Who We Are

At one point, there were two American Indian committees named in Minnesota Statute 124D.80 - Committees on American Indian Education Programs. One was known as the Indian Education Committee, and the other was the Minnesota Indian Scholarship (MISP) Committee.  These committees had representatives from all eleven Tribal Nations in Minnesota, which provided a direct link between the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Tribal Nations. The Indian Education Committee was terminated in 2001 due to a sunset provision in the statute, and the MISP Committee expired in 2003. Around the same time, two MDE field offices that provided direct services and programming to American Indian students were closed without tribal consultation.

In 2007, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) Education & Human Services Subcommittee determined that a statewide Indian Education Committee was needed to advocate for American Indian students in all areas of education. The Tribal Executive Committee (TEC) formally approved the establishment of the Tribal Nations Education Committee through a resolution dated February 9, 2007. The TNEC is significant because membership must be endorsed by tribal governments and thus operates on foundations of self-determination and sovereignty.