www.AIHEC.org Gen-I Native Youth Challenge

TCU Update—May 2015

Tribal Colleges: Educating and Empowering Gen-I From Cradleboard to Career—TCUs Engage Native Youth

The nation’s 37 tribal colleges, which collectively are based and uniquely relevant to our students. These the American Indian Higher Education Consortium are a few examples of how the TCUs are working to (AIHEC), embrace the White House’s “Generation nurture and sustain Gen-I: Indigenous” initiative, and we are committed to improving the lives to our Native youth by Northwest/Alaska ongoing engagement in enrichment, social and Ilisagvik College (Barrow, Alaska): “I Know I Can” academic support, service learning, K-12 outreach initiative is designed to spark student interest in and partnerships, healthy athletic activities, service goal setting as well as career planning. Staff from learning, and more. AIHEC and all Tribal Colleges and Ilisagvik College, graduates, and volunteers visit Universities (TCUs) are perfect partners because the second grade classrooms at Ipalook Elementary tribal colleges have been engaging our Native youth for generations.

TCUs are transforming our education systems— training early childhood educators, successfully managing once failing Head Start programs, rebuilding schoolhouses and children’s lives; reforming K-12 science and math programs and providing summer and Saturday enrichment alternatives; preparing an American Indian K-12 teacher workforce; transforming Native language instruction at all levels; and working aggressively to Ipalook Elementary School students. Photo courtesy of IC. preserve and sustain our tribal language and culture. For example, in runs a K-6 language immersion school, right on School. The volunteers read a children’s story focused campus. At the White Clay Immersion School, children on self-confidence and working towards a certain learn the White Clay language and culture in addition career when they grow up. The students then draw to subjects they would routinely study at any other an image on a postcard of themselves in the future school. depicting what their career they would like to become in the future. The postcards are sent back True to their mission, TCUs work tirelessly on all facets to them when they are in fifth to sixth grade to of tribal Nation Building, beginning with restoring remind them of their dreams as second graders and tribal identity and self-esteem within students encourage them to continue thinking about their through educational environments that are culturally- future as they get older. The program is expanding to other elementary schools and Ilisagvik hopes to community. Several other TCUs, including Salish continue this programming in every village during Kootenai College, also host basketball tournaments outreach trips. and workshops for local Native youth.

Northwest Indian College (Bellingham, Washington): Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, Montana): “Making Salmon play an instrumental role in Lummi and Salish Fitness Fun.” With Type II Diabetes and childhood culture. Every obesity becoming a growing problem, Salish Kootenai year, students College provides fitness activities for the youth of from Northwest the Salish Kootenai and Pend Oreille tribes. Youth Indian College starting at age seven engage in outdoor games, work closely kickball, football, basketball, native games, volleyball, with the Lummi soccer, and bike riding. This helps the youth stay nation to prepare active during their summer vacation. Additionally, and host Salmon Salish Kootenai College provides nutritional Ceremonies. education. They provide a healthy, balanced They are able to breakfast and teach youth the importance of a engage youth by healthy diet. Over 200 youth have been positively teaching them impacted with their efforts. the importance of salmon in The Dakotas Lummi culture; Cankdeska Cikana Community College (Fort Totten, practice their North Dakota): The Wiconi Ohitika (Strong Life) language; Suicide Prevention Project travels to local K-12 schools prepare, host Salmon Ceremony. Photo courtesy of NWIC. (Four Winds, Minnewaukan and Warwick) Monday and participate in through Thursday. To date, the workers have made ceremony. By helping with Salmon Ceremony, youth contact with 4,608 students, via implementation of are working with tribal leadership, the College, and learning how to be contributing members to their culturally rich community.

Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency, Montana): Basketball is a way of life on the Crow reservation. To engage youth, hosts youth basketball tournaments and workshops. The tournaments offer youth a safe and family friendly environment where youth can play and grow in the sport they love. Little Big Horn College promotes health, wellness and sport to youth ages 6–14. Hundreds of youth come to play, bringing their Wiconi Ohitika Suicide Prevention Project. families, and gain a sense of pride in self and their Photo courtesy of CCCC. American Indian Life Skills curriculum and Suicide program has helped address this need. Lakota youth Prevention activities. The program uses Spirit are invited to learn of their traditional farming and Lake Dakota Elders as special speakers at events ranching ways, as well as gain knowledge on horse and activities. Wiconi Ohitika held and sponsored tacking. The clinic offers coping techniques through community events, such as beading classes, regalia equine therapy. Youth learn equine management making classes, trainings, conferences and pow practices and the spiritual and historical significance wows. Regular monthly activities include: Community of the Lakota/Dakota horse culture. The youth are Rosary, Day of Prayer, Elder Advisory meetings and able to participate in two annual horse rides hosted Open Mic Night. Wiconi Ohitika also hosts monthly by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Spirit Lake Suicide Prevention Coalition meetings at and local area ranchers. Cankdeska Cikana Community College, averaging 13 (Rosebud, South Dakota): to 15 participants from BIA Law Enforcement, Spirit Rosebud Sioux tribal member, Don Moccasin, was Lake Tribal Court, Tribal Social Services, Lake Region very active in Lakota culture as a fluent speaker, Human Services, Spirit Lake Youth Healing and dancer, singer, teacher, and Sundancer. He started Wellness, and community members. documenting people’s stories in the mid-1990s, which Sitting Bull College (Fort Yates, North Dakota): There grew into the Lakota Elder Documentary Project. are approximately 2,800 children and youth under The media department at Sinte Gleska University the age of 18 on the Standing Rock reservation. has preserved Don’s video archives, turning his clips Tragically, youth suicide is considered by some to into films for the local community. They share the be at epidemic proportions on the Standing Rock film—along with a traditional meal—with youth reservation. Seeing the need for youth to get because Don wanted children to know their ancestry involved in projects where they can feel good about and stories through education and through Sinte Gleska University. Through film and food, Sinte Gleska University is engaging youth in Lakota culture, values, language, and sense of community and most important, passing Don’s love of his native Lakota language to the next generation.

Oglala Lakota College (Kyle, South Dakota): “Life is Beautiful Poetry Slam” was hosted by Oglala College at the Woksapi Tipi Library. The poetry slam was a collaborative effort with the College, Sweet Grass Suicide Prevention Project, the Native Youth participate in annual horse rides hosted by the Youth Leadership Alliance, as well as KOLC-TV. Each Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Photo courtesy of SBC. participant was given a journal. The College wanted to make sure everybody got something as generosity is a Lakota Virtue. Prize money was given to the top themselves, acquire life skills, learn to make and keep three winners. Concerns of youth suicide on the Pine friends, and feel part of their Lakota/Dakota culture Ridge reservation were the origin for the poetry is a priority of Sitting Bull College. The horsemanship slam. wanted to provide a concepts. Youth learn safeguarding and restoring safe environment for youth and members of the natural resources by elevating the health of a community to express their feelings in the form of watershed through collecting basic ecology data at poetry. local streams and lakes, classifying plant vegetation, identifying sources of pollution and human impacts, and observing wildlife habitat, forest, rangelands, The Southwest and watersheds. Diné College students serve as Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona): Helping to increase mentors and guide Chuska Youth Camp participants college bound students on the Navajo Nation, the through the entire camp. Exposure to environmental Diné College Dual Credit Program provides high science in their traditional land and having a tribal school students the opportunity to get a jump start college student mentor them encourages cultural on college by earning college credits while still in pride and a desire to stay in school. high school. Diné College partners with nine high schools in Arizona and New Mexico. Currently, more than 250 high school students are on track to attend The Woodlands college. College of Menominee Nation (Keshena, Wisconsin): The College of Menominee Nation, in partnership Diné College also hosts Chuska Youth Camp every with the University of Wisconsin Extension, summer to educate Navajo youth about the dynamics Menominee Indian School District, Menominee Tribal of land and water. The camps allow youth to learn School, and Woodland Boys & Girls Club, created by doing with an emphasis on environmental science the Menominee Youth Empowerment Program. The Menominee Youth Empowerment Program was developed to unify the Menominee community and break the cycle of high risk behaviors while promoting family resiliency. The program targets 11 to 14 year olds, providing at risk Menominee youth with opportunities to learn skills and gain experience that contribute to a more positive lifestyle and enhance their capacity to make healthier choices. College of Menominee Nation staff works directly with schools to address tutoring needs and academic requirements for a student to be successful. The program covers: academia, culture, personal development, wellness, unintentional injury, diabetes prevention, substance abuse, teen dating, and

Chuska Youth Camp. Photo courtesy of DC. violence.

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