Expanding the Future of Tribal Education

FALL 2003

Office of University

Partnerships

Tribal Colleges and

Universities Program

A merican Indian leaders and tribalcolleges are striving to ensure the

preservation of their culture through

higher education that teaches their history and culture in a way reflective of

each tribe’s particular character. The

geographic isolation of many reservations and the lack of local higher educational opportunities prompted the

development of 32 tribal colleges

throughout the United States. For the

past 30 years, Native American tribal

colleges have responded to the educational needs of Native Americans who

confront overwhelming barriers to

obtaining higher education. 

Educational opportunities beyond high

school are increasingly important to

New Cultural Center

Serves Larger

Community

It was important that the cultural center reflect the rich heritage and

culture of the Crow people,” states David

Yarlott, president of Little Big Horn

College. Starting in 1998 and culminating

in the facility’s grand opening in the summer of 2003, the college and the Crow

community engaged in a complex process

to design and build a center that reflects

their history, culture, and values. The

Cultural Learning Lodge is the new home

of the school’s Crow studies department

and will house Apsaalooke Tours—

a small business incubator project.

Little Big Horn College, located in the

town of Crow Agency in south central

Montana, is a public 2-year community

college chartered by the Crow Tribe of

Native Americans. The tribe established

continued on page 2

Native American students and their communities. Since 1982 the enrollment in

tribal colleges and universities increased

from roughly 2,000 to more than 24,500

undergraduate and graduate students. The

average number of students per school is

840, but student population ranges from

200 to several thousand. Tribal colleges

provide a unique approach that combines

small class size and personal attention

with a cultural relevance that encourages

and assists students and tribal members

to overcome the barriers they face to

higher education. 

HUD’s Office of University Partnerships

(OUP) created and administers the Tribal

College and Universities Program

Executive Order (13270) establishing White House Initiative on Tribal

Colleges and Universities: “Tribal colleges are both integral and

essential to their communities. Often they are the only postsecondary institutions within some of our Nation’s poorest rural areas.

They fulfill vital roles by maintaining and preserving irreplaceable

languages and cultural traditions, offering a high-quality college

education to younger students, and providing job training and

other career-building programs to adults and senior citizens.”

—President George W. Bush

July 3, 2002

continued on page 4

Tribal Colleges Build Opportunities and

Preserve Culture
TCUP Central is a free publication prepared

by the University Partnerships Clearinghouse, the information service sponsored 

by HUD’s Office of University Partnerships

(OUP). TCUP Central highlights the contributions of TCUPs to local community efforts.

You may contact the University Partnerships

Clearinghouse at (800) 245-2691. See the

Office of University Partnerships 

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.oup.org.

2 / TCUP Central 

(TCUP) to assist tribal colleges and universities in building, expanding, renovating,

and equipping their own facilities with a primary focus on multipurpose buildings used

by the larger community. The department

awards a maximum of $400,000 to each eligible grantee that must be spent within a 24-

month period. OUP currently oversees the

administration of 15 TCUP grants throughout the country. Most of the grantees are

concentrated in the upper Midwest, the

Great Plains, and the Southwest. 

Colleges and universities are using federal

funds and are often working with other

local and national partners to expand the

opportunities available to local residents.

Each college and university has a particular

need for its grant, but most use their grant

resources to help preserve and promote

aspects of their unique culture and heritage.

Grantees are building and equipping 

technology resource centers for students

and tribal members and are developing 

distance-learning systems to reach new 

students in remote areas of the reservation

or outside of the area. The colleges are

using TCUP funds to expand classroom

and community meeting space, build language centers and exhibit space to teach

tribal members about their heritage, but

most importantly, build hope and increase

opportunities for students and their communities in ways that reflect their culture

and heritage. ✣

expanded curriculum offerings, updated

computer technology, and growth of the

student population from 400 to 500 students. Working with the Chippewa Cree

Tribe, the American Indian College Fund,

and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the

college will build 11 classrooms to replace

seven existing makeshift rooms and

address the students’ demand for up-to-date

computer facilities and science labs. When

completed the facility will provide space

for training and educational services for the

entire community.

Little Big Horn College—Crow Agency,

Montana—used its grant to build a cultural

learning lodge on the Crow Indian

Reservation in south central Montana. The

lodge houses the college’s Crow studies

department and provides opportunities for

the school and members of the community

to promote, maintain, and preserve the

Crow language and culture. The building

includes valuable space to help the college

increase its enrollment, provides a large

display space for community and cultural

gatherings, and incorporates a display area

for Crow cultural information.

Fort Belknap College—Harlem,

Montana—is using its grant to design and

build the Gros Venture and Assiniboine

Cultural Center, that will become the focal

point of cultural education activities in the

community. The new facility will house the

college’s Native American studies program

and will be the new location for displaying

traditional, cultural, and historical items.

