Indian Country Extension | The U.S. Indian Country Extension Commons

Provide information about and access to Indian Country Extension in America.

About Indian Country Extension

This term identifies Cooperative Extension work that occurs in Indian Country — on American Indian reservations, in tribal communities and tribal colleges. This nonformal, knowledge-based educational programming is grounded in the philosophy established in the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. The teaching is conducted by faculty, extension agents/educators and other associated employees of the extension organizations within land grant universities and colleges; tribal colleges and tribal governments.

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Program Showcase

Family and Consumer Sciences

Colville Extension - Colville
Family and Consumer Sciences Education programs strengthen the relationship between individuals, families, and communities. Workshops are offered featuring the latest research-based food preservation methods and safe handling of traditional native foods, low sugar jams and jellies, low salt pickling, and game meat and fish. Nutrition and Lifeskills Education for both adults and youth offer opportunities to help people improve their person more

Community Development

Coeur d' Alene Extension - Coeur d' Alene
Both the City of Plummer, the largest community on the Reservation and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe are in the process of assembling their Comprehensive plans. The FRTEP Educator facilitated a series of meetings, attended by over 80 participants that included goals, concerns, and values and vision activities. By combining Tribal and City resources in sponsoring these events, held between May, 2006 and November, 2006, both the Tribe and the City were able to gather rich input on the community's... more

Revitalizing 4-H in Small Rural Schools

Muscogee (Creek) Extension - Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Helping small rural schools within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation re-establish and revitalize their 4-H programs has been the goal of the Extension Educator this past year. The focus has been placed on one school in three different counties. These three counties have an 18% Native American population. The percentage of students who are Creeks is even higher. State 4-H Ambassadors provided workshops on 4-H projects, entertained with games, and shared their 4-H story with the youth. more

Cherokee Farming and Gardening

Cherokee Extension - Cherokee
Cherokee FRTEP provides technical assistance to Cherokee farmers and gardeners. The annual garden contest grows in popularity each year. In 2006, 54 Cherokee gardens were in the competition. Over the past 3 years, the Chief's Cherokee Family Garden Project has distributed 1250 garden kits and 1000 apple trees to families to promote traditional family gardening. Two new interest groups have formed and meet monthly in Cherokee, the Smoky Mountain Beekeepers and the Cherokee Native Plant Study... more

Seminole Tribal Cattle Program

Seminole Extension - Seminole Tribe
The tribal cattle program, one of the largest US cattle producers, has demonstrated considerable proficiency. After a 15 year development program, the tribe has arrived with genetic lines optimized for South Florida environmental conditions. The program is becoming a "profit center." Many reasons attribute to the success but three stand out. The first, supported by the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, was the introduction of a Cattle ID program which garnered... more

Traditional and Horse 4-H

Fort Hall Extension - Fort Hall
The Fort Hall Extension office runs a very unique 4-H program. Our 4-H classes are developed and taught by Nola Cates, Fort Hall 4-H director. Nola is absolutely amazing with the kids and can teach anything from cooking to leather working. Our 4-H classes are held three times a week all year. We reach over 200 kids every year through these programming efforts. more

Resource Areas

Latest additions and changes
Michigan Cooperative Extension \| *Extension Office* 5 weeks 1 day ago »
Master Food Preserver \| *Extension Program* 6 weeks 2 days ago » MSU Flathead Reservation Extension Office partnered with MSU Lake County Extension to offer the first Master Food Preserver class in Montana in over 25 years. With the increase in gardening...
Fort Peck Extension \| *Extension Office* 6 weeks 5 days ago » The Fort Peck Reservation is in northeastern Montana, and home of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.
University of Nevada Tribal Exension \| *Extension Office* 6 weeks 5 days ago » Existing Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) funds are insufficient to support tribal needs on more than one reservation. In order to fund more than one full-time operation, UNCE...
"Health and Traditions among Hopi/Tewa Women." \| *Publication* 7 weeks 6 days ago » Abstract: This paper is based on participatory action research over a 6-year period with the Hopi non-profit, Pu’tavi, and the Hopi tribal government. Discussing the functions...
Hualapai Extension \| *Extension Office* 7 weeks 6 days ago » The Hualapai and Havasupai tribes speak closely related languages and are located on ancestral lands on the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. The Hualapai Reservation is nearly a...
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College \| *Extension Office* 9 weeks 9 hours ago » Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College is located in Bataga, Michigan.
Diné College \| *Extension Office* 11 weeks 6 days ago » The Land Grant Office of Diné College Our Mission: The Mission of the Land Grant Office is to increase the knowledge capacity of the Navajo Nation as well as other Native Americans in order to...
Colorado River Indian Tribes Extension \| *Extension Office* 13 weeks 1 day ago »
Agriculture and Natural Resource Management \| *Extension Program* 13 weeks 1 day ago » Educational Field Days and demonstration trials were used to help Identify problems facing the production of established crops (alfalfa, cotton, seed crops and vegetables) and to determine...
Health and Nutrition \| *Extension Program* 13 weeks 1 day ago » Health and Nutrition programming is combined with both of the above outlined Agriculture and 4-H Program areas. Any opportunity available is used to promote healthier lifestyles and increased...
Tanana Chiefs Conference Extension \| *Extension Office* 13 weeks 1 day ago » As the 20th anniversary of the FRTEP program in Alaska nears, it is good to reflect on the changes and the impacts this program has had on Alaska Natives in rural Alaska. As a relatively new agent to...
Ilisagvik College \| *Extension Office* 13 weeks 1 day ago » Ilisagvik College is a two-year tribal college located in the northernmost point of Alaska.
Cherokee Extension \| *Extension Office* 13 weeks 1 day ago » Current activities include the revegetation of ramps (a native wild onion) as a traditional food; revegetation of river cane, white oak, and butternut trees for traditional basket making;...
Choctaw Extension \| *Extension Office* 13 weeks 1 day ago » The MSU Extension Service's partnership with the Choctaw tribe since the inception of the FRTEP has been a story of success. As a result of this program, an average of 24 Extension activities have...