President Clinton Visits Diné College Campus

American Indian College Fund
Tuesday, 18 April 2000

President cites urgent need for modern technology at tribal colleges and on Indian reservations

SHIPROCK, N.M. (April, 2000)-During a trip that highlighted the "digital divide" facing American Indians, President Clinton paid a visit to the oldest and largest of the nation's 31 tribal colleges and universities.

Making the first trip by a president to a tribal college and to the Navajo Nation, Mr. Clinton visited the Shiprock campus of Diné College on April 17th. (Diné is the Navajo word for the tribe.) The president met students and instructors and held a "webcast" conversation with Navajo youngsters at a school 100 miles away, using the Internet and satellite technology.

"We are trying to get Internet service throughout the Navajo Nation and, indeed, throughout all of Indian Country," he said.

Issuing a "national call to action," President Clinton asked American businesses to join government agencies in an effort to increase technological access to Indian communities.

"The only way to keep this economy growing is to bring economic opportunity to the people and the places who have been left behind," Mr. Clinton said. "Hundreds of organizations, including all 32 tribal colleges, have answered this pledge."

"This is probably the fastest-growing alternative livestock option that exists in the United States today," said Balok, a veterinarian who directs CIT's livestock program. "The biggest market for years has been the Orient, and we hope to build a big North American market."

Located in 12 states, these colleges serve isolated areas with high poverty and unemployment. On the Navajo reservation, only 22 percent of households have telephones. Nationwide, 53 percent of Indian homes have phones, as compared to 94 percent of all households. Only nine percent of Indian homes have computers.

"The digital divide in Indian Country is really a canyon, said Richard Williams, executive director of the American Indian College Fund, the tribal colleges' fundraising arm. "We can't bridge the growing gap with yesterday's technology. We need to weave a high-tech blanket to make connections now."

"That's the whole purpose behind this alternative livestock program," said Balok, "to come up with some different ways to generate some income off of the land."

Modern technology is critical, Williams said, if tribal colleges are going to deliver jobs skills, produce workers and attract business to Indian reservations with high unemployment rates. Some 57 percent of Navajo tribal members are unemployed.

Williams joined Dr. Francis Becenti, Diné College's interim president, in welcoming President Clinton to a tribal college that serves more than 2,000 full-time students on eight different campuses spread out over the 27,000-square mile reservation.

Because of tribal colleges' remote locations, less than 50 percent of the schools have T-1 line access. T-1 lines provide the most minimum data flow needs of American colleges. At tribal colleges, even T-1 access is spotty. Other universities prefer access to T-3 (or DS-3) lines, for greater data flow necessary for research, distance learning, shared computing and other higher education needs. Only one tribal college has a T-3 line.

Internet access is limited. Despite being the largest and oldest tribal college, Diné College has only partial, or "fractional," access to T-1 lines. The isolated college also must rely on satellite connections for some Internet access.

"We see the speed of technological change," said Tom Davis, president of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College in Wisconsin. "To keep up, we must jump at least a generation ahead of the current technology."

Davis serves as chair of the tribal colleges' technology task force. The colleges have an immediate need for a total of 1,000 new-generation computers and related software, he said.

Other tribal college presidents formed a delegation to greet President Clinton. They included Martha McLeod, president of Bay Mills Community College and secretary of the College Fund's board of trustees; and Ron McNeil, president of Sitting Bull College.

Navajo sophomore Erica Nakai gave the president a brief orientation and guided him through the webcast demonstration.

"It is an honor to represent not only my family and tribe, but all tribal colleges," said the 21-year-old student. "Our school needs more computers and software and more computer training classes. We're limited as to what we can do."

With plans for a career in civil engineering, Nakai has visited other universities and done a laboratory internship. There, the Shiprock resident saw how more advanced technology can assist learning. At Diné College, she says lack of computer technology hinders students in physics and other science classes.

"I came here to train myself to get ready for university and further education," Nakai said. "The students and teachers here are very dedicated, but we really need better equipment."

President Clinton's visit was part of his "new markets" initiative to strengthen economies of under-served communities. A number of business leaders accompanying the president announced new support of tribal colleges:

- Microsoft will give $2.75 million in software and technology training to Diné College and seven other colleges.

- IBM and the University of Michigan are working with Bay Mills Community College in Michigan to build a "virtual library." This will create free access to nationwide information and resources for financially-strapped campuses where, frequently, libraries are half-filled with outdated books.

- Tachyon, Inc., donated equipment to Diné College that allows high-speed, two-way Internet access via satellite.

Among other dignitaries accompanying the president were Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Congressman Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, Federal Communications Commission Chairman William Kennard, FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

*Note: There are 31 full members of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. A 32d college, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College in Baraga, Michigan, has recently joined the group as an auxiliary member which is not yet supported by the American Indian College Fund.

For more information, or to contact American Indian College Fund, see their website at: www.collegefund.org