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About Ilisagvik College

Ilisaġvik College was founded to primarily serve the residents of the North Slope Borough, America’s northernmost municipality. The intent of its founders was to provide an education based on the Iñupiaq cultural heritage. The basis for all of Iḷisaġvik’s educational programs is the rich foundation of subsistence culture in harmony with the land and seas that give it sustenance.

Iḷisaġvik College is a direct outgrowth of the Native American self-determination movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. With the formation of a home-rule government called the North Slope Borough in 1972, the Iñupiat people took their first steps towards regaining control of their lives and destinies.
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Vision

To help build strong communities through education and training.

Mission

It is dedicated to serving its students and developing a well-educated and trained workforce who meet the human resource needs of North Slope employers and the state of Alaska.

About Dine’ College

Diné College was established in 1968 as the first tribally-controlled community college in the United States. In creating an institution of higher education, the Navajo Nation sought to encourage Navajo youth to become contributing members of the Navajo Nation and the world society. Under the direction of an eight-member Board of Regents confirmed by the Government Services Committee of the Navajo Nation Council, the College serves residents of the 26,000 square mile Navajo Nation, which spans the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. As a postsecondary educational institution, Diné College awards associate degrees and certificates in areas important to the economic and social development of the Navajo Nation.

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Vision

Our vision is to continuously improve our programs and services to make Diné College the exemplary higher education institution for the Diné People.

Mission

Rooted in Diné language and culture, our mission is to advance quality post-secondary student learning and development to ensure the well-being of the Diné People.

About Tohono O’odham Community College

Tohono O’odham Nation leaders and community members identified the need for a local college that could serve the needs of Nation members nearly half a century ago. In 1998, Chairman Edward Manuel established a task force to make the dream a reality. TOCC partnered with Pima Community College and offered classes starting in 2000, and achieved its own accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in 2005.

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Vision

Tohono O’odham Community College’s vision is to become the Tohono O’odham Nation’s center for higher education and to enhance the Nation’s participation in the local, state, national, and global communities.

Mission

As an accredited and land grant institution, TOCC’s mission is to enhance our unique Tohono O’odham Himdag by strengthening individuals, families, and communities through holistic, quality higher education services. These services will include research opportunities and programs that address academic, life, and developmental skills.

About Nelson American Indian College

American Indian College (AIC) was originally founded in 1957 by missionary Alta Washburn who saw the great need to prepare Native Americans for church ministry. During its years of development, AIC successfully added an Associates degree in Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Education. In 2016, AIC partnered with Nelson University (Nelson), Waxahachie, Texas, becoming Nelson AIC.

Nelson AIC is our nation’s only private, regionally accredited Christian college campus serving primarily Native American students. The administration, faculty, and staff of AIC are passionate about equipping a new generation of leaders. Nelson AIC is committed to the academic, professional, and spiritual development of every student.

Today Nelson AIC alumni include pastors, educators, business professionals, tribal leaders and others who are bringing positive change to their communities. Nelson AIC’s history is one of passionate vision, cooperative efforts, ministry and missions effectiveness, and academic growth to accommodate its institutional purpose.

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Vision

“To be a distinguished Christian university that equips Spirit-empowered leaders with career and ministry skills by providing affordable education, hands-on training opportunities, and innovative academic programs.”

Mission

Nelson University-American Indian College is a Christ-focused and culturally diverse community dedicated to equipping both Native and Non-Native students for Christian Ministry, Marketplace Leadership, and Service to the world.

About California Tribal College

The California Tribal College is currently in development as an initiative to become the first 4-year Tribal College in the state. The state’s first independent and fully accredited tribal college is the California Indian Nations College (CINC), which was chartered by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians in September 2017 and officially opened in 2018. Additionally, California previously had a tribal college known as D-Q University, which operated near Davis from 1971 until it closed in 2005.

Vision

The California Tribal College (CTC) vision is to empower resilient, self-sustaining learners who serve their communities as leaders by strengthening Tribal Sovereignty and Tribal Nations.

Mission

The primary mission of the California Tribal College is to provide relevant, high-quality workforce and post-secondary education to the tribal communities of California.

About California Indian Nations College

California Indian Nations College began with a Strategic Planning Committee comprised of over 35 members who form a coalition of constituents from Southern California Indian Country. The Committee lives on as the CINC Advisory Committee and supports a vision to establish a two- year, accredited college with a curriculum that incorporates indigenous culture, Native language revitalization, and the re-institutionalization of traditional Native American values.

With the support of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, local Native communities, College of the Desert (COD), and the Native and non-Native members of the advisory committee, CINC has become a reality. The College was chartered by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians in September of 2017. Early the next year, the same tribe generously provided seed money to support the initial staffing of the College, enabling it to quickly get off the ground. The University of California, Riverside (UCR), graciously offered to sponsor the College’s offices for its first two years at its Palm Desert Graduate Center where it has also rented classroom space to CINC. With that, the staff hit the ground running and the College taught its first classes in cooperation with UCR Extension in Fall 2018.

