“It is my hope that Indians will read these stories and know that many powers are available through ceremonies and rituals of the tribes, and that the powers can be applied to our daily lives to enrich our well-being and enhance our understanding of life in the physical world.…Indians have access to these spiritual powers here and now.” — Vine Deloria Jr.

As tribal people, our lives emerge from the stories of our creation and our teachings about how to be in relationships. Stories and teachings help us understand the essence of who we are—these stories represent our spirituality. For tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) the essence of who we are can be seen in how our institutions were created and in how we deliver our missions every day. As Vine Deloria Jr. shares in The World We Used to Live In, spiritual powers are available to us, as tribal people, so we can have better lives. The founders of TCUs knew this and naturally incorporated spirituality into the vision and missions of our institutions. Over decades of interaction with American education systems, we have learned how to sustain our spirituality within environments that are unnatural to our social and familial systems. We apply this learning to our modern institutions, schools, and colleges.

As Native women, Dakota and Lakota, we cannot tell this story outside of our own experiences or outside of our roles as tribal educators. As mothers and grandmothers, we remember our ancestors, and we consider the impact of our words and actions on the Seventh generation after us. We acknowledge that we are using modern language and an essay of limited length to discuss complex knowledge about spirituality, religion, and identity. We do not intend to offend anyone and hope that our essay generates heartfelt discussions. This story is contextualized in our lives. In honor of that, we use a methodology pioneered by Shawn Wilson, an Opaskwayak Cree scholar, who combines information and personal story. Cynthia Lindquist, president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC), shares her story:

For me, to write about my spirituality is very personal and uniquely mine. It is a story that I share from a perspective that is individual to me and what I have learned from others and in my traditional practices. Like many, I am careful not to presume that others believe and practice the same way I do—nor do I expect that.

TCUs are public, tribally controlled institutions. They are primarily funded through public dollars and enroll any person who wishes to attend. Most are chartered through tribal governing authorities. Because they are public institutions, many people assume they adhere to the practice of “separation of church and state” that characterizes other public education settings. However, at TCUs no such separation exists. Because of who we are, our ancestry, and our connection to all of creation, Indigenous people cannot separate our existence as human beings from our spiritual selves.

Before contact with Europeans, the traditions, rituals, and teachings of Indigenous people were distinctive to particular places and ways of understanding creation. Today, while our place and identity is still distinctive, our understanding of creation has been influenced by our contact with others outside of our cultures and societies. For Western societies, spirituality is defined as being about the human spirit or soul. However, Indigenous people expand that definition to include everything in creation. We know that even those things that are perceived as inanimate by many are in fact full of life and spirit. Many tribal teachings reinforce this definition—corn has a spirit and conveys blessings, stones are the grandfathers to those who use them as heated rocks for ceremonies.

I did not aspire to or even dream of becoming a TCU president. I believe that the Creator, who I call Wakan Tanka, prepared a path for me that is my life’s journey. That path called on me to come home to be the president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College. Elders asked me to come home. For me, it was also the right time and the right opportunity in my path to contribute to a better way of life for my relatives. The first thing I did when asked was to go to ceremony to pray to our namesake and ancestors that I would serve in a good way and to the best of my abilities. I prayed for strength and guidance.

What ties TCUs together is that the core of each institution is rooted in spirituality and the restoration and revitalization of those qualities, values, and behaviors that represent our identities. TCUs are place-based institutions, and as such they are reflective of the teachings and knowledge of the Indigenous peoples in that place. The Native languages of the many tribes served by our institutions inform our understanding of creation and relationships.

Our education as tribal people includes understanding the sacred meaning of words and phrases. An example is the Lakota/Dakota term, taku skanskan (“something sacred is moving”), which is used to embody the energy and force of creation. We share this because it is important to be conscientious about language, especially in the context of understanding spirituality and religion. In his book, Reading and Writing the Lakota Language, the late Albert White Hat Sr., a Lakota scholar and language teacher, shares that our languages are influenced by exposure to Christianity and Western society. For example, the Lakota words wakan tanka, which mean a great or big mystery, became the name for the Christian god.

