Building Partnerships in STEM Education A new video produced by Native Science Report shows how tribal and Native-serving colleges built new programs in engineering and the geosciences by working together and partnering with mainstream universities.
Whose DNA Is It Anyway? As genetic engineering advances, Indigenous activists are working to protect ancient seeds from exploitation.
Safekeeping Native Knowledge Once ignored, traditional Indigenous knowledge is now valued. How much should tribes actually share?
Finding Common Ground New guidelines require federal agencies to include Indigenous knowledge in research, policy and decision making. What does this newfound respect mean for tribes? We begin a three-part series by looking at opportunities for tribal-federal cooperation in land management.
Keeping Watch In a region scarred by coal mining, a new research center at Chief Dull Knife College is helping the Northern Cheyenne Reservation of Montana remain an environmental oasis.
Field Notes
PhD in Diné Culture at Navajo Tech It’s the first doctoral program offered by a tribal college.
Grow Your Own American Indian College Fund fellowships support staff and STEM faculty pursuing graduate degrees.
Hard Work, But Worth the Effort A recent workshop offered encouragement and advice for colleges seeking funding through the National Science Foundation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program
A Mixed Report Card Fewer American Indians and Alaska Natives are pursuing STEM degrees, according a new federal report, but more are employed in STEM-related fields.
Will Teslas Become the New Rez Car? Federal money is available to tribes interested in purchasing electric vehicles. Weekly listening sessions held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals are helping to get the word out.
Credit Where Credit is Needed South Dakota State University’s “Expanding the Circle” program is helping tribal college STEM faculty gain credentials needed to teach outside their disciplines.
Student Research
Native Science Report’s 2021-2022 Student Research Showcase is featuring the work of five undergraduate students from tribal and Native-serving colleges.
Voices
From Kyiv to Tsaile Oleksandr Makeyev describes his path from Ukraine to the Navajo Nation, where he is now an associate professor in the School of STEM at Diné College. Along the way, he offers advice for those interested in teaching at a tribal college—and expresses hope for the future of his own homeland.
Weaving Worldviews In a climate many outsiders find inhospitable, Iḷisaġvik College science instructor Linda Nicholas-Figueroa, a transplant from the American South, has made the Arctic Circle her home. She was recently named an AAAS Fellow for her innovative approaches to teaching and place-based research.
Gardens That Build Community Little Priest Tribal College student Trey Blackhawk is showing his community that they can grow their own food in a way that benefits the land and themselves.