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

Remembering Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) 

Remembering Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) 

The former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell passed December 30, 2025, surrounded by family shortly after a visit with tribal elders. Eddie Box Jr. sang the sacred Southern Ute Sundance songs which carried Native people between worlds for generations, and the vision of Nighthorse-Campbell donned in his war bonnet and buckskins and riding his horse home into the next world. 

Our Students’ Success is Our Wealth: Join Us to Help More Students Access Higher Education 

Our Students’ Success is Our Wealth: Join Us to Help More Students Access Higher Education 

Winter is a special season, full of holidays, good food, good company. And no matter the culture, storytelling and the spirit of reflection, growth, giving, and gratitude take center stage this time of year. It is no different for Native peoples, many of whom wait to tell certain stories on long, cold winter nights.