Selected Results and Impacts
for Tribal Colleges Land-Grant Institutions Grants Programs
Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants
Program
All of the 1994 land-grant institutions have experienced
growth in their educational programs since the implementation
of this program. Especially noteworthy are advances made
in the arenas of dietetics and nutrition, environmental stewardship
and natural resources development, and community development.
The advances have come about through varying degrees of support
given to all of the targeted areas, dependent on the individual
institutional needs. The growth is reflected in the increased
program competitiveness of the 1994s as partially documented
in the addition of courses, curricula, and, in some instances,
the development of accredited baccalaureate degrees. Furthermore,
the 1994s have made great advances in their credibility as
demonstrated in their recent success in obtaining additional
grant moneys through highly competitive programs. Overall,
there has been an increased ability of these institutions
to help promote the needs of their respective tribal communities.
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Equity in Educational
Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (Tribal Colleges Extension
Services) Program
The following represents results and impacts for the
Tribal Colleges Extension Services from activities that
occurred between January 2003 and June 2004.
Chief Dull Knife College
Lame Deer, MT - According to the 2000 Census, the annual
per capita income on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is
just $7,736. Unemployment among the work force is almost
20%, and more than 28% of residents live below the poverty
level. Nearly one-quarter of reservation households lack
basic telephone services. In response, Chief Dull Knife College
(CDKC) Extension and USDA are providing outreach programs
in community resource development that emphasize economic
viability. Through community partnerships, CDKC Extension
developed strategies to strengthen tribal enterprises, develop
tourism opportunities, and attract new businesses and entrepreneurs.
For instance, CDKC Extension facilitated the creation of
a grassroots community development corporation (CDC) that
represents reservation districts, local businesses, and community
groups. Participants in the CDC developed their skills by
evaluating tribal enterprises, creating their own articles
and by-laws, and developing strategic economic plans for
the reservation. CDKC Extension also provided workshops in
e-commerce, financial literacy, and youth entrepreneurship.
Through these efforts, economic development is becoming a
reality for Northern Cheyenne residents.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Cloquet, MN - For thousands of years, the St. Louis River
and its tributaries have been important to life in northeastern
Minnesota. These waterways served as major transportation
routes for Native Americans, fur traders, loggers, explorers,
and missionaries. Today the waterways supply electricity
and provide recreational opportunities; however, with increasing
human development come environmental pollutants and contaminants.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) Extension
is monitoring the health of the region's waterways by involving
youngsters from 28 schools within the 3,634 square mile St.
Louis River watershed. Since 1999, secondary school students
and teachers have gathered chemical, physical, and biological
data twice a year at river sites throughout the St. Louis
River watershed. The USDA-funded St. Louis River-River Watch
Project has grown to involve more than 900 students and teachers
each year, with about 300 people attending the annual River
Watch Congress, where participants share information with
each other and local communities. In addition to receiving
environmental education, students cultivate a life-long sense
of stewardship toward the river and its communities. FDLTCC
Extension and USDA are creatively integrating youth development
and environmental sciences by engaging communities in extension,
teaching, and applied research activities.
Fort Peck Community College
Poplar, MT - Reservation youth on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
face tough challenges, and Fort Peck Community College (FPCC)
Extension and USDA are building youngsters' lifelong learning
skills. The Youth, Leadership, and Volunteer Development
Program is designed to engage young ones in healthy learning
experiences that build their self-esteem and problem-solving
skills. Activities such as equestrian training and gardening
encourage kids to explore science, technology, and citizenship.
These FPCC activities prompt youngsters to look at the complex
issues facing their reservation communities and the world.
Last year, 70 youth participated in one-week Kidz Kolleges,
more than 50 youngsters enrolled in the Equestrian Program,
and 134 adults and youth joined the Garden Club, planting
and harvesting a two-acre community garden.
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College
Hayward, WI - Reservation youth are often involved in high-risk
behavior because they do not have adequate recreational activities
and guidance in traditional Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa values.
LCOOCC Extension developed the Living By The Seasons curriculum
to teach youth important cultural values and skills. Youngsters
also learn about nutrition by participating in community
and household gardening projects. After completing these
programs, 80% of youngsters said they wanted more cultural
education, and 100% showed knowledge of diabetes prevention
through healthy diet and nutrition practices.
Little Big Horn College
Crow Agency, MT - The Crow Indian Reservation covers approximately
two million acres of remote land in south-central Montana
and suffers the highest poverty and unemployment rates in
the state. Little Big Horn College (LBHC) Extension and USDA
are promoting economic development on the Crow Indian Reservation
through two important community assets: agriculture and tourism.
