Capturing Education: Envisioning and Building the First Tribal Colleges by Paul Boyer (review)

According to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, there are thirty-seven tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) operating on more than seventy-five campuses in sixteen states.¹ TCUs have been around for over fifty years, with recent interest from some tribes to establish new colleges. Today, TCUs are recognized institutions of higher education, providing educational opportunities to tribal and non-tribal members with culturally based programs that meet community needs. TCUs are the leading examples of tribal control of education.

In Capturing Education: Envisioning and Building the First Tribal Colleges, Paul Boyer provides a succinct account of the early days of the tribal colleges based on the stories of individuals involved in establishing colleges during the 1960s and 1970s. These colleges include Navajo Community College (now Diné College), Turtle Mountain Community College, Fort Peck Community College, United Tribes Technical College, Little Big Horn College and Salish Kootenai College.

This 110-page monograph consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 gives a very brief and general account of the history of Indian education policy with selected events that set the stage for the establishment of tribal colleges. Rather than an in-depth analysis of history, Boyer provides an overview of vital periods that contribute to the creation of tribal colleges. The Meriam Report, "Indian New Deal," World Wars, civil rights movement and "Red Power" movement, policy of self-determination, and growing interest in higher education by tribal communities are mentioned as ingredients for the founding of tribal colleges. Chapter 2 introduces the six college presidents as visionaries and gives brief accounts of their backgrounds, experiences, and reflections as founders of tribal colleges.

Chapters 3 through 8 focus on the process of establishing tribal colleges, from initial planning to implementation of academic programs, and efforts to sustain the colleges over time. The college presidents tell their stories about the struggles, challenges, and rewards during this process. The stories reflect their commitment, passion, perseverance, and leadership abilities, and provide insight into the unique circumstances surrounding tribal communities, Indian people, and the importance of education.

In the final chapter, the presidents reflect on the accomplishments and the future challenges of tribal colleges. Although the mainstream community college model was used in establishing tribal colleges, the presidents felt their colleges were different because they valued and promoted the use of tribal traditions, cultures, and values in college programs. They also thought tribal colleges provided positive changes in communities and are determined to restore dignity and honor to tribal communities. Key future challenges include maintaining the holistic community approach to education while responding to community changes.

Developing support for tribal colleges and identifying funding were major themes that ran throughout the individual stories. Garnering support both internal and external to tribal communities takes time and varied according to the local tribal environments. Identifying and securing funding was a constant challenge for the college presidents as they reflected on efforts to find resources, including federal funding, to develop and support academic programs and other college needs. The desire to infuse and incorporate tribal culture and traditional knowledge in the curriculum was a challenge but an exhilarating avenue to pursue for these college innovators.

Overall, the monograph's contribution lies in the personal stories of the tribal college presidents. However, a limitation of the monograph, acknowledged by Boyer, is that it is based on six tribal college presidents and does not capture the involvement and experience of other leaders who participated in the tribal college movement. The monograph's value is the sharing of experiences by tribal college presidents as they reflect on developing and maintaining colleges during challenging circumstances. Boyer adds an important piece to the overall story of the tribal college movement. However, a greater understanding of tribal colleges can be achieved if the monograph is read as a companion to more extensive scholarship about tribal colleges. For instance, Wayne Stein's Tribally Controlled Colleges: Making Good Medicine provides an in...