Salish Kootenai College is located in Pablo, Montana, on the Flathead Reservation. It began as a branch campus of the reservation, and its name was Flathead Valley Community College. It sat on land that was a donation by the Polson School District. The initial years of operation were hard for the school, but after President Jimmy Carter signed the Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978, the act established a stable flow of money toward the institution. In 1981 the college severed ties with the Flathead reservation and became Salish Kootenai College. It received accreditation in 1984 and reconfirmation of that accreditation in 2003. A far cry from its more humble beginnings, Salish Kootenai now offers courses in such fields as business management and entrepreneurship, computer engineering, early childhood and elementary education, and secondary science, according to the institution's 2010-12 Catalog. For more information on Salish Kootenai College, call 406-275-4800.
Sitting Bull College, located on 9299 Highway 24, Fort Yates, N.D., began as Standing Rock Community College on Sept. 21, 1973, when the Standing Rock Tribal Council gave the institution a charter to operate as an associate's degree-granting school. It received its accreditation in 1984. The college changed its name to Sitting Bull on March 6, 1996. It has an open admissions policy. According to the Sitting Bull website, if you have a high school diploma or GED, you are eligible to go to Sitting Bull. You can also apply for dual enrollment while still in high school. However, if you wish for the school to recognize you as a member of a tribe, you must submit official verification of official enrollment to the Office of the Registrar. If you are not, but one of your parents is an enrolled member of a tribe, you must submit proof of that parent -- or both parents' -- enrollment. For more information, dial 701-854-3403.
Turtle Mountain Community College, located on 10145 BIA Road, in Belcourt, North Dakota, came into existence in 1972. Its mission was to teach general studies courses, promote scholarly research and continuously improve student learning while integrating the Turtle Mountain's heritage and history throughout the curriculum. Although the school focused on building the members of that tribe into responsible, gainfully employed members of that community, the campus is open to anyone who wishes to pursue a college education. It is tribally controlled as well as fully accredited. The college proudly offers elementary education degrees as well as secondary science certification, allowing you to teach biology, chemistry, earth science and physics. To find out more about the college, call 701-477-7862.
Oglala Lakota College, located at 3 Mile Creek in Kyle, S.D., opened the doors of its school in 1971. The mission of the institution is to provide education credentials to students so they can go into competitive careers on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Lakota Indians have now landed work in fields such as teaching, nursing, human services, businesses and vocational education. It is a tribally controlled college. While it used to be solely a community college, it has grown to offer bachelor's degrees as well as master's degrees in Lakota leadership. As of 2011, the enrollment is at about 1,400 students. For more details on the college or its programs, dial 605-455-6000.