Minnesota Tribal Colleges Receive $5M for STEM Education

• White Earth Tribal and Community College will offer an associate degree program in natural sciences to prepare students for jobs and further education.
• Red Lake Nation College will use the funds to expand its social and behavioral sciences curriculum with an emphasis on Ojibwe language and culture to fill workforce needs.
• Since President Joe Biden entered office, the federal government has given over $474.5 million to tribal colleges and universities.

Students at two Minnesota tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) will get more course offerings and a new associate degree program thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, both representing Minnesota, announced Feb. 14 that White Earth Tribal and Community College and Red Lake Nation College received $5 million to expand their programs and course offerings in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

White Earth will use its $2.5 million to create an associate degree program in natural sciences to prepare students for jobs and further education in health sciences.

Red Lake will use its $2.5 million to expand its social and behavioral sciences curriculum with a foundation in Ojibwe language and culture to fulfill the demand for tribal workers in social services. Ojibwe is an endangered Indigenous language, according to the Ojibwe People's Dictionary, established by the University of Minnesota.

"Expanding higher education offerings can be a real game changer for students," Klobuchar said in a press release.

"These National Science Foundation awards will open doors for White Earth Tribal and Community College and Red Lake Nation College students to learn essential skills for in-demand careers while ensuring Ojibwe language and culture remain key components of their education."

The press release notes the high demand for social service workers in tribal communities.

"There's really a great underrepresentation of Natives in social services all throughout the state," Red Lake President Dan King said to the Star Tribune. "The idea is that if you have more Natives educated and trained, then they'll be there to serve with cultural sensitivity and the values in the [social services] system."

A Recent Push for Tribal College Funding

Since President Joe Biden took office, the federal government has awarded over $474.5 million to TCUs.

In December, the Biden administration awarded $93 million to 20 institutions serving historically excluded students, including two TCUs, to improve research and development and help students complete programs.

United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota and Blackfeet Community College in Montana received about $2 million.

Just a few months before, the Department of Education granted $100 million to TCUs, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

Keeping Indigenous Languages, Cultures Alive

TCUs nationwide are expanding their programs. Last fall, Navajo Technical University in New Mexico launched the inaugural cohort for the first Ph.D. program at a tribal college or university.

The Ph.D. in Diné Culture and Language Sustainability will focus on preserving the language, culture, and history of the Navajo people. "Diné" is the Navajo word meaning "the people" and is often how the Navajo people refer to themselves, according to Indian Health Services.

One state over, Oklahoma State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) at the Cherokee Nation is preparing to graduate its first class in May 2024. COM's goal is to graduate medical students to care for underserved populations, primarily Indigenous and rural communities.

COM Dean Natasha Bray, DO, previously told BestColleges it's the first medical school within a tribal reservation and run in partnership with a local tribe.