12.20.11

Hoeven Tours Cankdeska Cikana Community College

FORT TOTTEN, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today told members of the Cankdeska Cikana Community College community that he appreciates the work they’re doing to educate and support their students, and their efforts to connect the community with important resources. 

“Cankdeska Cikana community leaders have really taken a visionary approach to the future of this school. They’ve looked at the needs of their students and the ways the school can serve the community, and they’ve worked to meet them. These new buildings are symbolic of the expanding role the college is playing as a cultural center and source of good education and jobs,” Hoeven said. 

A member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Hoeven spoke to more than 150 of the college’s students, faculty and staff, as well as tribal leaders at a holiday luncheon. He also toured several of the college’s new buildings, which include a wellness center, student union, bookstore, college café and amphitheater. 

Like other tribal colleges and universities, Cankdeska Cikana Community College receives federal funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act. This funding comes from several sources, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Education and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Spirit Lake Nation also provides funding. 

After visiting the college, Hoeven and local leaders toured flood-impacted areas along Devils Lake as part of his ongoing effort to help with flooding and transportation issues for the region.