tulalip

1. NORTHWEST INDIAN
COLLEGE-TULALIP
SITE
Gates/Lumina Grant

2. Goal: Integrated Culturally Relevant
Learning Community
Light a fire/passion in our students.
Incorporate the following classes/skills
 Human Development-Study Skills
 Native American Studies
 Math
 English/Reading

3. Players
 Faculty
 Renee-Native American Studies
 Melissa-Math
 English-unknown
 Reading-Wendy Davis, Main campus
 Reading Plus
 Advisors
 Tulalip Site Staff, Lorna and Brooke

4. Faculty Development
 Four Presenters
 Rita Smilkstein, Expert in Brain Based Pedagogy
 Brain Based Learning
 Lee Maracle (Sto:lo), Author
 Cultural Education
 Presenter 3 & 4
 We are putting together a round table discussion of Native
writers, professors and elders to discuss the direction of writing
and English.
 Jeanette Armstrong
 Richard VanKamp
 Elizabeth Woody
 Duane Niatum

5. Faculty Development cont.
 Visited Skagit Valley Community College to
learn about their Learning Communities.
 Planning a trip to Penticton, BC. En’owkin
Centre

6. Let Us Begin with Courage
 Jeanette Armstrong is an Okanagan Indian who was born on
the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia where she
has lived for most of her life. She is a fluent speaker of the
Okanagan language and has studied traditional teachings for
many years under the direction of the Okanagan elders. She is
Director of the En’owkin International Writing School and
author of a number of books, film scripts, and a collection of
poetry. Her commitment to the development of Native creative
expression in literature and the arts, together with her astute
insight into social and political issues is well known and
respected among First Nations people.
 The word Eníowkin comes from the high language of the Okanagan
people and has its origin in a philosophy perfected to nurture
voluntary cooperation, an essential foundation for everyday living.
The term is based on a metaphorical image created by the three
syllables that make up the Okanagan word. The image is of liquid
being absorbed drop by single drop through the head (mind). It
refers to coming to understanding through a gentle integrative
process. Eníowkin is also the name given our education center by

7. En’owkin Centre/College
Readiness
 To meet the course requirements for the adult graduation program, eligible
students must be at least nineteen (19) years of age or they must have
been out of school for a minimum of one (1) year. The College
Readiness Program is designed to validate cultural
aspirations and identity, and motivate academic
excellence. This program utilizes a cooperative project-
based curriculum approach, rather than a textbook and
test method. Students engage in real world projects of
benefit to the larger community. Learning is “hands on”
as much as possible. Past learning projects include
publishing an Okanagan photo-history book of horse,
ranch, and rodeo history; production of children’s videos
adapted from traditional stories (from scriptwriting to
video editing), and other culturally and socially relevant
learning activities. Five courses are required to graduate:
English 060, Math 050, and three additional advanced
courses. Students are prepared to be successful in
college and university programs. The College Readiness
program can be combined with the N'syilxcen Language
Program.

8. En’owkin Centre
 ENGL 050-Writing Skills, ENGL 060 – Literature
and Composition, MATH 050 – Introduction to
Algebra, SCIE 061 – Eco-literacy, INST 050 –
Native Studies l, INST 051 – Nsyilxcen , INST
060 - Indigenous Studies, INST 061 – Nsyilxcen,
FINA 060 – Studio Foundations, FINA 061 –
Drawing, FINA 062 – Painting, FINA 063 –
Sculpture, FINA 064 – Printmaking, FINA 065 –
Publishing

9. Rita Smilkstein
 Brain Based Pedagogy
 Worked extensively in Developmental
Education
 Use it or lose it
 “See if you can figure this out”

10. Lee Maracle
 Creative Course design: Incorporate Salish objectives as well as
Western Education objectives. Meet institution and Salish
outcomes.
 Empowerment
 Empower yourself
 Entitle yourself
 Stay loyal
 Develop yourself
 Dream yourself
 Raise the standard of normal
 Cultural Tension
 Memory of the body is not satisfied. Dissatisfaction can’t name the
feeling.
 Significant development of youth-need a critical mass of students

11. Circle of Student Engagement
• Feed the
conscious
• Empower
• Excite the
Curious
• Make
Links
CONCATENATE
Make links
establish
relationships
CURIOUS
to know and
discover
Grow
CONSCIOUS
Think understand
CREATIVE
transform
become an
agent.
DESIR
E

12. Challenges
 Serving a small population how do we or can we
incorporate all students?
 Scheduling
 Accommodating the working student
 Cohort
 Our student population is constantly changing
 GED students
 We have a large population of GED students, can they be
incorporated in to the program
 Recruiting
 Working at at site where students are paid to go to
school.