The new facility is designed to help the college meet its mission of maintaining the

cultural integrity of the tribes by incorporating cultural activity space and increasing

educational programs that promote and

protect native language, art, history, and

culture in a facility that meets institutional

and community needs.

Turtle Mountain Community College—

Balcourt, North Dakota—is using its grant

to develop a wellness center, create a community resource directory, and renovate

The 15 tribal colleges and universities that received TCUP grants are

engaged in a variety of projects—from

building cultural centers to equipping language labs—that focus on addressing the

needs of the community and highlight

their cultural heritage. The following

descriptions summarize the types of activities that grantees are undertaking. Because

grantees can undertake many activities,

the descriptions highlight the more significant efforts.

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community

College—Baraga, Michigan—is using its

grant to construct a technology resource

center to provide expanded and upgraded

educational facilities to meet current and

future needs of the community. The 3,236-

square-foot center will house a classroom,

computer lab, distance-learning lab, GIS

lab, and four faculty offices. When classes

are not in session the center will be open to

all members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian

community. The center will provide residents valuable opportunities to acquire

skills to foster employment and move

toward self-sufficiency.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community

College—Cloquet, Minnesota—is using its

grant to assist in the construction of a

34,363-square-foot building, nearly doubling the current campus. The new facility

will house a 140-seat auditorium, four traditional classrooms, an earth sciences laboratory, an art studio, and exhibit space. The

additional space will allow for the expansion of academic programs in environmental science, e-crime and computer security,

geographical information systems, early

childhood education, and a baccalaureate

degree in elementary education. The new

space will allow expansion of music and 

art programs and increase opportunities in

the college’s community service-learning

program.

Stone Child College—Box Elder,

Montana—is working with local and

national partners to use its grant for construction of an academic facility for

Tribal Colleges Increase Space and Expand

Opportunities

Culture continued from page 1

continued on page 3
3 / TCUP Central 

and expand its graphic arts training facility. The Anishinaubag

Wellness Center will provide the community with educational

opportunities about healthful living, proper nutrition, the environment, and Native American culture. The center will work with

local agencies to address the needs of the community and will

emphasize hands-on, experiential learning through computer

assisted information systems and distance-learning technologies

to encourage interactive instruction in outlying communities. 

Cankdeska Cikana Community College—Fort Totten, North

Dakota—is using its grant to upgrade existing campus buildings.

The first priority identified by community members is adding air

conditioning to existing classrooms. The TCUP grant provides the

funding for the purchase, installation, and renovation necessary

for the project. The school is also using its grant to build two science classrooms that will enable students and faculty to share

information on an interactive video network system that is being

upgraded through an additional grant from the University of North

Dakota and North Dakota State University. 

Little Priest Tribal College—Winnebago, Nebraska—is striving

to enhance its facilities with the help of its TCUP grant and additional funding from the Winnebago Tribe, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, and the American Indian College Fund. The college

is building a new cultural learning center that will house a tribal

museum and the school’s tribal language program. With the assistance of HUD and other partners, tribal leaders are developing an

institution that offers students an opportunity to improve their

knowledge of the Ho-Chunk language and traditions in an institution that fully reflects the culture of the tribe and the needs of 

the community.

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute—Albuquerque, New

Mexico—is using its grant to respond to an identified childcare

need among students. A recent needs assessment conducted by the

school identified a large number of potential students who were

unable to enroll because of a lack of childcare. To respond to this

need, the school is working with local and national partners to

construct a facility and design a childcare and family support 

program that will address the community’s needs. The facility 

will provide childcare services to approximately 75 low- and

moderate-income families and offer training to 70 caregivers and

early childhood educators.

Institute of American Indian Arts—Santa Fe, New Mexico—is

using its grant to build a 55,800-square-foot, two-story library and

technology center on its Santa Fe campus to increase the educational and economic opportunities of local tribal residents

throughout Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Rio Arriba counties. The

new center will incorporate the latest computer and digital technology and include a new distance and continuing education facility, multimedia and telecommunication resources, and space to

house the school’s visual communications program. The new

facility and resources will allow the school to reach Native

American learners around the country and increase its campus

registration. 

Sisseton Wahpeton Community College—Agency Village,

South Dakota—is using its grant to make extensive renovations to

the current college facility that will improve the school’s professional appearance and accommodate recent increases in staffing

and enrollment. Improvements to the buildings will focus on

increasing the health and safety concerns of the college but will

also address the overall appearance of the school with the addition

of new signage, increased lighting, new ceiling tiles, and fresh

paint. 

Si Tanka College—Eagle Butte, South Dakota—is using its grant

to renovate, equip, and operate four interactive classrooms on the

main campus. The interactive classrooms will house 24 computer

workstations and a computer teaching station. The grant will also

fund the development of two-way teleconference classrooms with

digital cameras, microphones, and video compression equipment.