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Vision

California Indian Nations College (CINC) empowers students to advance Native American cultures, languages, and sovereignties to promote vibrant Native, local and global communities.

Mission

California Indian Nations College (CINC) offers a culturally-responsive academic curriculum rooted in Native American values and provides personalized support to advance the success of Native and non-Native students.

About Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College commemorated the first 25 years of the college through creating a 22-minute video as part of a year-long celebration of events during the 2012-2013 school year. Even though a few years have passed since the video was produced, our story for those first 25 years remains unchanged. We think watching the video “Extraordinary: Celebrating 25 Years” is a great introduction to our history and some of the people behind our story. The video won the Silver Medal of Achievement in the 2013 Collegiate Advertising Awards, a national awards program.
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Vision

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College offers a postsecondary education to honor the past, for those living in the present and dreaming the future, through a spirit of respect, cooperation, and unity.

Mission

The mission of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is to provide higher education opportunities for its communities in a welcoming, culturally diverse environment.

About Leech Lake Tribal College

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe established Leech Lake Tribal College by Tribal Resolution in July 1990. For two years, courses were offered in extension from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, Bemidji State University, Itasca and Brainerd Community Colleges.

The college had its first graduate of the Associate of Arts program in Anishinaabe Language and Culture in the spring of 1993. In 1994, the college was accorded status as a Land Grant Institution by the United States Congress. Also in 1994, seventeen graduates completed their Associate of Arts degrees and Associate of Applied Science degrees. By the spring of 1995, the number of graduates had increased to twenty-four.

The college moved classrooms and administration to the former Cass Lake High School building in the fall of 1994, resulting in an increased student enrollment of 196. These students were enrolled in two-year Associate of Arts transfer degree programs, or in two-year technical programs leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree, or in one-year vocational programs.
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Vision

To be recognized as a center of academic excellence that advances the Anishinaabe worldview and empowers life-long learners who are fully engaged citizens, stewards, and leaders.

Mission

Leech Lake Tribal College provides quality higher education grounded in Anishinaabe values.

About White Earth Tribal & Community College

Founded in 1997 by the White Earth Tribal Council, White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC) was created to provide accessible, culturally grounded higher education for the White Earth Nation and surrounding communities. What began in a small two-room building in downtown Mahnomen with 14 students has grown into a thriving tribal college dedicated to student success, cultural preservation, and community impact.
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Vision

We all are carrying into the future the way the Anishinaabeg was gifted.

Mission

White Earth Tribal and Community College is an institution of higher learning dedicated to academic excellence grounded in Anishinaabe culture, values, and traditions

About Bay Mills Community College

Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Superior within the Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) approximately 17 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As Michigan’s first fully accredited, tribally controlled college, BMCC meets the educational needs of a wide variety of students through its remote, rural Main Campus, West Campus, Waishkey Bay Farm site, off-campus sites, and online courses. Control is vested in a Board of Regents, which elects the officers of the Board and establishes overall institutional policy. BMCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.
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Vision

With learning as its central mission, BMCC prepares students to become productive self-confident and responsible members of an increasingly diverse workforce by providing them with academic, technical, work, and life skills needed for successful transfer into baccalaureate programs or directly into the workforce. By establishing itself as an effective partner alongside other academic institutions, private and public sector employers, and neighboring communities, BMCC will ensure its long-term viability and positive impact on the Upper Great Lakes region. BMCC will work to ensure the viability and sustainability of the language, culture, and way of life of the Anishinaabe people while promoting and emphasizing life-long learning for all students.

Mission

As a tribally controlled community college and land grant institution, the mission of Bay Mills Community College is to provide quality educational opportunities, promote research and facilitate individual development in an accessible, community-based, and culturally diverse environment that supports and maintains the Anishinaabek culture and language.

About Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College is one of four Land Grant Colleges and Universities in the state of Michigan. Michigan State University, originally chartered in 1855 as a state land-grant agricultural college, served as the model for the Morrill Act of 1862 which funded new colleges through grants of federally controlled lands to states and was redesignated as a federal land-grant institution in 1863. Bay Mills Community College, Saginaw Chippewa Community College, and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College gained designation under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
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Vision

KBOCC aspires to be an intergenerational center of educational excellence and innovation grounded in Anishinaabe values for community advancement and well-being.

Mission

As a tribal land grant institution, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College supports and uplifts all learners to achieve their goals through holistic education, while promoting Anishinaabe culture, language, and lifeways

About Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) is a public community college located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. In 1998, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council adopted a resolution establishing a tribally controlled college and forming a governing Board of Regents. While the primary focus was to build a bridge between tribal members and higher education, the college was chartered as a public institution for all people in the community.
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Vision

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is committed to expanding educational opportunities in a nurturing environment that embraces and integrates the cultural uniqueness of the Anishinaabek.

