Working with American Indian Programs and Audiences NAADA 2009 Annual Conference Building Bridges

Presenters Mark Bellcourt Ed.D. - Senior Academic Advisor - CEHD Student Services& ATS Coordinator - CFANS Diversity Office, U Of M Dawn Newman – American Indian and Tribal Partnerships Liaison, U of M Extension Deb Zak – Campus Regional Director, U of M Extension

Agenda Outline American Indian Nations Overview American Indian Statistics American Indian Historical Framework University of Minnesota American Indian Solutions University of Minnesota Extension outreach and Partnerships

American Indian and Alaska Native Population By State AI/AN Population by State, ,00 to 333,400 50,000 to 99,999 10,000 to 49,999 1,713 to 9,999 * Census 2000, One race (AI/AN) alone WA OR CA NV ID MT WY UT CO AZ TX OK ND KS NE SD AR MO IA MN GA TN MS AL LA MI OH INIL WI FL PA VA ME NY WV NC KY SC AK NH VT MA RI CT NJ DE MD HI NM 

11 Minnesota Tribes Anishinabe – Ojibwe o Boise Forte -3,502 o Fond du Lac -4,044 o Grand Portage – 1,127 o Leech Lake – 8,861 o Mille Lacs – 3,942 o Red Lake Nation – 8,039 o White Earth – 19,291 Dakota - Sioux o Prairie Island o Shakopee- Mdewakanton -501 o Lower Sioux o Upper Sioux Chief Bugonaghezhisk (Hole in the Day) Anishinabe-Ojibwe Sitting Bull Dakota-Sioux

Tribal Colleges American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) USDA/CSREES Funds BIA/$4,000 per student 37 Tribal Colleges Currently Four in Minnesota –Fond du Lac –Leech Lake –White Earth –Red Lake

Examples of Tribal Programs and Services Education Social Service Health Housing Elderly/Nutrition Gaming Business

2000 Native American Statistics Percent of total population: 0.8% (MN 1.0%) Median age: 29 (MN 36.9) Unemployment: 36.1% Disability: 19.2% Grandparent raising a child: 42% H.S. Graduate (including GED): 28% (MN 92%) Bachelor's or higher: 15.5% (MN 30.6%)

Issues Trust –Boarding schools –Treaties –Research Learning styles Extended families Socio-economic status Pre-college prep opportunities Racism and stereotyping

University of Minnesota Solutions Scholarships: –Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Endowed Scholarship –Ethel Curry Scholarship –American Indian State Grants –Tribal Scholarships Reach for the Sky program with White Earth National Center for Earth-Surfaced Dynamics with FdLTCC North Star STEM Alliance American Indian Studies

Significant Extension Initiatives

American Indian Task Force Appointment and Allocation 11 member Task Force appointed by Dean and Director of Extension Representing Faculty and Staff from Extension Center’s 3 year budget $10,000 per year

Vision 1)Increase the number and effectiveness of the ways in which Extension works with American Indian populations and their governments in Minnesota 2)To make a measurable difference in relevant Extension program areas on the reservations.

Formalization of Task Force 6 meetings per year Various locations around the state –Tribal Colleges (TCU’s) –Tribal Entities –St. Paul Campus Staff Development incorporated into each meeting Land Grant to Land Grant Relationships built with TCU’s Membership of Task Force extended to include TCU representation

Medicine Wheels and GPS: A Successful Educational Partnership on the White Earth Reservation

Areas of Interest Education Leadership Communication Environment Economic Development Health Community Issues

Education Concerns The defeatist attitude among many young students The high drop out rate among American Indian high school students on the Reservation The loss of connections to the culture and environment

The White Earth Reservation 1300 square miles

Situation High School Graduation Rate of 61% Unemployment Rate of 25% All students qualify for free or reduced- price school lunches, an indicator of poverty Erosion of traditional skills and knowledge of Ojibwe culture

Response White Earth Reservation Science and Math Summer Program in 1999 New partnerships Positive outcomes Continued growth New Extension positions

White Earth Reservation Academy of Math and Science 2006 to Present New Partnership with the 21 st Century Community Learning Center Grant Focus on students in grades 5-7 Includes four schools serving the White Earth Reservation –Circle of Life Tribal School –Mahnomen Public School –Naytahwaush Charter School –Pine Point Public School

University Instructors Department of Forest Resources Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership Water Resources Center Center for 4-H Youth Development Department of American Indian Studies Family Development, Nutrition Education Program

White Earth Lake

Lake Game

Stream Sampling

Forest Measurement

Pounding Black Ash Log

Basket Making

Gathering Materials for a Canoe

Building a Birch Bark Canoe

Climate and Environment Red Lake Bus Trip August 19 and 20, 2008

Tours o Natural Resources o Education o Health Care

Fisheries

Red Lake Forestry Greenhouses

Education

Ponemah Feast and Drum Group

Thank you! Questions and/or Discussion