Turtle Mountain College (TMC) is one of the original six tribal colleges that were established by various Indian Tribes in the early 1970’s. The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe chartered the college in 1972. The Turtle Mountain Community College is located in north central North Dakota in the historical wooded, hilly, and lake-filled area known as the Turtle Mountains. This area is one of North Dakota’s few all-service and all-seasons recreational areas. In addition to being the home of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa the area is the home of the world-renowned International Peace Garden.
In its brief history the college has emerged as a leader among this nation’s 32 tribal colleges. Its origin was humble. For the first few years the college operated out of two offices on the third floor of a former Catholic Convent. For a short period the college operated out of the basement of an abandoned IHS facility. In 1977 the college moved into an abandoned tribal building and a BIA facility that had been moved to Belcourt’s main street by a tribal member who had converted the building to a café and dance hall. It was on Belcourt’s main street that the college later purchased and renovated several old buildings and as funding became available built a series of primarily metal buildings.
In May 1999 the college moved to a new campus and a new facility. The new facility is located 2 1/2 miles north of Belcourt. Trees and vegetation surround the new site that overlooks Belcourt Lake. Turtle Mountain College’s new main campus includes a 105,000-sq/ft building located on an approximately 123-acre site. The new facility includes state of the art technology, a fiscal area, general classrooms, science, mathematics and engineering classrooms and labs, library and archives, learning resource centers, faculty area, student services area, gymnasium and mechanical systems. A new auditorium with seating capacity for 1000 opened in 2003. The former main campus in Belcourt has twelve buildings that provide 66,000 square feet of space. Both campuses are being used for college or community use. The two campuses house all college functions with the exception of some off-campus community responsive training programs. Turtle Mountain Community College is a commuter campus and maintains no residence halls.
Since its beginning the college has grown from a fledgling institution serving less than sixty students per year, to its current status of serving over 650 full time equivalents and approximately 250 pre-college adults. Indeed, Turtle Mountain College has demonstrated success in enrolling and graduating students. The college serves the tribal community in other ways too. Its many programs are helping to build local capacity to effect positive systemic change by improving all levels of educational achievement of tribal members and public and private economic sustainability of Turtle Mountain Chippewa.
All vendors welcome. No Charge.
Saturdays
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Or Until Sold Out
TMC--Anishinabe Campus
1 1/2 miles North BIA Rd 7
This project’s vision is “To encourage families to move toward a traditional diet heavy in fruits and vegetables through family gardening with the intent of eating produce in season and preserving the excess for later consumption.”
This program will work with 80 Head Start families (20 per year over a four year period) to provide nutritional education and to encourage gardening by distributing seeds and seedlings as well as tilling of a garden. In this effort, families will plant gardens and learn methods to preserve garden produce while learning about traditional gardening, food preservation and healthy lifestyles. We would like to provide the selected Head Start children and their families targeted educational services (child focused, parent focused and family focused) related to healthy eating and pre-gardening.
All activities will focus on lifelong learning skills that will improve economic well-being, social well-being and overall health choices. This project will also explore community development, volunteerism, youth development, and cottage industry through community gardening projects, youth gardening activities and demonstration gardens.
This project will benefit Native American college students with applications that incorporate GIS/GPS technology by enhancing the student interaction with STEM programs and research applications both traditional and non-traditional. Rural secondary school teachers and computer technicians who attend workshops provided by TMFS will gain knowledge through hands-on field GIS/GPS activities and classroom settings. Broader Impact North Dakota tribal reservations have an unmet need for research on natural resources, transportation, economic development, zoning, and preservation of traditional landmarks, plants, and history. TMFS will be a resource for tribal communities and their respective agencies through development of knowledgeable GIS technicians who will be prepared to do research within their communities, compile reports and present information. Information gathered through student research projects, workshops and collaborative research projects of schools and businesses will be available on the TMC website to be appropriately used by tribal, state, federal and private agencies.Summer 20103 participants were supported-2 TMC students along with one rural secondary science instructor. While in the program they completed a 4 credit course w/lab titled ENVT 115 Fundamentals of Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS), and completed the ESRI textbook Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo. The participants did daily research with the NSF TCUP program directed by Dr. Scott Hanson on secondary succession, and invertebrates as indicators of water quality. They also developed trail maps of local hiking trails, and helped to produce posters for the TCUP research projects.Summer Activities 2010 (718 KB PDF)Trail MapsThe trail maps are of the trail systems found within the TMCC Anishinabe Center and the North Dakota Game and Fish WakopaWildlife Management Area.The TMCC Anishinabe Center is located 1 ½ miles north of Belcourt on BIA #7. You can choose to walk the entire path which is just short of 2 miles, or walk portions of the path. The local bike path also goes through the Anishinabe Center adding to the ease of moving through the center.The ND Game and Fish Wakopa WMA trails differ in ease of walking and should be reviewed by first timers into the area. These trails are used by bird watchers, hunters, hikers, and of course a wide assortment of wildlife. A special thanks goes out to Dave VanHorn and Tom Belgarde for guiding us through the trails and helping us to develop the maps for the public.
Mark Hamley, USDA/NIFA, Equity/Endowment Programs
Michelle Short-Azure, USDA/NIFA Extension Director
Jeff Grant, Maintenance/Groundskeeper
Corey Morin, Maintenance/Groundskeeper
