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Participating Universities
and Colleges |
| (Alphabetical Order) |
| Cankdeska Cikana Community College |
Iowa State University | Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College |
Leech Lake Tribal College | University of Minnesota
| North Dakota State University |
Si Tanka/Huron University | South Dakota State University |
University of Wisconsin |
| Cankdeska Cikana Community
College |
|
Link to Cankdeska Cikana. Cankdeska Cikana Community College,
also known as Little Hoop Community College,is located in Ft. Totten, ND
on the Spirit Lake Nation. The College exists to "provide comprehensive
post-secondary education which addresses both traditional and contemporary
aspects of learning. The College focuses on educating our students to live
successfully by assisting each in reaching a goal that is desirable and
attainable for their needs in this multi cultural world.", according
to its mission statement. Cankdeska Cikana is one of the "1994"
family of Land Grant Institutions. In that year Congress designated 30 specific
Tribal Colleges as land-grant institutions through the "Equity in Educational
Land-Grant Status Act of 1994" Public Law 103-382. |
| Little Hoop Community College was founded
in 1974 and named after Paul Yankton Sr., the recipient of two Purple Hearts,
who died November 29, 1944, while serving as a rifleman with the Army's
11th Infantry in Lorraine, France. The college later decided to take on
the Sioux spelling and pronunciation of Little Hoop, which is Cankdeska
Cikana. The college is chartered by the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe of North
Dakota, which was formerly known as the Devil's Lake Sioux. The tribe has
more than 5000 members. |
| "While we bring the latest innovations
in technology and teaching methods, w e are committed to the preservation
of the Dakota Culture," notes Colleg e President Larry Belgarde. "
Cankdeska Cikana is one of the very few coll eges in the world where students
can learn Dakota language from a native spea ker. A course in Dakota Culture
is required for graduation. For those students who want to pursue this area
in depth, with a degree in Indian Studies major is available. |
| "We believe that by educating of our
people we will strengthen tribal sovereignty. By understanding sovereignty
and becoming aware our past, we will be able to envis ion and create a positive
future for ourselves and for the Spirit Lake Nation." |
| For more informa tion, contact John
Lohnes at Cankdeska. |
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| Iowa State University |
Link to Iowa
State biotechnology at http://www.biotech.iastate.edu
For K-12 teachers and USDA Cooperative Extension youth educators
- Hands-on biotechnology education workshops
- Online bioethics course
- Curriculums geared to National Science Standards
For college educators
- Bioethics Institutes for faculty
- Pre-service biotech education for undergrad teachers-in-training
For agriculture, consumers, and policymakers
Economics research
- Product adoption
- Consumer behavior and industry response
- Intellectual property rights
Ethics research
- Consumer values
- Values guiding public policy
Social research
- Consumer attitudes
- Factors influencing attitudes
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| Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa
Community College |
| Link to Lac
Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. The mission of the Lac
Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College is to provide, within the Indian
community, a system of post-secondary and continuing education with an associate
degree and certificate granting capabilities, while maintaining an open
door policy. In carrying out the mission, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa
Community College curriculum reflects Ojibwa culture and tribal self-determiniation.
The college provides opportunities for individual self-improvement in a
rapidly changing technological world, while maintaining the cultural integrity
of the Anishinabe. The college was founded by Tribal resolution in August
of 1982. |
| The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa are members
of the larger Ojibwa nation which once was a major force in the entire upper
Great Lakes region. The English word "Chippewah" is really just
another pronunciation of "Ojibwa." The Ojibwa also refer to themselves
as Anishinabe. The French phrase &qupt;Lac Courte Oreilles" means "short
ears" because the Ojibwa in that area did not wear ear rings. The Lac
Courte Oreilles Reservation was established by the treaty of 1854 securing
an amount of land the "size of three townships" (69,000 acres)
for the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Chippewa (a.k.a.Ojibwa) Indians. The
shores of Lac Courte Oreilles and other villages established in the vicinity
had been their home for more than a century by the time they signed the
treaty securing it as theirs forever. |
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| Leech Lake Tribal College |
| The mission statement of Leech
Lake Tribal College is to provide all persons a quality education grounded
in the spirituality, history, and culture of the Anishinaabeg. |
| Leech Lake Tribal College was chartered
by the Leech Lake Tribal Council in 1990. The College derives its authority
from the sovereignty and constitution of the Tribe. The responsibility and
care of the College is vested in the Board of Trustees of the College, all
of whom are enrolled members of the Leech Lake Nation. |
| "Science and tribal culture can co-exist
in the classroom", says Michael Wassegijig Price, a member of Wikwemikong
First Nations and Chairman of the Department of Science and Mathematics
at Leech Lake Tribal College. "Many Native American traditions and
ceremonies reflect ecological phenomenon or natural processes," states
Price. Anishinaabe students (otherwise known as Ojibway or Chippewa) are
provided with a dualistic understanding, both cultural and Western scientific,
of the natural world. |
| Science delivers the quantitative and qualitative
understanding about natural elements and processes. Anishinaabe culture
gives an understanding of relationship, both physically and spiritually,
that human beings have with the natural world surrounding them. Four concepts
that characterize the connection between Anishinaabeg and the natural world:
relationship, reliance, reciprocity and respect. Cultural values integrated
with science allow students to critically analyze, from an evolved indigenous
world view, contemporary environmental problems such as deforestation, ozone
depletion, genetic engineering, climate change and biodiversity. |
| Local environmental issues on the Leech
Lake Reservation that students will study include organic mercury and dioxin
groundwater contamination. It is hoped that this integration of science
and cultural values will create a sustainable and balanced relationship
between human beings and the natural world. |
| Upper division science courses offered at
Leech Lake Tribal College are Environmental Toxicology, Freshwater Biology,
Anishinaabe Ethnobiology, Anishinaabe Harvest Ecology, Plant Systematics,
and Forestry. Leech Lake Tribal College currently offers an Associate of
Arts Degree in Natural Science and an Associate of Applied Science Degree
in Environmental Management. |
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| University of Minnesota |
| Investigating
Heredity and Biotechnology, a five-day short course offered by faculty
and staff in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics in July 2002,
brought together 19 high school biology and agricultural science teachers.