Mission

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is a tribally controlled land grant institution that reflects and promotes the unique culture of the Anishinaabek Community, designed with educational excellence to empower learners to reach their educational goals.

About Blackfeet Community College

In 1972, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council established a 10-year comprehensive plan for the Blackfeet Nation. B.C.C. identified needs and goals through needs assessments and studies required for implementing federal programs. The plan identified the need for a community college, workforce/technical school, new facilities, and educational programs.

In October 1974, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council chartered the Blackfeet Community College by Executive Action to “…provide post-secondary and higher educational services…” to the residents of the Blackfeet Nation and surrounding communities. The impetus for this action grew from early tribal efforts to provide an educational opportunity to its residents in a physically, climatically, and culturally isolated area.
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Vision

It is the vision of Blackfeet Community College to strengthen and enrich our Blackfeet Nation and universal community through quality education integrating the Nii-tsi-ta-pi World of Knowledge.

Mission

The purpose of Blackfeet Community College is to provide the Blackfeet Nation and our “Universal Community” access to quality educational programs that prepare students for achievement in higher education, meaningful employment, basic skills instruction, and continuing education while integrating the Blackfeet Culture and language.

About Chief Dull Knife College

Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC), founded in 1975 as the Northern Cheyenne Indian Action Program, was established by Tribal Ordinance to expand educational access and opportunity within the Northern Cheyenne community. Originally focused on vocational training, CDKC’s offerings have broadened significantly to include college transfer programs, Associate degrees, and community-centered initiatives, all of which embody Chief Dull Knife’s enduring vision of resilience, independence, and learning.

Renamed in 2001 to honor Chief Dull Knife—also known as Chief Morning Star—the College carries forward his legacy of determination, reflecting his efforts to protect the sovereignty and dignity of the Northern Cheyenne people. CDKC remains committed to empowering students through education while fostering cultural pride and knowledge.
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Vision

“We can no longer live the way we used to. We cannot move around any more the way we were brought up. We have to learn a new way of life. Let us ask for schools to be built in our country so that our children can go to these schools and learn this new way of life.”
Chief Dull Knife, Northern Cheyenne

Mission

Chief Dull Knife College is a community based, land grant, and tribally controlled community college established to provide quality educational opportunities to residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and surrounding communities. Inspired by Chief Dull Knife’s determination, our mission is to provide Northern Cheyenne culturally influenced education through quality life-long learning opportunities

About Aaniiih Nakoda College

Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) is a tribally controlled college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana. The college was chartered in 1983 by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council (FBICC), which serves as the governing body of the Aaniinen (White Clay People, also known as Gros Ventre) and Nakoda (Assiniboine) nations of the Fort Belknap reservation. Originally established as Fort Belknap College, the college officially changed its name to Aaniiih Nakoda College in a historic ceremony that took place on September 21, 2011.

Prior to 1983, Aaniiih Nakoda College operated as the Fort Belknap Resident Center of the College of Great Falls (1980-1982) and as a satellite campus of Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer, Montana (1982-1983). After receiving its official charter from the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, ANC operated as a branch of Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana, until 1987, when the college gained candidacy status to pursue accreditation. In 1993, Aaniiih Nakoda College gained accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. ANC’s accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in June 2017.
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Mission

At Aaniiih Nakoda College we aim to provide quality post-secondary education for residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. Our College promotes individual and community development by maintaining and revitalizing the Indigenous lifeways of the Aaniinen and Nakoda Tribes and by preparing students to succeed in American technological society.

About Fort Peck Community College

Fort Peck Community College is a tribally-controlled community college, chartered by the Tribal Executive Board of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck Indian Reservation in 1978.

This charter followed a 1977 Tribal Executive Board resolution creating the Fort Peck Tribal Education Department, which in turn set the foundation for establishing the college. These two actions secured the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes as national leaders for tribally controlled education, and placed the college on its path to becoming an effective and successful community based institution of higher learning.
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Vision

Fully accredited Fort Peck Community College is a safe, healthy, and welcoming leader for all to achieve academic, career, and cultural goals.

Mission

FPCC serves the people of the Fort Peck Reservation and Northeast Montana by providing quality academic, vocational, and community based programs, empowering the next generation of workers, leaders, and citizens while being entrusted with the preservation and promotion of Assiniboine and Sioux Culture.

About Little Big Horn College

Little Big Horn College, a 1994 Land Grant Institution, is the Crow higher education and cultural center that grants Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees and certificates in areas that reflect the developing economic opportunities and social needs of the Crow Indian Reservation and surrounding communities, offering instruction by traditional and distance education methods. The College is dedicated to the professional, vocational and personal development of individual students for their advancement in higher education or the workplace and inspiring Crow and American Indian Scholarship. The College is committed to the preservation, perpetuation and protection of Crow culture and language, and respects the distinct bilingual and bicultural aspects of the Crow Indian community. Little Big Horn College is committed to the advancement of the Crow Indian family and community building.