The new facility will enable the school to develop its instructional

technology and distance learning capability, resulting in the sharing of resources and academic offerings between the Si Tanka and

Huron campuses.

Oglala Lakota College—Kyle, South Dakota—located within

the Pine Ridge Reservation, worked with local and national partners to construct the Oglala Lakota Cultural Center on the Piya

Hub campus. The recently completed facility provides classroom

space, a museum exhibit display of Lakota customs and artifacts,

a presentation room for the study of Lakota customs and rituals,

and a Lakota language learning lab for the development and

preservation of the Lakota language.

College of the Menominee Nation—Keshena, Wisconsin—is

using its grant to build a three-story addition to its Glenn Miller

Hall, which will serve as the new campus commons. The new

facility will provide students with space for socializing, a relaxing

study environment, and an opportunity to engage in peer learning.

The addition will include recreational and organization spaces

designed and constructed by the students, a teleconference center

and community meeting space, a campus bookstore, and a space

for vending food services. The project will provide the school’s

Youth Options program—a specialized transition program with

the Menominee Indian School District—an opportunity to engage

in hands-on training in the building trades.

Fort Peck Community College—Poplar, Montana—is using its

grant to help design, construct, and equip a comprehensive vocational and technical education center located adjacent to the main

campus. The 12,000-square-foot facility will provide classroom,

laboratory, office, storage, and support space for a number of high

profile, accredited, career-training programs. Incorporating flexible spatial design, the new facility will be able to accommodate

future curriculum and program changes. This project is essential

to meet the needs of an expanding student body, while ensuring

the continued growth and development of the college. ✣

Opportunities continued from page 2
the school in 1980, and it achieved full

accreditation in 1990. Serving more than

200 full-time students, the majority of

whom are Crow tribal members, the

school offers eight associate’s degrees

with courses of study directly related to

area job opportunities and economic

development. The school offers one of

the most extensive programs of regularly taught native language and culture

courses in the country. 

During the summer of 2003 the school is

equipping the facility and moving in the

new residents. Expansion of the school’s

language and cultural research and curriculum development program is

planned for the campus and will reside

in the new facility. The learning lodge

will also serve as a place for the community to gather and participate in language classes, social gatherings, and

cultural events. 

To design a facility that reflects the heritage of the Crow people, the school

engaged in a long process involving

tribal elders, the college’s faculty and

students, architecture students at the

University of Montana-Bozman (UMB),

and the larger tribal community. “We

worked with the community in an opendoor process to identify the important

elements of the Crow culture to include

in the building design,” states Yarlott. 

The school worked with architecture

students at UMB to develop initial

designs and models that reflected the

ideas identified by the community.

“The Crow people are closely tied to

the seasons and specific geometric

designs,” adds Yarlott. With this information and a board of cultural advisors,

students developed four designs that

were presented to the staff and students

and, eventually, the entire community

for a vote. 

The final design reflects Crow culture

and is built around the concept of a tipi.

The community area is rectangular but

interior columns form a circle reflecting

the tipi structure. The building is filled

with meaningful geometric designs.

“The entire building and the site are

reflections of our history, culture, and

original homelands,” states Yarlott.

Some early functions have been held in

the new building, including a traditional

Crow tobacco ceremony. After the facility is officially open, it will serve the 

community’s meeting space needs and add

to the school’s ability to preserve and promote the Crow culture.

For additional information, contact: David

Yarlott, president, Little Big Horn College,

(406) 638-3100. ✣

Larger Community continued from page 1

Background of the Crow People

The Crow people call themselves Absaroke—a bird that was once native to theiroriginal homeland south of Lake Winnipeg. During the late 18th century they

migrated to southwestern Montana and Wyoming. In 1991 nearly 8,500 members

were enrolled in the tribe that primarily lives in Bighorn and Yellowstone counties 

of Montana.

The Crow reservation was established by treaty in 1868 and covers an area of approximately 1.5 million acres—400,000 of which are tribally owned. All male and female

adults are members of the general council and elect four tribal officers and various committees to govern the tribe and administer the tribal court.

Generosity is highly prized by the Crow people. In the past a leader of a successful raid

was entitled to everything they could gather but was socially obligated to give it away.

The Crow were also known for their craftsmanship illustrated in their fine weapons,

clothing, blankets, leather items, and intricate ceremonial carvings.

Most Crow people speak their native language and follow traditional customs such as

healing ceremonies, the giving of Indian names, and the use of medicine bundles in traditional prayers. An annual August fair features traditional food, rodeos highlighting

horsemanship skills, giveaways, and other activities that reflect the traditional ways of

the Crow people. 

Source: A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture and Peoples, by Barry M.

