AIHEC conference honors TCU students with awards for art, sports, academics

After four days of competitions in academics, sports and the arts, students representing their tribal colleges and universities from around the country received awards for their performance.

Raechel Herman from Sinte Gleska University in South Dakota, who received the President’s Choice Award for her art, told Buffalo’s Fire she felt ecstatic and wasn’t expecting the award.

“I wish to be a role model for my kids and for my nephews,” she said while holding back tears. Pointing back to her table in the exhibition hall, Herman said her kids were there, cheering her on. She said her kids want to attend tribal college like their mom one day.

Sinte Gleska University also placed second in the handgames tournament and placed in the mixed doubles archery competition.

Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota won awards in multiple categories, including three in E-sports: first in Rocket League, third in Call of Duty and third in Valorant. It was AIHEC’s first year holding an E-sports competition. Matt Janis, Oglala Lakota College’s E-sports team coach, told Buffalo’s Fire his team is “making history.”

“I couldn’t have done it without these guys,” he said, surrounded by eight cheering team members.

Since Oglala Lakota College is divided into different campuses, the team met and practiced together online through the communication platform Discord. AIHEC brought them all together face-to-face for the first time.

Janis said the team was a week late to register but was still allowed to compete in the competition. Teammate Rodney Clement said he was grateful to AIHEC for the experience.

“To be able to represent OLC and play with my brother, it’s just… wow,” said Clement, lost for words. “We did it.”

Tribal colleges outside the Northern Plains were also among the award winners. Mayyingan Brauker, a descendant of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and Tristan Green, a descendant of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, traveled from Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Michigan. They said they were lucky to have made it since their mid-Michigan town got covered in four inches of snow the day they left for Bismarck. Bay Mills Community College in northern Michigan was one of several schools that missed the conference due to the snow storm.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College placed third in archery and second in the engineering competition.

“We had a blast,” said Brauker.

Closer to home, United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck won first place in Critical Inquiry, along with several other awards.

UTTC students Zariah June, Jermaine Bell and Monique Poor Bear presented an argument about blood quantum at the conference, which won them the award. Bell told Buffalo’s Fire the argument was personal to them, especially since he and Poor Bear have kids that could have blood quantum laws applied to them.

“It took a couple months of prep,” said Bell, Northern Arapaho and Oglala Lakota. “And it was emotional.” The team said they were proud of their work and proud to represent UTTC.

The conference took place March 14-18 and drew more than 1,100 students from more than a dozen tribal colleges. Students, faculty and staff honored this year’s theme, “Our Stories, Our Strength, Our Future!”