Little Big Horn College is a public two-year community college chartered by the Crow Tribe of Indians. The College is located in the town of Crow Agency, Montana Baaxawuaashe’, the capital of the Crow Indian Reservation in south central Montana. Eight Associate of Arts degrees are offered at LBHC. The courses of study offered are directly related to the job opportunities and economic development on the Crow Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. The majority of the students enrolled are members of the Crow Tribe of Indians
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Vision

Making our Dreams Happen with Academic Excellence, Culture and Commitment.

Mission

LBHC offers high quality degrees, certificates and programs for professional, workforce, and personal development that brings prosperity and leadership to Crow Country; and preserves, protects, and perpetuates the Apsáalooke language, history, and culture.

About Salish Kootenai College

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is committed to helping all students succeed, regardless of their background. Over 60% of SKC’s graduates are first-generation college students, meaning they are the first in their families to attend college. SKC understands that first-generation students often face unique challenges, such as adjusting to college life and juggling multiple responsibilities. That’s why SKC offers a variety of resources and support services to help first-generation students thrive.

One of the most important resources for first-generation students at SKC is the Student Support Services (SSS) program. SSS provides academic advising, career counseling, tutoring, financial literacy training, and one-on-one coaching to help students succeed in their studies and achieve their educational goals. Students who participate in SSS report feeling more connected to the college community and more confident in their ability to succeed in college.
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Vision

Salish Kootenai College aspires to be the pre-eminent educational center of excellence for American Indian Students, grounded in the cultures of the Séliš, Ksanka and QÍispé people of the Flathead Nation. The college will empower students to improve the lives of their families and communities through research, leadership and service.

Mission

The Mission of Salish Kootenai College is to provide quality post-secondary educational opportunities and support for American Indians, locally and from throughout the United States, to achieve their academic and career goals. The College will perpetuate the cultures of the Séliš, Ksanka, and Qlispe’ peoples. The College will impact its community through service and research..

About Stone Child College

Stone Child College (SCC) is a tribally-controlled community college of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, offering programs of study that can lead to degrees and certificates. SCC is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and is listed in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium(AIHEC), which represents tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations.

SCC was chartered by the Chippewa Cree Business Committee on May 17, 1984. It was the feeling of tribal leaders that the establishment of a college was necessary for the preservation and maintenance of the Chippewa Cree culture, and for the educational training of its tribal membership. Post-secondary educational programs designed to meet the specific needs of the Chippewa Cree tribe is a great necessity. SCC is committed to meeting the needs of the community, tribal members, tribal programs, and is dedicated to helping promote pride in each tribal member’s Chippewa Cree heritage. See more history here…

Vision

Making our Dreams Happen with Academic Excellence, Culture and Commitment.

Mission

Stone Child College (SCC) is a tribally chartered college established to deliver post-secondary educational opportunities through degrees, certificates, and community education. SCC stresses the importance of preserving the Chippewa Cree language, culture, and history. Stone Child College demonstrates its commitment to student learning and achievement by providing quality educational programs and student services that professionally prepare students for the workforce or further education.

About Nebraska Indian Community College

The Nebraska Indian Community College was founded in 1973 as the American Indian Satellite Community College under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education. The grant was administered through Northeast Technical Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, to provide post-secondary education on the Omaha, Santee Dakota, and the Winnebago reservations. See more history here….

Today, NICC serves the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, at the Macy Campus, and the Santee Dakota Nation, at the Santee Campus, and maintains a campus site in downtown South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Vision

Nebraska Indian Community College is envisioned as a comprehensive Tribal College which values service through high quality education. The college is distinctive in serving the diverse people of the Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) and Isanti (Santee Dakota) Nations.  It features an enriched living and learning environment and year-round operation. The identity of the college is framed by a substantive commitment to multicultural learning. See more here …

Institutional programs value and cultivate the creative and productive talents of learners, faculty, and staff, and seek ways to contribute to the self-sufficiency of the Nations served, the well-being of our communities, and the quality of life and development of its learners, faculty, and service areas.

Mission

The Nebraska Indian Community College provides quality higher education and lifelong educational opportunities for Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Isanti (Santee Dakota) and all learners.

About Little Priest Tribal College

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska chartered Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC) in May 1996. Its major focus is to provide a two-year associate degree and certification and prepare students to transfer and successfully complete a major at a four-year institution. Another equally important part of the college’s mission is to provide HoChunk language and culture classes as well as provide training opportunities for upgrading job skills and improving employment opportunity. Little Priest Tribal College is named after Chief Little Priest, the last war chief of the Winnebago Tribe.

The college was declared a land-grant institution in June 1998, and received accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in August, 1998. It is a great credit to the Winnebago Tribe and to the college to have met all of the Association’s standards of excellence and have achieved the distinction of accreditation, awarded just two years after opening its doors to students.
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Philosophy

In the Winnebago heritage of respect, integrity, and self-reliance, Little Priest Tribal College is chartered by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a sovereign nation, to provide higher education opportunities. The college will prepare its students to succeed in a multicultural world by emphasizing quality education of the highest level, humanistic values, and life skills.

