opportunities, and preserve…

When the first tribal colleges were established over 50 years ago, Native American languages were more widely used than today. Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) were envisioned to offer a base for the retention and development of Indigenous languages and cultures, and they would establish archival collections to support this mission.…

For decades, the O'odham language has been in decline. But like many tribal nations, the Tohono O'odham are working to reclaim their language. Located on the campus of Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC), the center was founded in 2020 and is for all O'odham, including those from other O'odham speaking nations. Creating opportunities where the…

Preserving the Navajo language, or "Diné bizaad," is of profound importance for all Indigenous people in the United States, as Navajo is one of the more widely spoken Native languages yet is still facing the early stages of endangerment. Currently, the Navajo Nation, like other tribes, lacks a significant presence of community-based…

Working to learn a language both contributes to language revitalization and teaches learners about themselves, thus developing a sense of mental and spiritual well-being associated with learning the learners' ancestral language. In addition, on an institutional level, those who contribute to language revitalization and hold space for the language…

There has been a steady decline in the number of Indigenous people pursuing and achieving PhD degrees in the U.S. In 2021, barely 0.3% of the 31,674 students in the United States who were conferred PhDs were American Indian or Alaska Native, as there has been lack of support for the advancement of Indigenous students to doctoral-level study. This…

In September 1975, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council chartered the Northern Cheyenne Indian Action Program, Inc., the organization that became Dull Knife Memorial College. It was funded by the Indian Technical Assistance Center of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and directed by six appointed Northern Cheyenne representatives. Dull Knife Memorial…

Indigenous language revitalization (ILR), or the act of reversing the language shift from English back to Native languages, is an essential task. Since their inception, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have worked to support and often lead language communities in this task. Since its beginning, Sitting Bull College (SBC), located on the…

When Vernon Lambert and Lorraine Greybear graduated from the Fort Totten, North Dakota, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) community school in 1957 and 1959, respectively, Dakota language and culture were not even taught. Lambert's mother had stopped speaking Dakota to him at home so he wouldn't have to learn English the hard way at school as she had.…

Indigenous people have always created what colonial language labels art. Yet there is no Native word for "art" as defined in a Euro-American sense. Art, as the dominant culture envisions, is mostly ornamental. This is in sharp juxtaposition to a Native perspective, which sees art as integrative, inclusive, practical, and constantly…

On the shores of Lake Superior, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), a small cluster of Ojibwa (also known as Chippewa), keep their fires alive in the face of daunting pressures to let go of their ways. After the ravages of war, colonization, and territorial loss, KBIC continues to make a stand for their people and future generations. Their…

The concept of a community college implies some connection to the community beyond mere setting. A tribal community college suggests even more--a college which maintains its roots in traditional Native culture and serves the tribal community in a unique way. Located in northwest Wisconsin within the traditional homelands of the Ojibwe people, the…

As president of Little Big Horn College, David Yarlott writes that he had the good fortune to be involved in several events with Indigenous peoples from other countries. He has participated in several World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) conferences and also a World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE). The…

The present generation of American Indian, college-aged young adults are by their own accord fulfilling the "prophecy of the Seventh Generation." According to this prophecy, after seven generations of living in close contact with Europeans, young tribal descendants who are growing up today will find ways to bring back their culture and…

From their inception, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have played a special cultural as well as educational role in Native communities. These dual roles are integral to the preservation of American Indian language and traditions, as they open the door for future generations to acquire and perpetuate cultural knowledge. The American Indian…