Education in our traditional societies sought to ensure harmonious living so that our people could prosper and thrive. Education was socialization, working to preserve familial ties and to teach appropriate behaviors. The words for our ways of living reflect harmony; the names we call ourselves reflect how we think of ourselves as a people: Wolakota, a peaceful way of living; Diné, Children of the Holy People; Haudenosuanee, People of the Long House. In her essay, “Dakota Spirituality: My Perspective,” Lindquist notes, “Traditional educational practices were grounded in the quest for learning about relationships—relationships as human beings and the role that humans play in living in the whole.”

The European colonization of what is now the Americas occurred through genocidal practices which took many forms, including warfare, inequitable negotiation, removal, and most importantly for our discussion, Christianization and forced education. Indigenous peoples were viewed as “savages” without an understanding of god and were believed to engage in heathen practices. Education became one of the tools by which tribal ways of living were altered or eliminated and conversion to Christianity was forced. Laws and policies were enacted that compelled Native people to take their spiritual practices underground, hiding them away for fear of physical punishment or mental and emotional abuse. The complexity of the introduction of Christianity into Native lives reflects the complexity of spirituality in tribally controlled education institutions like TCUs.

After decades—or in some cases centuries—of contact, many tribal people can no longer distinguish between spirituality and religion the way our ancestors did. Religion appears to be about having a system of behaviors related to a particular faith. Spirituality is about having a system of behaviors related to being a good relative and a good human being. One could argue that religion and spirituality are the same, but one need only look at the things that are done in the name of religion—violence, acts of war, exclusion, and colonization—to see the distinction.

As a child on the Spirit Lake reservation and living with Dakota grandparents who were fluent Dakota speakers, I came of age in an era of transition toward more Christian practices. My grandparents, who had lived a traditional tribal way of life, became Catholics, so I attended a Catholic mission school until 5th grade. The nuns who operated the school were mostly nice, but there were a few who greatly influenced my young mind regarding religious practice. My hands were slapped for touching the baby Jesus in the manager when I was cleaning the church altar, and ugly words were said to me. Though very young, I recall the moment vividly—it is when I began to question the teachings of Christianity in comparison to its actions.

The founders of the tribal college movement asserted that TCUs emerged from the vision, sacrifices, and prayers of spiritual people and tribal citizens. TCU founders believed that who we are as human beings is inseparable from our tribal identities. Our spirituality permeates our being. At tribal colleges, it is impossible to separate who we are as tribal citizens and spiritual beings from the institutions’ work as post-secondary education providers and community builders.

TCUs provide a safe space for students to explore complicated beliefs and experiences. They also create opportunities for tribal scholars and community members to examine the influence religious practices and historical experiences have on cultural and spiritual understanding. This can be formal, through classes and gatherings, or informal, through daily interactions.

Many TCUs host gatherings where participants share different perspectives on culture, spirituality, and religion. Sinte gleska University (SgU) supported the revitalization of tribal practices when it supported the Rosebud Medicine Men and Associates group in SgU’s early years. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has incorporated traditional pipe ceremonies into special occasions at the college to ensure spiritual support and to teach students about tribal spiritual practices. Navajo Technical University has used its ceremonial hogan as a place to share traditional stories and practices so students can see their identities honored and so non-Natives can learn from Diné culture and philosophy. At Northwest Indian College, elders brush students with cedar and water for healing and strength. At Cankdeska Cikana Community College, elders and traditional healers are integral to revitalizing spiritual practices for suicide prevention and for addressing addiction issues. The tribal community continues a monthly day of prayer in support of family wellbeing.

Statements about values, imagery, and ceremonies are symbolic of the spirituality that is the foundation of TCU philosophical beliefs. TCUs usually have some version of their tribal value systems reflected in their missions, logos, statements of purpose, and other public documents. Buildings, landscapes, and art reflect living and non-living relations. Ceremonies celebrate the beginning of each day as well as special occasions and are used during difficult times to call upon the rest of creation for help and guidance. Prayer and song are common practices, readily integrated into daily life. Some institutions have their own ceremonial items that represent their commitment to tradition and which are used during appropriate public and private ceremonies.

As an elder tribal member, sun dancer, and the president, it is important for me to practice our rituals as much as possible. Smudging the campus to pray for good health and strength is a frequent ritual at CCCC. Elders or healers conduct a blessing and utilize tobacco and smudge (sage, cedar, or sweet grass) to cleanse and prepare our spaces for our work. I am also comfortable with using the college’s facilities for community gatherings, wakes, funerals, and celebrations so that we are closely tied to our relatives’ daily lives.