Mission

Little Priest Tribal College is established as an educational institution by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska to fulfill the goal of its namesake, Chief Little Priest, “Be Strong and Educate My Children”.

About Navajo Technical University

Navajo Technical University (NTU) was born out of the determination of the tribal college movement, in which tribal nations from throughout the region of North America exercised their sovereignty in taking ownership of their education. At the heart of the movement was the idea that Navajos and other American Indian people had a right to be free and equal to determine their own future through schools that taught from the strength of language and culture, providing a conceptual bridge to contemporary knowledge, skills, values, and attributes.

The movement was launched in 1966 out of the experiments in Indian education that started with the founding of the Rough Rock Demonstration School, and extended into higher education with the founding of Navajo Community College in 1969. The movement was progressive and noted for the bravery it took in challenging the effectiveness of mainstream colleges and universities in their effectiveness with serving Native American students. What started with Navajo Community College, or Diné College, spread to other tribal nations and included the founding of NTU’s early beginnings as the Navajo Skills Center (NSC).
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Vision

Navajo Technical University provides an excellent educational experience in a supportive, culturally diverse environment, enabling all community members to grow intellectually, culturally and economically.

Mission

Navajo Technical University honors Diné culture and language, while educating for the future.

About Institute of American Indian Arts

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), the birthplace of contemporary Native American art, has been the educational home for esteemed, innovative artists, writers, filmmakers, performers, and leaders since 1962. At the start of its humble beginnings on the Santa Fe Indian School campus, IAIA began collecting and exhibiting student artworks, a collection that soon became the world’s premier collection of contemporary Indigenous art—the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA).

Today, IAIA continues to grow on its stunning 140-acre campus, offering more and more certificate, undergraduate degree, and graduate degree programs, and MoCNA continues to expand its renowned collection of over 9,000 artworks, curating numerous progressive and innovative exhibitions, both traveling and at MoCNA’s location in downtown Santa Fe. This year, as we remember our rich history and look to our vibrant future, we ask everyone to join us in celebrating IAIA’s sixtieth anniversary and MoCNA’s semicentennial. The celebration of this monumental 60/50 anniversary will encompass the theme Making History and will be a prominent part of all IAIA and MoCNA events in 2022. Additionally, we have designed a commemorative 60/50 Anniversary logo, which will be displayed throughout the year. See more history here…

Vision

Our vision is “to be the premier educational institution elevating Indigenous arts and cultures across the globe.” IAIA’s curricula, facilities, faculty, and staff are dedicated to preparing students for success and leadership. Our Indigenous-centered curricula provide students with educational experiences that fulfill their intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual needs. Through innovative pedagogy, critical inquiry, and intercultural exchange, our students receive a high-quality education and become part of a diverse, intergenerational community.

IAIA exemplifies creative excellence and what can be accomplished through an Indigenous approach to academics, community involvement, and museum practices. By promoting and expanding access to contemporary Indigenous arts through educational programming, research, and exhibitions, we are empowering Native creators and introducing non-Native audiences to Indigenous peoples’ vitality, resilience, and contemporaneity.

Beyond our arts-focused curricula, IAIA is a 1994 Land-Grant institution. Our Land-Grant Program provides training and outreach rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) that promote tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Mission

The mission of the Institute of American Indian Arts is “To empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts, scholarship, and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and community engagement.” This mission is more than a statement. It is the driving force behind all that we do and the guiding principle for our dedicated faculty and staff.

About Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is a federally funded tribal college located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1971 as a vocational training center to provide education and training to Native American individuals from various tribes across the United States. SIPI’s main focus is on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, along with other vocational and technical programs.
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The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute remains committed to its mission of offering educational opportunities that empower Native American individuals and contribute to their personal growth and the development of their communities.

Vision

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute envisions a vibrant future where Native students and nations lead through knowledge, guided by ancestral wisdom and empowered by innovation – re-centering learning in cultural values that strengthen self-determination and inspire future generations.

Mission

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute empowers Native students through transformative education that strengthens cultural identity, inspires innovation, and prepares graduates to serve their Tribal Nations and the world.

About Cankdeska Cikana Community College

 In the early 1960s Chief Lewis Good House (tribal chairman) was adamant that any services for the people of the Spirit Lake Tribe (then called the Devils Lake Sioux Tribe), were to be based in the villages where the Dakota people lived and raised families, south of Devils Lake.  Lake Region Junior College (now Lake Region State College) reached out to Chairman Good House to provide college courses on the reservation.  The History of the Plains Indians was the first course listed in the LRJC catalog in 1965-66 and in June 1967, with the Chairman’s support, LRJC received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a college program for Spirit Lake.  This collaboration led to the establishment of a tribal education committee in the 1970s to continue working with LRJC for grant funding for a higher education program for the Spirit Lake community. 

