“I've said many times that I am a community member who happens to be a college president, as opposed to being the other way around.”
This week, starting March 13, 2022, has been designated by the U.S. Senate as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week. Tribal Colleges and Universities play a critical role in higher education but also preservation – a charge to carry forward the knowledge, culture and identity of Native communities. In this episode of Rebuilding the American Dream, we have the privilege of visiting with Dr. Twyla Baker, President of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, ND. Dr. Baker shares with us the important mission of NHSC, her passion for the history of her people and culture, and the progressive steps NHSC is taking to “level the playing field” for all of its students.
Born and raised on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in northwest North Dakota, Dr. Twyla Baker’s worldview through an Indigenous lens informs nearly everything she does professionally and personally. She has spent a lifetime establishing her credibility among her Tribal people and with stakeholders including community members, the state, and the region. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental geology and technology and earned a Master of Science degree in education general studies, and a Ph.D in Teaching & Learning/research methodologies.
In memory of Dr. Baker’s father, Emerson Baker (1938-2022).
March 16 2022
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