Authentic learning experiences, including curriculum, are essential for healthy development. For South Dakota students, these experiences include opportunities to foster their connections with local communities, cultures, nature, and lands. This infographic provides teachers with guidance on how to build their understandings and skills, and with…

Drawing on three years of partnership with residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, I discuss some of the insights and challenges of working toward a critical community engagement that is antiracist, anti-colonial, and "place-engaged" (Siemers et al., 2015). I specifically reflect on how the bridging of academic practice…

From the beginning, preservation and continuity of tribal histories and cultures have been at the center of the strategic vision for tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) (Bordeaux, 1989). TCUs have developed the infrastructure and networks to support the revitalization, preservation, and teaching of Indigenous languages and cultures. But while…

Sinte Gleska University (SGU) grew from humble beginnings and a lofty vision to an institution that offers a full range of post-secondary programs for its students. The founders of SGU envisioned a higher education institution that allowed tribal students to complete their entire college education within the boundaries of their tribal nation. They…

The Indigenous voice may be muted or lost at complex and controversial cultural heritage sites, but barriers to interpreting these sites can be bridged through collaboration and co-creation. This process necessitates a long-term investment by both the sites and stakeholders. Lessons learned from this experience can serve as a framework for…

Many tribal colleges are already offering distance learning. With increased Internet use, it's likely that even more will offer online courses to their tribal members in order to reach a larger student pool. Online education can reach students who care for their immediate and extended families and who have to work. It is also appealing to students…

This study developed after hearing Gerard Baker, the first Native American to serve as a National Park Superintendent, state that he "was not a warrior" when he was unsuccessful in college the first time (G. Baker, International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership [IPSL] conference presentation, October 18, 2005). The purpose…

This research examined the perceptions of Lakota Native American students taking a Business online course at the Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The study was conducted in the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011. The themes found in this study were flexibility, transportation, communication, and technical support. Furthermore, the…

This quantitative research study identified perceptions regarding leadership styles of a sample of high school, middle school, and elementary school principals serving in South Dakota public and tribal/BIE (Bureau of Indian Education) schools in 2011. From 152 public school districts and 20 tribal/BIE schools, a sample of 148 school principals was…

American Indian adults have the highest smoking rate of any racial group in the nation. By the turn of the 21st century, smoking rates for the general adult population were reported to be 24%. Among adolescents in the United States, 34.8% of high school students reported they currently smoked in 1999. In comparison, American Indian adults report…

Legal gaming on Indian reservations has increased dramatically since the 1987 landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in "California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians." In this case the Supreme Court upheld by a 6-3 vote the right under federal law for Indians to run gambling operations without state regulation in states…

For decades, the Montana Constitution has made preservation of American Indian culture an explicit educational goal. Educators did little about it until 2004, when the state supreme court ruled that Montana had ignored its responsibility to teach about the state's seven tribes. That ruling jump-started an effort that has yielded curriculum…

A cursory examination of place names on a map of South Dakota does not reflect the important role that Indians have played in the state and their relation to the land framed by its borders. Only three towns with populations over 1,000 bear names that clearly come from Indian languages: Sioux Falls, Sisseton, and Yankton. The hostile relationship…

Designed to foster pride and understanding on the part of the American Indian and the non-Indian respectively, this history was compiled to serve as a curriculum guide for elementary/secondary education. Divided into 8 chapters, the format is such that each chapter presents an outline, a time line, a narrative, map(s), and a bibliography. Chapters…

The paper presented biographical sketches of many prominent contemporary model American Indians from the Lower Brule community and identified qualities that make them outstanding members of their community. The study followed these 4 steps: (1) review current literature for historical background; (2) interview tribal members from the Lower Brule…