Humility. Truth. Courage. Honesty. Respect. Love. Wisdom.
Those are the seven Ojibwe values that guide all instruction at Red Lake Nation College (RLNC), a two-year Tribal College and University (TCU) in Red Lake, Minnesota. Like most TCUs, RLNC is dedicated to the preservation of Native culture, language, and sovereignty, and their campus sits within the boundaries of a reservation.
But now, after years of planning, RLNC has opened a site within Minneapolis, making it the first TCU in a major metropolitan area.
“We knew there was an interest. We did a market study, and we found out we have enough Tribal members to support a site [in Minneapolis],” said Dan King, president of RLNC. “There’s about 50,000 Natives in the Twin Cities area. It’s one of the largest urban centers of Natives in the country.”
Expanding to the city means RLNC is filling a gap in Native-based education, reaching populations that, before, may have been less easily able to access the kind of experiences offered at a TCU. Across the nation, Native Americans and Alaska Natives have some of the lowest graduation and degree attainment rates.
“What RLNC has done, creating an urban branch of its place-based institution, recognizes the reality that many of our tribal citizens live off-reservation, often in metro or urban areas, and that they desire an education that is culturally responsive and accessible,” said Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, the nation’s largest charity that funds Native American and Alaska Native students’ postsecondary journeys.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to expand the mission-focused work of TCUs with an emphasis on restorative cultural practices,” said Crazy Bull. “It strengthens the bonds among tribal citizens and provides access to improved career pathways.”