In November 1970 a significant conference on Indian post-secondary education was held in Devils Lake, North Dakota by the American Association of Junior Colleges and funded by the Kellogg Foundation.  Educators and tribal leaders from eleven reservations and nine Midwest junior colleges discussed the potential for establishing tribal colleges.  This conference played a significant role in the future development of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). See more history here…

Vision

CCCC builds a strong and viable Dakota community that enjoys physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Mission

CCCC provides opportunities that lead to student independence and self-sufficiency through academic achievement and continuation of the Spirit Lake Dakota language and culture.

About Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

The Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) is tribally chartered by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation headquarters at New Town, North Dakota. NHSC is tribally controlled by a Board of Directors, which consist of seven members. The College was founded May 2, 1973, as the agency responsible for higher education on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

The Three Affiliated Tribes endorsed the concept that a locally based higher education institution was needed to train Tribal members and to act as a positive influence in retaining the Tribal cultures. A steering committee was appointed to oversee the initial operations of the College. This committee was replaced by the selection of a Board of Directors in 1974. See more history here…

Vision

Integrates dynamic, cultural principles to honor the past, for those living in the present and shaping the future.

Mission

A unique educational community founded in culture and spirituality that nurtures holistic student success

About Sitting Bull College

Sitting Bull College began as Standing Rock Community College (SRCC) on September 21, 1973. On that date, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council granted a charter to SRCC to operate as a post-secondary educational institution with the authority to grant degrees at the Associate level. Recognizing the need for an institution of higher education which would provide opportunities for people in the immediate area, several movers and shakers on the Standing Rock reservation began the process of establishing one of the nation’s first tribal colleges.

At the time the charter was granted, different colleges from around the state were offering a number of courses on the reservation. However, there was no coordination of effort and tribal leaders felt that it would be best to go through one institution. Bismarck Junior College (BJC) was designated to be that institution. As ties with BJC strengthened, discussions were begun to determine whether the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe should join other tribes which were in the process of forming their own colleges. A grant to BJC from the Higher Education Act provided money for Standing Rock Community College to begin offering courses. Standing Rock Community College opened its doors officially in July of 1973. The first offices and classrooms were in the Douglas Skye Memorial Retirement Complex in Fort Yates. There were three full-time people on staff. See more history here…

Vision

Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children. Wakhányeža kin lená épi cha táku waštéšte iwíchunkiciyukcanpi kte.

Mission

Guided by Lakota/Dakota culture, values, and language, Sitting Bull College is committed to building intellectual capital through academic, career and technical education, and promoting economic and social development.

About Turtle Mountain Community College

Turtle Mountain College (TMC) is one of the original six tribal colleges that were established by various Indian Tribes in the early 1970’s. The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe chartered the college in 1972. The Turtle Mountain Community College is located in north central North Dakota in the historical wooded, hilly, and lake-filled area known as the Turtle Mountains. This area is one of North Dakota’s few all-service and all-seasons recreational areas. In addition to being the home of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa the area is the home of the world-renowned International Peace Garden.
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Philosophy

Turtle Mountain College is a tribal community college with obligations of direct community service to the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe. Under this unifying principle, the college seeks to maintain, seek out, and provide comprehensive higher education services in fields needed for true Indian self-determination.

Mission

Turtle Mountain College is an autonomous Tribal College focusing on post-secondary education and scholarly research creating an academic environment in which the culture, language, and social heritage of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa is integrated throughout the curriculum.

About United Tribes Technical College

Located in Bismarck, ND, United Tribes Technical College serves to provide an outstanding education to the Native American people of this region and around the country. For 50 years, UTTC has served over ten thousand American Indian students from more than 75 federally recognized Indian Tribes across the nation. In addition to American Indians, the college welcomes and serves students of all backgrounds.

United Tribes Technical College is a regionally accredited institution, having maintained continuous accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission since 1982 and currently through 2031. In addition, UTTC is the first tribal college in the nation authorized to offer fully online degree programs. The college is considered a 1994 Tribal Land-Grant Institution. The College was founded to provide a community in which Indian people can acquire an education and obtain employment. Programs which have been added over the years have kept this initial purpose in mind, providing not only occupational education and training but also individual and social skills in a culturally-relevant setting, with an emphasis on children and families. United Tribes Technical College is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation incorporated in the state of North Dakota and operated by these five tribes: Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, the Spirit Lake Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. See more history here…

Vision

United Tribes Technical College strives to build cultural, educated, and healthy leaders who empower and serve their communities.

Mission

United Tribes Technical College provides quality post-secondary education and training to enhance knowledge, diversity, and leadership for all indigenous nations.

About College of the Muscogee Nation

The purpose of the Cokv Hocickv Em Vlosetv (Strategic Plan) for the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) is to provide direction for the tribal college’s development by establishing goals, objectives, and priorities that focus on the future. These include the planned growth, accreditation criteria, and Land Grant mission.