During the intensive course, teachers strengthened their understanding of
gene structure and function, genomics, bioinformatics, and recombinant DNA
technology. Seminar and discussion sessions with University faculty allowed
teachers to deepen their understanding of applications of this recombinant
DNA technology in crop and food production, as well as the associated risks,
benefits and ethical concerns. Teachers gained experience with laboratory
practices appropriate for classrooms, including DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis,
restriction digestion, DNA fingerprinting, and bacterial transformation,
obtained resources of use in curriculum development and established contacts
with University of Minnesota faculty and staff. |
| Project personnel
also assisted project members at Leech Lake Tribal College in planning and
implementing a three-day workshop for K - 12 educators that was held at
Leech Lake Tribal College in Minnesota in July, 2001. |
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| North Dakota State University |
| The work conducted by NDSU
on this project includes both social and economic research along with extension/education
efforts focused on youth and adults. |
Social Research component
objectives include:
- Examine the ethical values and principles regarding transgenic organisms.
- Explore the role of the faith community in shaping agricultural producers
attitudes and practices regarding the use of transgenic organisms.
- Develop educational materials to be disseminated through the Rural
Social Science Education (RSSE) program regarding ethical decisions.
|
Results:
- Conducted 24 in-depth, on- site interviews on ethical values related
to transgenic organisms with individuals in the agro-food system and
gave two workshops/presentations (Extension Conference and GPSA Conference).
- Collected from two dozen major denominations written statements or
policies on transgenic organisms. Many of them are working on statements
on biotechnology, primarily on human cloning, but only a few have statements
on transgenic organisms. We have drafted of a questionnaire using these
findings to survey farmers in the region. Workshops on this topic: (a
brown-bag luncheon and Eastern ND Synod ELCA).
- Dr. Bernard Evans, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, expert
in rural social ethics, is assisting in the preparation of the RSSE
materials.
|
Plans for the Coming Year:
- Additional interviews, and will present two papers at the Midwest
Sociological Society meetings in Chicago, IL in April, 2002 addressing
the social and ethical implications of transgenic organisms.
- Findings from Objectives #1 and #2, will guide a survey of farmers
in the region that will be done in Spring 2002.
- We will have a draft of the RSSE materials ready to pre-test.
|
The Extension/Education component
has two objectives:
- To use the train-the-trainer approach with extension educators and
science teachers to work with both youth and adult audiences.
- To foster an open dialogue among the NDSU faculty community and the
ND organic farming/sustainable agriculture community on the issues.
|
Results:
- A day long comprehensive biotechnology workshop was conducted on
April 4 during the NDSU Annual Extension conference with over 200 extension
agents, specialists and agency representatives participating. Two teacher
workshops were conducted during the summer of 2001. Established a website
at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/biotech/. The site promotes workshops
and seminars, links to other resources, provides a listserv and posts
audio/power point presentations from past seminars. Also biotech seminar
was held during the 4-H and Youth Workers National meeting in Bismarck
in October, 2001.
- A NDSU Biotechnology Roundtable Series was organized. Discussion
was led by various NDSU faculty with each session focusing on a different
issue. NDSU also hosted two meetings with the ND organic/sustainable
community to identify concerns and issues and discuss strategies for
the co- existence of GMO and non-GMO crop production.
|
Plans for the Coming Year:
- A March 1, 2002 in-service training is scheduled for NDSU Extension
Agents. Two science teacher workshops will be offered during the summer
of 2002. Biotech discussions are being incorporated into extension agronomy
and marketing programs. A biotech component is being developed for the
ND Ag in the Classroom program.
- The Biotechnology Round Table Series will continue. More dialogue
interaction with the ND organic/sustainable agriculture community is
planned. As a result of this dialogue, a grant proposal to develop a
best management practices program for organic farmers have been submitted.
|
| The overall purpose of the
Research in Economics, Trade and Business at NDSU is to develop and provide
technical expertise related to the evolution and adoption of biotechnology
in northern crops including small grains, specialty oilseeds etc. |
There are three specific objectives:
- Marketing System Implications of Biotechnology Crops: Research will
develop materials to address issues related to market segments, as well
as evaluate implications for the marketing system.
