Behind the Scenes - Hope on the Rez

The nation's more than 30 tribal colleges are more than just educational institutions. They are also the lifelines of the tribal communities they serve. In addition to meeting rigorous academic standards set by accreditation agencies, they incorporate indigenous knowledge, language, and traditions into their lessons. They serve as an essential part of economic re-development, language and cultural preservations, and are the superhighways of modern technology.

The Hope on the Rez crew consisting of staff members from the American Indian College Fund, Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency, and award-winning independent cinematographer Ian McCluskey set out early one morning in late April

Shiprock, NMfor the shoot. The first stop was filming scenery on and around Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, in the heart of the Navajo nation. While there, we interviewed students about their personal backgrounds and college experiences. Diné College blazed the trail in the tribal college movement as the first tribal college founded in 1968. As we traveled along desert roads, the Portland, Oregon-based Wieden+Kennedy team was surprised to find that the high southwest desert was unforgiving that day—both to staff and equipment. The cold spring wind slapped our faces with fine sand mixed with pea-sized hail. The Diné people view this type of storm as a test of commitment to the family of a new in-law.

As we traveled, we came across a Lightning Way Ceremony on campus. The college felt it was its responsibility to restore harmony and balance for an ill student and the entire campus. This type of service to students is common among tribal colleges. The students we interviewed all attribute their academic success to this traditional caring and nurturing atmosphere at the colleges.

In our conversations with students, we met with Kimberly, a science m
ajor at Diné College. She talked openly about being the only person in her family to strive towards a post-secondary education. Even with the moral and academic support she receives from the college, she said she still comes up short financially. She dropped out of college during the spring semester to work three jobs to be able to save enough money to return to school.

Another student we interviewed for casting talked about how he was doing some soul-searching. He was identifying ways to give back to his community and his nation. His selflessness was inspiring. Even after serving a tour in the Iraq conflict, he continues to search for ways to serve and give back.

After we finished, the crew packed up its equipment and caravaned east to the Institute of American Indian Arts, located in the hills outside of Santa Fe,
New Mexico. Rose, a student who comes from a long line of traditional Santa Clara pueblo potters, explained her academic and personal development akin to techniques employed by her ancestors in pottery making. Similarly, tribal colleges build upon students' strengths so when they graduate, students are confident and knowledgeable as individuals and in their field of study.

The landscape of the Southwest is just one small piece of Indian country. We decided to film schools in Montana and Washington state as well. In June, we headed to Salish Kootenai College for graduation in Pablo, Montana. Graduation is a landmark moment in any student's life, but it is more precious if you didn't think you would ever have been able to afford to go to college to begin with. At Salish, we spoke with students like Richard and Misty
both said they would not have been able to graduate without the scholarship support of the American Indian College Fund. Richard, a former sawmill employee, is one of the first graduates of the school's forestry program. Upon graduation he plans to work for the forestry service, where he can employ scientific techniques and indigenous knowledge of forest management.

Misty is also a graduate in the environmental science program. A domestic violence survivor, she says her motivation to complete her schooling was to be able to provide a good upbringing and serve as a role model for her son. She plans to give back to her people by working for her tribe.

Misty wasn't alone. Other women students we cast at Salish Kootenai College, as well as at other tribal colleges, left abusive relationships and found emotional refuge at the tribal colleges. It was there that they found acceptance, encouragement, and people who believed in their abilities. I asked one student where she envisioned that she would be today if she wasn't attending a tribal college. Her tearful response was, “I'd be dead. I'd be in the grave. Salish Kootenai College saved my life.”

As I spoke with many students, it became apparent that these institutions play a larger role than just educating American Indian students. They serve as
lifelines for tribes: daycare centers for students' children, cultural pre servation (like language and traditional arts, often taught by elders, maintaining their traditionally important role as keepers of the traditional ways for future generations,) and technology centers for the entire community, libraries, cafeterias, gathering places, and a safe asylum for students who are trying to extricate themselves from abusive relationships or the destructive pattern of drinking and drugs. Because of the role of the TCUs, the American Indian College Fund is committed to serving both students with scholarships and the tribal colleges in our fundraising efforts.

Patterson Yazzie, an American Indian College Fund employee and a tribal college graduate, was busy arranging for interviews with tribal college student, school officials, and others, organized filming permits, and served as a cultural liaison for the crew during the filming of the video. On location, he served as an interpreter on the Navajo nation, as well as staff photographer.