Paving the way for the College was the Creek Treaty of 1866 between the Muscogee Nation and the United States government. Leaders of the Muscogee Nation included in the treaty the right to build educational facilities within Creek territory. This educational legacy and foresight of our ancestors established the precedent, which 138 years later allowed the tribal college to open its doors. Through careful planning, the college will continue the vision of our Mvskoke Creek ancestors

This Strategic Plan ushers in a new era of development and growth for the college. It takes us from the more short-term operational planning function used in the first strategic plan, to a more conceptual long-range blueprint, which will guide decision-makers into 2027. See more history here…

Vision

The College of the Muscogee Nation fosters the spirit of enthusiasm for learning, identity embedded in culture and appreciation for tradition that will serve our students well into the future benefiting the interests of the Muscogee Nation and enhancing greater participation within the tribal, local, and global communities.

Mission

The College of the Muscogee Nation is the institution of higher education for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation emphasizing native culture, values, language and self-determination. The College provides a positive learning environment for tribal and non-tribal students as citizens of a tribal and global society supported by teaching excellence and offers exemplary academic programs that meet student, tribal, and societal needs. Through instructional quality and visionary leadership, the College of the Muscogee Nation encourages lifelong learners, for personal growth, professional development, and intellectual advancement.

About Pawnee Nation College

The buildings that house the College are part of a historic district, the Pawnee Agency and Indian Boarding School. From 1878 to 1958, the sandstone buildings on the Pawnee Reserve served as the Pawnee Indian Boarding School, nicknamed Gravy U by the students who attended the boarding school. The Boarding School carried out elementary and middle school instruction to Indian students from across the region. Today, those same hallowed grounds that once strived to sever students from their cultural heritage and traditions acts as a place of healing and growth for students, a beacon for knowledge and a return to their cultural ways.

The college strives to provide a roadmap home for tribal members of the Pawnee Nation and other surrounding area tribes, and anyone with a desire to learn. The healing, much like the learning, is far from complete.
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Vision

Pawnee Nation College envisions a future where students and stakeholders strengthen and enrich the lives of their families, communities, and society through life-long intellectual inquiry.

Mission

Pawnee Nation College is dedicated to supporting Pawnee and other Indigenous cultures by providing high quality education to build community resilience through service, research, social, and economic well-being.

About Oglala Lakota College

Since the creation of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Oglala leaders have pressed the federal government to meet the educational obligations it promised in treaties and agreements. With the advent of efforts to extend tribal sovereignty by American Indians throughout the United States came a recognition by Lakotas that control of education is also the control of its destiny. On March 4, 1971, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council exercised its sovereignty by chartering the Lakota Higher Education Center. This marked the commencement of a vision’s realization which continues to evolve in the history of the Oglala Lakota.

During its non-accredited years, the college entered into agreements with Black Hills State College, University of South Dakota, and University of Colorado to “borrow” their accreditation for various associate degree programs. Students were taught on the reservation by faculty chosen by the college, but approved by the state institutions, who taught the same courses as offered in South Dakota’s colleges. It was a complicated system but it met the needs of students.

The college awarded its first associate degrees in 1974. In 1978, the name of the college was changed to Oglala Sioux Community College to reflect its status as community college. In 1979, Oglala Sioux Community College became a candidate for North Central Association accreditation. The college settled into its dispersed, decentralized campus system which features college centers in each of the nine reservation districts.
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Decentralized Campus Structure

To overcome rural isolation and transportation barriers, OLC operates a unique decentralized network across 3,468 square miles:

• Pine Ridge Reservation: 9 distinct instructional district centers.
• Cheyenne River Reservation: 1 outreach center in Eagle Butte.
• Rapid City: 1 urban extension center serving native and non-native students.

Vision

Rebuilding the Lakota Nation Through Education

This vision statement has highly influenced the growth and purpose of Oglala Lakota College throughout the years. We believe that through education, we will be able to provide resources to rebuild the Lakota nation and increase the amount and quality of resources available to the people of the Lakota reservations.

Mission

The mission which emanates from the charter of the Oglala Sioux Tribe is to educate students for professional and vocational employment opportunities in Lakota country. The College will graduate well-rounded students grounded in Wolakolkiclyapi, learning Lakota ways of life in the community, by teaching Lakota culture and language as part of preparing students to participate in a multicultural world.

About Sinte Gleska University

From the first conversations of community elders to becoming a fully accredited University, these milestones represent the determination, leadership, and vision that shaped Sinte Gleska University.

