Out of necessity, tribes became leaders in the battle against Covid-19. A recent conference, hosted by Dine College, investigated what the nation can learn from their work.
Free tuition, bigger Pell grants, and more support for STEM research, healthcare, and broadband are among Biden administration policy plans that will, if enacted, strengthen tribal colleges and empower tribal nations.
Settling in for the long haul, tribal colleges are rearranging academic calendars, loaning laptops, installing Plexiglas, offering tuition discounts, and hosting virtual social events as Covid-19 maintains its grip on reservations nationwide.
The National Science Foundation’s Small Grants for Research program promotes faculty recruitment and retention within tribal colleges, while also strengthening undergraduate teaching.
Scholars from mainstream institutions too often see Native peoples simply as a source of data. A recent webinar outlined the problem and offered strategies for researchers who work with indigenous communities.
Native communities must become leaders in the fight against climate change. “I see this as a crisis,” said Winona LaDuke in an address to the National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Change conference.
Most tribal college IT departments are understaffed and rely on outdated equipment. However, there are cost effective ways to overcome cyberinfrastructure limitations, according to a recently completed study.