Agriculture is a major industry in Montana , and tourism
is one of the state's fastest-growing sectors. LBHC Extension
spearheaded the development of the Crow Chamber of Commerce,
which has brought local agri-businesses together to create
a comprehensive economic development plan for the reservation.
A member of the Montana Tourism Alliance, LBHC Extension
also enhances tourism opportunities by training local artisans
in marketing, e-commerce, and small business management.
In 2004, the tourism project generated 25 summer jobs for
students and drew 152 participants to a performing arts workshop.
Local artisans learned how to showcase their products via
the Internet to a global marketplace, while tourists experienced
the richness of Crow culture.
Salish Kootenai College
Pablo, MT - The Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana
contains approximately 1.3 million acres of forested mountains,
prairie grasslands, and cropland. Soil erosion, noxious weeds,
and forest fires have all threatened this reservation's abundant
natural resources, and Salish Kootenai College (SKC) Extension
is working hard to protect the land. With USDA's support,
SKC Extension uses locally produced native plants in culturally
relevant and scientifically based ecological restoration
projects throughout the reservation. After the devastating
2000 forest fires, extension staff organized community groups
and governmental agencies to develop a coordinated reclamation
plan for a 30,000-acre burn site. In 2003, the SKC Nursery
produced about 15,000 native plants and propagated native
seeds for many restoration projects. Research studies are
evaluating the effectiveness of introducing native grasses
into rangeland infested with invasive plants. A partnership
with the Salish Kootenai Tribe's forestry department will
create a premier cooperative native plant production, research,
and demonstration center for the entire region.
Si Tanka University
Eagle Butte, SD - Economic development is a priority for
the Cheyenne River Lakota Tribe, where unemployment on the
reservation is about 18% and annual per capita income is
$8,774 (2000 Census). Si Tanka University (STU) Extension
and USDA are responding by developing alternative value-added
marketing strategies and products for local ranchers and
farmers. Through careful market analysis, product development,
and small business training, STU Extension supports the creation
of new local businesses and economic activity. Value-added
products such as Lakota soup packages, fry bread mixes, and
buffalo or beef retail cuts are developed for local markets.
STU Extension believes that keeping consumer dollars within
the local marketplace through value-added product marketing
strengthens the reservation's businesses and economy.
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Albuquerque, NM - Native American community members are
often victimized by predatory lending schemes because they
lack basic financial education and experience. In response,
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) Extension
provides financial information to Native American adults
and teens through community workshops and integrated campus
activities. The Financial Education Program has successfully
expanded participants' financial knowledge and confidence
on topics such as budgeting, credit, mortgages, saving, and
taxes. The USDA-funded project has directly affected more
than 300 Native American adults and youth since 2003.
United Tribes Technical College
Bismarck, ND - Doctors are diagnosing diabetes at disproportionate
levels throughout Indian country. In North Dakota , the number
of Native American children who are overweight continues
to rise, which increases their risk for Type 2 diabetes.
United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) Extension and USDA
are promoting the historical and cultural relationship between
Native peoples and the bison to emphasize proper nutrition,
diet, and physical activity. Workshops are delivered to community
members, college students, and young children. Last year
UTTC Extension visited more than 150 elementary school children
with nutrition education resource kits and healthy snacks.
Nursing students, food service providers, daycare workers,
and community members received nutrition education through
courses, workshops, newsletters, and in-service training.
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Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program
The Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program has provided
faculty and students at the 1994s with a mechanism for them
to engage in research projects of practical value to their
tribal communities and national interests. During the short
time this program has been in existence, the research has
begun to contribute to the resolution of tribal concerns
(for example, phytoremediation of soils affected by mining
operations, improved dietetics and nutrition, and restoration
of native plant communities) and of national concerns (for
example, the epidemiology of the mosquito-borne encephalitis,
including the highly visible West Nile virus). Additionally,
research efforts in such areas as aquaculture and international
marketing offer hope for improving the economic basis of
Native Americans.
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Tribal Colleges Endowment Fund
All of the 1994 land-grant institutions have experienced
growth in their education programs since the implementation
of the Endowment Fund. Especially noteworthy are the uses
of their Endowment moneys by Turtle Mountain Community College
and Haskell Indian Nations University. Turtle Mountain Community
College has developed a hands-on alternative energy and energy
conservation curriculum, and Haskell Indian Nations University
has developed its Institute of Distance Education for delivering
its curriculum to the Kansas-based Tribal Nations to promote
rural development.
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