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…

Among Oklahoma's 2,636-member Wichita tribe, octogenarian Doris McLemore is the sole person who fluently speaks the native language. And Terri Parton, president of Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, says that makes her both a treasure and an imperiled, cultural linchpin. Developing a coterie of community-based American Indians who are restoring,…

When the author first started as interim director of the Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) based at the University of Massachusetts Boston, he was given three studies that broadly identified specific needs and disparities of Native people in the region. Given that he was at an institution of higher education, his immediate…

In New England, interactions between Native peoples and some public institutions have taken divergent paths over the past three decades. State legislatures and the many academic institutions that call the region home have developed different approaches to working with Native peoples. Public colleges and universities, given their ongoing…

In the year 1999, OPI [Montana Office of Public Instruction] brought together representatives from all the tribes in Montana and created 7 Essential Understandings. These are some of the major issues all tribes have in common. They form the basis for all of our curriculum efforts and initiatives. There is great diversity among the 12 tribal…

Although 39 federally recognized American Indian tribes are headquartered in the state of Oklahoma, it comes as some surprise that there were no tribal colleges in the state until this century. During the past eight years, however, tribal colleges have been cropping up throughout the state, including the Comanche Nation College, the College of the…

Tribal managers and staff working with Federal grants must be fully knowledgeable of all applicable Federal requirements and skilled in applying these requirements to the daily operation of their programs, whether starting a new program or striving to maintain a quality program which meets the intent of the enacting legislation. It is the…

The academic field of Native American/American Indian studies (NAS/AIS) has been and largely remains a product of political forces at the national level and now at the tribal level. The very recognition of American Indians as a unique group by the U.S. government is a political statement of survival. In this article, the author revisits the…

If academics, students and supporters at the Newark Earthworks Center at The Ohio State University have their way, the Newark Earthworks will be listed among the likes of England's Stonehenge and Mexico's Teotihuacan in terms of international archaeological and cultural importance. Dr. Richard Shiels, director of the newly founded center and Dr.…

Tribal Child Care and Development Fund administrators work each day to ensure that the children and families in tribal communities have the child care services that best meet their needs. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), a federal block grant for States, Tribes, and Territories, is a key resource to help increase the availability,…

The California Indian Library Collections (CILC) was funded with the aim of returning unique cultural materials in three media types--sound recordings, photographs, and text--to California's Native Americans and making the collections available to all citizens through their local libraries. This document includes the first four volumes of the…

Federally funded, Haskell Indian Nations University serves American Indian and Alaska Native students from federally recognized tribes and villages. Haskell's American Indian Studies baccalaureate program is an interdisciplinary, culturally relevant program that provides students with practical skills needed by tribes. The need for American Indian…

The California Indian Library Collections (CILC) was funded with the aim of returning unique cultural materials in three media types--sound recordings, photographs, and text--to California's Native Americans and making the collections available to all citizens through their local libraries. This document includes volumes 5-7 of the finding guide,…

Describes the attempts of President Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, to establish a chair for American Indian History at a university. Discusses the responses of universities contacted after World War II. Includes information on the present state of American Indian studies and reasons for the failure of Ickes' efforts.…

In 1997, the University of Arizona was the first institution to offer a Ph.D. in American Indian Studies. This article profiles recent doctoral students in the program, lists the achievements of doctoral graduates and the program's faculty, and describes service and outreach activities to Arizona's tribal colleges and reservation communities. (SV)