Intellectual Capital in Indian Country

Jan 15, 2010 | Blog, Inside the College Fund

Notes from the Woksape Oyate convening.

Notes from the Woksape Oyate convening. This past week we spent two days hearing about the projects that the tribal colleges have been implementing over the past year for the Woksape Oyate Wisdom of the People project.

Programs have been designed for growing their own college faculty and staff; preserving and teaching tribal languages and culture not just amongst the tribal members, but serving as a resource for state curriculum; learning centers that teach not just study skills but leadership and management; and public administration degrees that meet the needs of both the tribal communities and surrounding state and counties.

The project is in its first year of implementation after a year of planning, but already the results have been remarkable. Tribal colleges are building stronger institutions, stronger and more confident students, and are serving their communities in ways that they never have before–all the while building their expertise and standing not just in the Native community, but in their counties, regions, states, and academia.

Read more about the tribal colleges’ Woksape Oyate projects or share your ideas for Thinking Indian and preserving intellectual capital by posting a comment here.

Recent Blog Posts

Circle of Hope Winter 2026

| Winter 2026 | Circle of Hope Setting Native Students Up for Success Dear Friends and Relatives, Typically, this is the time of year when things rest, restoring themselves for spring growth. Where I come from, the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, animals...

TCUs’ Unique Take on the Purpose of Education: A Reflection for National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week

TCUs’ Unique Take on the Purpose of Education: A Reflection for National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week

During National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week, our Senators and Representatives learn about the perspective of higher education, not as an impersonal experience that results in higher earnings, but as a sharing of knowledge and deepening of relationships that leads to graduates who are not only higher earners but invested members of their community and country.