- Trade and Competition: Research would seek to compare the different
approaches to the development, adoption and marketing of GM crops in
Canada, Australia and in the northern regions of the United States
- Agribusiness Strategies for Consumer Acceptance: Assess issues related
to consumer acceptance and to develop strategies for easing the transition
to adoption of crops that are more genetically enhanced.
|
Results (Accomplishments):
There were three primary focuses this past year.
- One was a series of seminars on biotechnology issues confronting the
Northern Region. A major seminar was presented in April entailing 6
major presentations with many regional attendees. All the presentations
were also made available on the biotech website.
- In addition, an internal Biotechnology Roundtable was initiated with
monthly presentations/discussions among faculty in cross-discipline
areas.
- Finally, a special seminar/workshop was presented with the North Dakota
Sustainable Agriculture to discuss issues about the coexistence of GM
production.
|
| One experimental auction has
been conducted to assess consumer tastes for products produced with GM ingredients.
A second, more comprehensive auction is planned for the coming months. |
| Plans for Coming Year: Continue
on the consumer acceptance analysis and analyze and define demands for end-use
quality characteristics for these crops. Surveys will be conducted and used
to define market segments and characteristics. Concurrently, research will
be initiated on strategies for managing handling systems under crops that
are increasingly differentiated along numerous dimensions, including GM.
This will include surveys of handlers and development of models on segregation,
identify preservation and contracting to analyze the cost and risks of different
strategies. |
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| Si Tanka/Huron University |
| For Si Tanka/Huron University's
website, see http://www.huron.edu. On
April 26, 2001 an unprecedented merger took place when Si Tanka College,
Eagle Butte, South Dakota, one of the oldest tribal colleges in the nation
purchased one of the oldest private universities in South Dakota. Si Tanka
Huron University is the first off-reservation Tribal-controlled University
in the United States. Presently more than 50% of all students enrolled are
minorities. |
| This is the first time in
history that a Tribal College has purchased the resources and facilities
of an existing, non-Tribal University (Huron University, Huron, South Dakota).
The purchase brought a 118-year tradition of academic excellence to Si Tanka.
Together, Si Tanka and Huron University have the resources to change the
face of American Indian Higher Education today: On October 13, 2001, Si
Tanka Huron Tribal University held its first combined homecoming, bringing
together students from varied ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
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| South Dakota State University
|
| Donna Hess is
principal investigator for the entire grant. |
Dr. Catherine
Carter, Plant Molecular Biology:Environmental and Health Effects of GM Crops.
- movements of transgenes in the field to determine how far apart transgenic
and conventional crops should be planted.
- Determine whether transgenes have any adverse effects on livestock
or foods.
Biotechnology Workshops for High School Students
- June 6, 2001
- September 12, 2001
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Biotechnology
Workshops for Teachers
- July 18-20, 2001
- July, 2002
|
Evert Van der
Sluis, Associate Professor, Department of Economics
- Studying farm-level decisions on the use of biotechnology applications.
- Farm-level survey, to be conducted in winter 2002.
- Assess the economic costs and benefits of potential market segmentation
of transgenic grains at the elevator level, specifically:
- assess existing physical capacity among elevators to segregate transgenics;
assess attitudes among elevator managers regarding separation and segregation
issues.
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| University of Wisconsin |
At Wisconsin,
Brad Barham, professor of Agricultural and
Applied Economics in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is principal
investigator.
- Papers on the adoption or non-adoption of rBST (BGH) use on Wisconsin
dairy farms;
- Papers on the use of GMO crops on Wisconsin farms;
- Papers on recent trends in U.S. university agbiotech patent production,
currently investigating if and why patent production stimulates or undercuts
the dissemination of research in other forums like journal articles.,
and
- Looking ahead at the next wave of ag-biotech services, asking if there
really a revolution underway? If so, where, when, and how?
|
| Tom
Zinnen is a biotechnology policy and outreach specialist with UW-Madison/Extension.
He provides information, insight and analysis on technical and policy issues
of biotechnology. The goal of his outreach work is to help people develop
their science savvy so that people can better use science in making personal
choices and public policies. Last year Zinnen served as a Congressional
Science Fellow with the staff of the House Committee on Agriculture. In
the past 10 years, he has provided over 750 workshops or presentations on
biotechnology issues and on the powers and limits of science in probing
the unknown. |
| Robert
Streiffer, an assistant professor in History of Medicine and Philosophy,
teaches bioethics at Wisconsin. His research and writing focus on ethical
issues arising from modern biotechnology, especially modern agricultural
biotechnology. |
| Robert will host
the 2002 Bioethics Institute, an intensive training program for University
level faculty and teachers, in June 2002. |
| UW-Madison debuted
its own consortium website, focusing and providing teaching tools to extension
agents, in January, 2002 . |
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