Because TCUs are community-based institutions, challenges related to interpretation and tolerance of various ceremonial and religious practices do arise. Just as there are Native people who were taught that tribal ceremonies were the work of the devil, there are Native people who don’t want to have anything to do with Christianity or other religions. There are many people who view the incorporation of Christian practices into Native ceremonial life as wrong and a sign of the colonization of the Native mind and spirit. TCUs navigate this environment with a focus on their mission of revitalization of tribal identities.

Given that TCUs are educational institutions where research and scholarship are highly valued, it can also be challenging to navigate to what extent tribal knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge, should be shared, and in what contexts. Decisions about what to share should respect tribal parameters regarding traditional knowledge. This is challenging because there are many perspectives, but it is a challenge that rightly belongs to Native people to resolve. Many tribes are cautious about the inclusion of non-tribal people because of negative experiences with research that misinterprets or misrepresents tribal teachings. There is value in TCUs serving as places where tribal citizens can openly navigate the interpretation of traditional knowledge within contemporary experiences. For instance, among many tribes, knowledge is held by individuals or families instead of being universally known. A good example is songs among Northwest coastal tribes. Often songs belong to someone and are not available for public use or distribution, particularly those associated with various ceremonies. In contrast, some songs, such as the flag song, are known by many and are often sung at traditional dances and gatherings across the Northern Plains. Many tribes have medicine people who are gifted with the ability to communicate with the Spirit World and to bring healing and medicines to those who seek their help. That knowledge is personal, and even if aspects of it are shared, much of it is private. On the other hand, there are medicines such as sage and cedar that are widely available and used for the same purpose of healing and wellness.

Prior to coming to the college, I was very involved in the Indian health field. A few years ago, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) launched an exhibit at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, called Native Voices. This exhibit was the culmination of interviews and research regarding Native perspectives on illness, disease, death and dying, the environment, sustainability, and more. I was honored to be an advisor to this project and coordinated bringing together nine healers from the Great Plains. We piloted the interactive exhibit prior to the opening at NIH headquarters in Maryland. This included bringing a totem pole from the Pacific Northwest to be permanently set up at the headquarters. The exhibit was displayed at NLM for two years and then became a traveling exhibit that is currently showing at the Mayo Health Center in Rochester, Minnesota. There are many segments within the exhibit about spirituality, beliefs, and practices that are described by many different tribal people. I felt this was an opportunity to educate others and to share how our spirituality is the foundation of our identity. This experience is an example of how I strive to find ways to share our teachings in a respectful way.

Inclusion of tribal spiritual practices and knowledge is more complex for institutions serving multiple tribes. These TCUs provide their students with support for identity development rooted in spirituality and tribal ways of knowing. Haskell Indian Nations University, for example, is a leader in sustainability education. Haskell connects students to their tribal environmental knowledge with strategies that encourage them to improve their tribes’ environmental futures. The Institute of American Indian Arts supports students’ passion for the arts, including writing, by reinforcing their tribal identities through curriculum design and delivery.

I make sure that I support students and employees to attend ceremonies, prayer sessions, and family and tribal socials and events. To me this is integral to our students’ development of Indigenous identity. Sitting together in a circle, making tobacco ties or prayer flags, and preparing the sacred food which is medicine, are components of prayer, and doing these things together is the heart of our relationships. In my own practice, and in the practice of spirituality that I encourage in others in stressful moments, it is most helpful to believe in the power of our prayers and to use those prayers for the good of the people, the health and wellbeing of the children, and for our grandmothers and grandfathers.

Spirituality is affirmative of humanity and creation. In many ways, TCUs act in a restorative manner to encourage spirituality by bringing traditions, ceremonies, knowledge, and symbolism into their organizational life and relationships. TCUs sustain and respect the visions of their founders and lead the way so that our people—our families and children—can be Indigenous.

Our people close our prayers, our stories, our times together, with the phrase mitakuye oyasin, “we are all related.”

Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangu Lakota) is the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund; Cynthia Lindquist, Ph.D. (Spirit Lake Dakota), is the president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College.

REFERENCES

Deloria Jr., V. (2006). The World We Used to Live In. golden, CO: Fulcrum.

Lindquist, C. (2003). Dakota Spirituality: My Perspective, Chaplaincy Today 19(1).

White Hat Sr., A. and Jael Kampfe. (1999)., Reading and Writing the Lakota Language. University of Utah Press, 1999.