Academic Teaching Model

As Eddie Benton-Benai notes in his classic, The Mishomis Book:  The Voice of the Ojibway, each of the seven original Anishinaabe clans was assigned a specific function in serving the people.  An animal totem symbolized the strength and duties of the clan. Based on this teaching, the above model also signifies specific qualities embedded within the Guiding Principles, the curriculum, and the Student Learning Objectives of Leech Lake Tribal College degree programs.  For example:

  • Bird Clan, symbolized by an Eagle, represented the spiritual leaders of the people and gave the nation its vision of well-being and its highest development of the spirit – Indigenous Leadership Studies

  • Hoof Clan members, symbolized by Deer, Moose, and Caribou, were gentle people who cared for the community by making sure that their basic needs for housing, food, etc. were met – Residential Carpentry, Construction Electricity

  • Marten Clan members were strategists in planning for the survival of their people – Business Management

  • Crane and Loon Clans provided different styles of leadership, giving the people a balanced government, with each serving as a check on the other – Liberal Education, Indigenous Leadership

  • Bear Clan members served as the strong and steady police and legal guardians of the people – Law Enforcement

  • Fish Clan members were teachers and scholars –Early Childhood Education, Liberal Education 


Academic Learning Model

The teachings and roles of the various Clans integrate to reinforce the student experience at Leech Lake Tribal College, producing a Learner, as illustrated below:

Tail: The tail of the thunderbird can be described as the foundation. It provides steering capabilities, balance, and stability. Our institutional aims, resources, and practices are the "rudder" of the Learner – enabling them to properly guide themselves through life.

Body: The body of the thunderbird encases the vital organs that allow it to function. The seven Anishinaabe values are at the center of the learner and help keep the Learner strong and healthy.

Wings: The wings of the thunderbird are complex. They allow the bird to hover, soar, and glide. Each of the six student learning outcomes makes the wings more efficient and effective, allowing the Learner to be more successful when they take flight after graduation.

Head: The Learner is represented at the head of the thunderbird. The head allows the Learner to look in many directions to see the world from multiple angles, leading the rest of its body through the web of life.