Pritzker. ✣

4 / TCUP Central 
The new three-story log building

on the Piya Hub campus near the

town of Kyle, South Dakota, stands as a

symbol of Oglala Lakota College’s dedication to the preservation of tribal culture and its ongoing desire to promote

tribal self-determination. With the help

of a HUD TCUP grant and the commitment of college resources, the school

has added needed learning space and a

facility that serves the community’s

desire to preserve and promote the

Lakota culture. 

Oglala Lakota College is located within

the 7,000-square-mile Pine Ridge

Reservation and serves a community of

1,400 students and 38,000 residents,

most of whom are Oglala Sioux Tribe

members. The area is known as a highpoverty region confronted with the challenges of tremendous geographic

distances, high alcoholism rates, and the

lack of a centralized community structure. This last factor is particularly relevant as the tribally controlled college

stresses the Lakota culture and tribal

self-determination. 

To increase educational opportunities to

local tribal members and to provide a

venue for the preservation of local customs, Oglala Lakota College engaged

residents, faculty, and students in the

process of building a new cultural center

that is the focus of the school’s Native

American studies program. “We offer a

graduate program

that teaches the particular style of leadership that is

traditional within the

Lakota culture,”

states Thomas

Shortbull, president

of Oglala Lakota

College. The masters

degree program in

Lakota leadership

and management is

helping build the

skills of new tribal

leaders. 

The Oglala Lakota Cultural Center is

now the home of the Lakota studies and

language faculty and research offices.

The old facility was a 12-by-15-foot

room that did not provide adequate

space for staff and research material.

“Our faculty are very thankful for the

additional space and the opportunity to

expand our native studies program,”

states Shortbull.

The building is a multipurpose facility

that houses the Native American studies

program, a language lab, a community

meeting space, and a museum area to

display and promote Lakota traditional

artifacts and history. “The exhibit area

provides people with a history of how

the Lakota people were exploited by

westward expansion from 1800 to

1890—the year of the Wounded Knee

Massacre,” adds Shortbull. 

The school worked with a number of

partners including HUD, the Kellogg

Foundation, the Ludwig Foundation, and

the American Indian College Fund, to

complete the project. “We are very

appreciative to HUD to allow us to have

our dreams come true for the Lakota

studies program,” states Shortbull. 

For additional information, contact:

Thomas Shortbull, president, Oglala

Lakota College, (605) 867-5239,

tshortb@olc.edu. ✣

Background of the

Lakota Tribe

Lakota is a Sioux dialect spoken bythe Titunwan or prairie dwellers of

the upper Midwest. There are 13 subdivisions of the Sioux, including the

Western group called the Oglala—

meaning they scatter their own. The

Lakota refer to themselves as Lakota—

meaning ally.

In the late 17th century the Lakota lived

in north central Minnesota and in parts

of Wisconsin. During the 18th and 19th

centuries they migrated to the western

Dakotas, northwestern Nebraska, northeastern Wyoming, and southwestern

Montana. In the late 18th century the

Lakotas numbered about 13,000. By the

1990s there were approximately 55,000

Lakota living on reservations, mostly the

Oglalas at the Pine Ridge Reservation

and the Sicangus at the Rosebud

Reservation.

The Pine Ridge Reservation was established in 1868 and contains 2.7 million

acres. More than 372,000 acres are tribally owned and governed by tribal council.

Since the 1920s the Lakotas have continued to press for legal possession of the

7.7 million acres of the Black Hills—the

Lakotas’ holiest land—that was appropriated by the United States government. In

1980 the Supreme Court ruled that the

Lakotas’ treaty had been violated and that

they were entitled to $17.5 million plus

interest. All eight Sioux tribes have

refused the cash settlement, opting to

hold out for congressional action that

would return the land to them.

Major historical events of the mid- to

late-19th century, such as the Battle of

Greasy Grass—also known as Custer’s

Last Stand—and the Wounded Knee

Massacre remain paramount in the

hearts and minds of the Lakota people.

Even today, many tribal members commemorate the events with annual ceremonies and pilgrimages to the sites.

Source: A Native American

Encyclopedia: History, Culture and

Peoples, by Barry M. Pritzker. ✣

5 / TCUP Central 

Cultural Center Houses Native American

Studies Program
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1) Turtle Mountain Community College

2) Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

3) Oglala Lakota College

4) College of the Menominee Nation

5) Little Big Horn College

6) Institute of American Indian Arts

7) Fort Belknap College

8) Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

9) Stone Child College

10) Little Priest Tribal College

11) Fort Peck Community College

12) Si Tanka College

13) Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

14) Sisseton Wahpeton Community College

15) Cankdeska Cikana Community College

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Congratulations to the 2003 TCUP Grantees!

For a complete list of the new grantees and a description of their projects, please visit the OUP Web site at www.oup.org.