• 1968 A Vision Begins Elders and community members meet to discuss the development of a college for the people. The foundation of Sinte Gleska University began with the vision of Sicangu Lakota elders who believed education was essential for strengthening the future of the people.
• 1971 Sinte Gleska College Opens – The college opened its doors to its first 156 students with 16 classes taught by volunteer instructors. Extension courses were offered through Black Hills State College, University of South Dakota, and University of Colorado,
  1972 Founding Member of AIHEC – Sinte Gleska College became one of six founding institutions of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. This milestone placed SGU among the first tribal colleges working together to advance Indigenous higher education.
• 1974 Tribal College Movement Expands – President Lionel Bordeaux and tribal college leaders helped advance the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act. This legislation became a foundation for federal support of Tribal Colleges and Universities.
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Vision

SGU looks to strengthen the Sicangu Nation through higher education opportunities that promote indigenous models of teaching, research in tribal economic development and use of the Lakota language

Mission

Sinte Gleska University of the Sicangu Oyate builds a healthy, resilient tribal nation through Wolakota, self-determination, lifelong learning and visionary leadership.

About Sisseton Wahpeton College

Sisseton Wahpeton College is part of a long history of education that has gone through many phases and changes since first contact with Europeans. Before the United States of America was a nation, the Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands knew and practiced applied sciences and lifelong learning. Their knowledge of the natural sciences astounded many Europeans who could not accept them as more than primitive savages.

The Sisseton and Wahpeton have survived mission schools, boarding schools, and hundreds of educational laws and policies, and even being banned from their homeland to a reservation. Here in the northeastern corner of the state of South Dakota, the remnants of the two bands were allowed to retain a small triangular-shaped piece of land now known as the Lake Traverse Reservation. Here the elders of the tribe visualized a time when their own people would take control of the education of its youth.

On August 7, 1979, this vision became a reality with the establishment of Sisseton Wahpeton Community College (SWCC). The College received a … See more history here…

Mission

Sisseton Wahpeton College provides the highest quality education to an inclusive study body, fosters research and innovation, upholds Dakota Culture, and leads the socio-economic development of the Oyate and beyond.

About Northwest Indian College

NWIC grew from the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, founded in 1973, a single-purpose training program developed to prepare technicians for employment in Indian-owned and operated fish and shellfish hatcheries throughout the United States and Canada.

In 1983, the Lummi Indian Business Council recognized the need for a more comprehensive post-secondary institution for Tribal members, and the college was chartered as Lummi Community College, an Indian-controlled, comprehensive two-year college, designed to serve the post-secondary educational needs of Indian people living in the Pacific Northwest. In June of 1988, Lummi Community College was approved as a candidate for accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWASC) and, on January 20, 1989, in acknowledgement of its wider mandate to serve Native people through the Northwest, Lummi Community College changed its name to the Northwest Indian College

Northwest Indian College was granted accreditation at the associate level by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), effective September 1993. In 2010, NWIC became accredited at the baccalaureate level and now offers four bachelor’s degrees. The College’s educational programs have been approved by the US Department of Education, Veteran’s Administration, and the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board for the administration of financial assistance for eligible student. Northwest Indian College is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the American Association of Community Colleges, and the American Council on Education. See more history here…

Vision

We are committed to our students, the Tribes we serve, and advancing Tribal sovereignty for the protection and enhancement of our homelands and future generations.

Mission

Through education, Northwest Indian College promotes Indigenous self-determination and knowledge.

About College of Menominee Nation

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) was founded in 1993 as a tribal college chartered by the Menominee Tribal Legislature. The institution was established to offer high-quality higher education infused with American Indian culture, values, and language. It operates its main campus in Keshena, Wisconsin, with a second campus located in Green Bay.

Our Strategic Plan, A Vision to Action

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Vision

An American Indian center for lifelong learning, integrating exemplary academic preparation and research to enhance nation building.

Mission

As a Land Grant institution of higher education chartered by the Menominee People, the College of Menominee Nation infuses learning with American Indian culture and prepares students for leadership, careers, and advanced studies in a multicultural world. The College commits to research and promotion, perpetuation, and nurturance of American Indian language and scholarship.

About Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa University

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU) is a non-profit, tribally controlled institution founded in 1982 by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Located on the reservation near Hayward, Wisconsin, it was created to provide post-secondary education while preserving and advancing Ojibwe language, culture, and history. Wikipedia article

Vision

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University fosters the highest levels of student success in academic and personal growth by providing an advanced technological education that integrates Ojibwe culture throughout the curriculum. We are an institution that serves the educational and cultural needs of the community and individual student goals, while empowering purposeful, skilled action that sustains Ojibwe culture.

Mission

“The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe.”

About Wind River Tribal College

CWC-Wind River supports American Indian students in their enrollment, achievement, and success at Central Wyoming College! Our goal is to help students start or continue their education close to home in a warm and welcoming environment. Our staff strives to provide a support system to help students transition to the Riverton campus by assisting with:

Vision

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University fosters the highest levels of student success in academic and personal growth by providing an advanced technological education that integrates Ojibwe culture throughout the curriculum. We are an institution that serves the educational and cultural needs of the community and individual student goals, while empowering purposeful, skilled action that sustains Ojibwe culture.

Mission

“The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe.”