ERIC Number: EJ1425905
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-5505
EISSN: EISSN-2163-3630
"Niitsitapiiysinni" -- To Be Blackfoot: The Resilient Spirit of Red Crow Community College
Mickey Vallee; Mary Weasel Fat; Samantha Fox
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, v35 n4 2024
On October 20, 2023, Red Crow Community College ("Mikaisto") board of governors, elders, staff, and students made their grand entry into their long-awaited new campus. This marked a new era for adult education on the Kainai First Nation Blood Tribe, in Stand Off, Alberta, Canada. The college's former campus was located at St. Mary's Residential School and was destroyed during a fire in 2015. As president of the college, Weasel Fat wants the youth to see the new campus as a vision of hope for a better future. Some unique features of the building are Blackfoot signage, artwork by Blackfoot artists, an elders lounge, a ceremonial room, gym, exercise room, daycare, cafeteria, and student lounge. The institution is a testament to Indigenous resilience. At the heart of the college's Niitsitapi values and strategic direction is the promotion of Blackfoot education, echoing the efforts of Chief Red Crow during the seminal Treaty 7 negotiations. This undertaking has been beneficial on an immense scale, touching lives, reshaping worlds, and redefining relationships with the land. This narrative of self-reliance and honoring Blackfoot values is among the powerful lessons imparted to Red Crow students as they learn to navigate and overcome challenges.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Tribally Controlled Education, Minority Serving Institutions, Canada Natives, Foreign Countries, Indigenous Populations, Educational Facilities, School Construction, Tribes, Educational Facilities Design, College Presidents, Administrator Characteristics, Administrator Role, Self Concept, Cultural Maintenance, Reservation American Indians, American Indian History, Self Advocacy
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education. P.O. Box 720, Mancos, CO 81328. Tel: 888-899-6693; Fax: 970-533-9145; Web site: http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A