Chapter 3: Reframing Leadership Education and Development for Native College Students

Indigenous students seek higher education to better serve their communities by “gaining access to power, authority, and an opportunity to exercise control over the affairs of everyday life” (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 14). Native college students are called to prepare themselves to be the next generation of leaders in tribal communities (Minthorn et al., 2013). Education is one way tribal communities are addressing challenges and engaging in the process of nation-building to strengthen their communities regarding issues of economic development, health and wellness, cultural preservation and revival, legal and political practices, educational development, and spiritual processes (Brayboy et al., 2012).