Submitted Photo Vance Gillette, left, and Austin Gillette, along with the late Leonard Bear King, founded Fort Berthold Community College, now Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town five decades ago.

NEW TOWN – Five decades ago, brothers Austin and Vance Gillette, and a University of North Dakota professor founded Fort Berthold Community College, now Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, in New Town.

At its May 12 graduation, NHS College held its first of multiple events to celebrate serving the educational needs of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Other special events will be held in the next months, according to college officials.

Austin and Vance Gillette were graduate students at UND in Grand Forks and Leonard Bear King was director of the Future Indian Teachers Program at the Center of Teaching and Learning at UND when the idea to establish a community college in New Town started.

Austin Gillette explained the college’s beginning in a prepared statement presented by Kerry Hartman, NHS College academic dean, at the May 12 event. Gillette was unable to attend the event.

Gillette said that one day Bear King called him and his brother Vance to his office at UND.

“He asked if we would like to help start a community college at Fort Berthold as there was funding available under Title III. (Title III is a higher educational development grant.) We agreed and traveled to Fort Berthold to meet with the tribal council and requested their approval to submit a grant application for funding of a community college. They approved the request after we explained what the process involved.”

After submitting the grant proposal, the Gillettes went about their graduate school classes. Then late in September 1973, Austin Gillette got a call from Bear King saying, “We got, we got it.” Gillette asked Bear King what it was they got.

Bear King replied, “Approval of the Fort Berthold grant for $640,000.”

“That was great news, being the first time Vance and I helped in grant writing. So began our journey,” Gillette said.

He said the first step was to employ a coordinator, and Phyllis Howard was selected. Then they established the charter and a board of directors.

“After this was completed, we sent the balance of over $600,000 of the grant to the Board. Janice Charging Kerzman was the chair,” he said.

Bear King, Vance Gillette and Austin Gillette then “faded off into the sunset onto other adventures,” Austin Gillette said.

He said Howard was selected as the first president and served for 19 years. During that time she shepherded the college through growth and accreditation.

“Today, Dr. Twyla Baker is the president and is doing an excellent job,” he said.

Gillette also noted in his statements presented at the graduation:

“During the past five decades financial stability and funding concerns have always posed uncertainty, which has been a big concern of mine. So tribal council consider this proposal: Establish a college account in the Bureau of Trust Funds System similar to the People’s Fund. Set the amount of $100 million to be allocated from O&G royalties the tribe receives monthly. When it attains $100 million dollars, allocate 80% for operational costs for the college and reinvest the remaining 20% into the $100 million dollars.

“If one is not familiar of how trust funds are invested, here is the example. All trust funds of tribes and allottees are in pool and are bid out on a monthly basis to banks, which earns far more than regular CDs. For allottees a voluntary hold is required. Tribes may also instruct Bureau of Trust Funds Management how they want them invested. Long story short, funds are protected and generate income. This should be done to ensure the future stability and opportunities available for all who attend and graduate from our college. (It) benefits us by retaining qualified dedicated staff and the opportunity to get a degree at home,” he said.

Gillette said he looks back and thinks of Leonard Bear King and the contribution he made.

“Vance and I fondly called him Uncle Lenny. But most of all, thanks to the determination, perseverance and sacrifice made by all who had a part in getting us to where we are today: May the next five decades be as successful,” he said.

Bear King died in December 2002 in Bismarck and is buried at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. He also was instrumental in securing Title III funding to start a community college at Spirit Lake Nation, according to his obituary.

Austin Gillette is a former chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes and longtime tribal business council member for White Shield, and former Bureau of Indian Affairs officer. He resides at White Shield.

A Ford Fellow, Vance Gillette is a longtime attorney. He resides in Minot.

NHSC graduates make college history

NEW TOWN — This year’s graduating class of 34 students at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) in New Town has broken a number of college records, including achieving the highest average grade point average in NHSC history, according to the college. With an average GPA of 3.21, the graduating class surpassed last spring’s graduating class, which achieved an average GPA of 3.18.

Not only did this class break the record for highest overall GPA, but 28 out of the 34 students graduated with honors. This marks a significant increase from last year where only 23 out of 32 graduates earned honors status.

They also achieved the highest graduation rate in years. This year’s class was the largest to graduate in more than a decade, with four students earning a double major and one student completing a fifth degree from NHSC. The graduating class also had a mother/daughter graduate duo. Lisa Finley-DeVille (A.A. in Native American Studies) is the N.D. District 4 representative. Her daughter, Marea DeVille, also graduated this year with dual degrees in science and environmental science.

“Many of NHSC’s spring graduating class started at, or came back to, NHSC in the middle of COVID, which was an incredible challenge. However, as a tribal college, our goal is to help our students succeed and complete their studies even while they persevere through the global pandemic,” said Robert Rainbow, vice president of Academics. “Our faculty stepped up to assist our students in any way possible over the last two years. It is a true testament to the achievements of our students and faculty while overcoming the hardships caused by the pandemic. I am blessed to work with such a great group of caring individuals that help to drive our mission forward.”

2022-2023 NHSC Graduates

Bachelor of Arts in Native American studies — Gerri Pearson and Shayla Gayton; AA in addiction studies — Shelbe Bearstail and Tiana Dubois; AA in business administration — Angeline Eastman, Levi Schmidt, Andrea Yellow Bird, Kylea Driver, Violet Jones, Jordan Manning, Nevans Taft and Jimmy Petit; AA in early childhood education — Keanna Fox and Jera Graham; AA in elementary education — Dianne Primeaux; certificate in early childhood development, Brittany Connor and Miranda Martin; AS in science and environmental science — Jasmyn Dancing Bull, Marea DeVille, Pierre Pretty Weasel and Shadlynn Severance; AA in general studies-pre-nursing — Francesca Ross and Maelene Nez; AA in general studies — Chelsey Howling Wolf and Rebekah Wells; AA in Native American studies — Lisa Finley-DeVille and Irene Hale; AS in equine studies — Daun Dixon and Kylee Jo Halvorson; certificate in welding — Leo Lockwood Jr.