A modern lumberjack in the Menominee Forest, an internationally recognized model of sustainable development.
Tribal colleges have, for over 25 years, served tribal communities and American Indian people with a fervor and competency that have made these Indian-controlled institutions models for non-Indian institutions working with Indian students. Part of the secret of tribal colleges is that these institutions arise out of their communities, serving them by operating libraries, head start programs, economic development efforts, and a host of other projects, while at the same time reflecting the culture, language, government, and land of the communities.
Unlike more mainstream higher educational institutions, tribal colleges and tribal communities have a synergistic relationship: The whole is often greater than the sum of the parts. Intimately bound to the community, the college reacts to community needs as they arise. Significant parts of the community, in return, center inside college activities and efforts, making the college a part of the tribe’s overall identity.