Aaniiih Nakoda College has been very busy, a look at what's happening on campus

It has been a very busy time at the Aaniiih Nakoda College. Spring semester has started with 131 students attending classes. This is a significant semester for many who will be graduating in May. “ANC continually improves its efforts to promote post-secondary education for all our community members along the hi-line. We are here for the students and will do everything we can to help them reach their academic goals,” President Carole Falcon-Chandler stated in a recent general assembly.

STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD

Last semester Dan Kinsey, ANC Environmental Science Instructor, and two ANC Environmental Science students, Shay Snider and Truan Yellow Stone, participated in the Costa Rica International Research Experience (CRIRE) December 12-20. The CRIRE Project was sponsored by the Salish Kootenai College Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program.

The students did a short research project where they collected benthic macro-invertebrates from a stream that passed through the Las Cruces Biological Station near San Vito, Costa Rica. They used the macro-invertebrate data to assess the health of the aquatic environment of the stream. The CRIRE group that participated in the week long trip consisted of 28 individuals from Salish Kootenai College, Blackfeet College, Aaniiih Nakoda College, Oglala Lakota College and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College.

TEACHER TRAINING

The Nee-tha-hatsa-nak and Wa’Uspe-Wicakiya Preparation Program (NWPP) at Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) teaching training cohort hopes to graduate six students in May. They are Melinda Jones, Jessica Cochran, Michelle Crazy, Kayla Leo and Shaylea Tatsey.

They are currently doing their student teaching this semester in the local schools. And a sixth member, Lovey Backbone, is student teaching in Wyola, MT. These five NWPP candidates will graduate in May with their BSEd degrees in Broadfield Elementary from MSU-Billings, ANC’s partner institution for the teacher training program.

CDL DRIVERS

The Tribal College Consortium for Developing Montana and North Dakota Workforce (TCC DeMaND Workforce) DeMaND program, which officially ended last September, had the sixth and final CDL class graduating eight students with two more students, Henry Boe and Doug Main, hoping to complete the test in February. Jonathan Neepoose, Patrick Whitcomb, Kenneth Blackcrow, Phillip Doney, Chris Haider, Cord Anderson, Winston Anderson and Darwin Doney now have their Commercial Drivers Licenses.

METH SYMPOSIUM

Two ANC graduates, Charmayne Healy and Miranda Crasco-Kirk, took on the Methamphetamine epidemic on the Fort Belknap Reservation in the hopes of bringing people together to resolve the issue of how to tamp down the poisonous effects of the drug issues, utilizing local, state, tribal and federal agencies. A “Gathering Our Nations” Methamphetamine Symposium was held this month to educate the community and each other on what the drug does and what can be done. This grass roots effort prompted the Fort Peck Tribal Health Council to hold a continuing symposium later this year. “It affects us all” was a frequent statement from all speakers and audience members.

POSSIBLE 4-H

Cheryl Morales, Tribal College University Program (T-CUP) coordinator and Manny Morales, Aaniiih Nakoda College Extension Program Director, attended national meetings on community and medicinal gardens. The two are currently working on bringing a certified 4-H program to the Fort Belknap and local residents. They are taking surveys from area residents to apply for funding. For more information please contact Manny Morales at (406) 353-2607 Ext. 239.

AIBL STUDENT FOOD BANK

Last semester the American Indian Business Leaders Club (AIBL) provided a student food bank giving out groceries over 200 times to students in need. Last semester AIBL raised over $1700 for food and bought a freezer for meat and frozen food. The students did this through fundraising such as raffles, silent auctions, coffee and donut sales and lunches. This helped the club restock the pantry and has already given food provisions to numerous students. “Our fundraising is used to teach about costs and profit in practical terms” said Greg Drummer, ANC Business Instructor and AIBL advisor.

ANC LIBRARY

It’s tax time and there is free tax preparation available, Tuesdays from 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the library, for more information please call Susann at Opportunity Link, Inc. 406-265-3699 to set up your appointment. Bring a photo identification, driver’s license or tribal ID, Social Security card for you and any dependents, W-2, and any other tax forms.

FORT BELKNAP

MID-WINTER FAIR

Aaniiih Nakoda College will have information booths set up at the Fort Belknap Mid-Winter Fair, the first week of February. Please stop by our booths and check out the wonderful things that our students and staff have put together.