The document discusses the formation and work of the American Indian Task Force within University of Minnesota Extension. It aims to build institutional capacity to better serve American Indian communities. Key outcomes include hiring a tribal liaison and regional educators focused on natural resource management, youth development and other areas. The task force uses participatory methods like the "Sondeo" (sounding out) process to better understand community needs and priorities on issues like natural resources management. This helps create context-specific programming in partnership with tribes. The overall goal is to address unmet needs, change engagement practices, facilitate institutional learning, and catalyze positive change for American Indians through Extension work.

1. THE AMERICAN INDIAN TASK
FORCE:
REDISCOVERING
EXTENSION EDUCATION
David Wilsey
Extension Educator
Natural Resource Management & Utilization
Cloquet Regional Office

2. Business
Forestry and
Agriculture
Economic Northern and
Anthropology Southeast Minnesota
Mexico and Guatemala
Ecuador

3. THE AMERICAN INDIAN
TASK FORCE

4. TASK FORCE MISSION
Build institutional
capacity and long-term
commitment to making
a measurable difference
in American Indian
Communities

5. THE AMERICAN INDIAN
TASK FORCE
Cross-state Collaboration (WI & MN)
Charge given by the Extension Dean
Part of the Administrative Leadership Consultive
Group
Comprised of Extension faculty and staff

6. A. I. T. F. TIMELINE
August 2005: MN Extension meets with WI
Extension Native American Task Force
March 2006: MN A.I. Task Force named by Dean
April 2006: 1st Task Force Meeting
Oct/Nov 2006: A.I. Opportunity Analysis
Winter 2007: Tribal Liaison Position Created
Spring 2008: Regional Educators Hired

7. OUTCOMES: PEOPLE
Administration:
• Dawn Newman - American Indian Tribal Liaison
Educators:
• Dave Wilsey, Natural Resource Mgmt & Utilization
• Susan Beaulieu, 4-H Youth Development, Brainard
• Joe Courneya, 4-H Youth Development, Crookston
• Jennifer Garbow, Family Development
• Unfilled,Water Resources, Leech Lake
• Savannah Pollak, Summer Intern, Cloquet

8. FOSTERING CHANGE...
A.I. Task Force:
• A response to an
identified need (gap)
• A vehicle / catalyst for
change
• Leadership role: the
creation of “working
space”

9. Image: Savannah Pollak
“REFLEXIVE” EXTENSION
...LEARNING: THE NEW WAY OF TEACHING

10. ASK: “WHAT DO WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU?”

11. ASK:
“WHO ARE YOUR TEACHERS?”

12. ALLOW:
THE “EDUCATOR” TO BE
THE “LEARNER”

13. OUTLINING AN APPROACH
“Grounded”
Participatory
Two-Directional

14. Image: www.storycorps.net
I. AMERICAN INDIAN
“STORY CORPS”

15. STORY CORPS OBJECTIVES
Image: www.storycorps.net
StoryCorps.net:
Our mission is to honor and celebrate one
another’s lives through listening.

16. A.I. STORY CORPS
OBJECTIVES
Image: www.storycorps.net
StoryCorps.net:
Our mission is to honor and
1. Capture the unique celebrate one another’s lives
stories, experiences, through listening.
and insights of
Educators with A.I.
experience in order to
institutionalize this
knowledge

17. A.I. STORY CORPS
OBJECTIVES
Image: www.storycorps.net
StoryCorps.net:
2. Use this knowledge to Our mission is to honor and
inform and strengthen: celebrate one another’s lives
through listening.
The foundation upon
which new and
renewed relationships
with the AI community
are built;
Future programming

18. A.I. STORY CORPS
INTERVIEWS
Image: www.storycorps.net
Extension American
Educators Indians with
with American Extension
Indian Education
Experiences Experiences

19. A.I. STORY CORPS:
INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Image: www.storycorps.net
Extension Educators American Indians
1908 2008 2108
Capture Apply

20. II. THE FOND DU LAC
“SONDEO”

21. The Idea:
Building a Foundation:
Build a FDL /
Extension
1. Organizational
Partnership
Objectives:
FDL & Extension Priorities
(Example: FDL’s IRMP)
2. Grassroots Goals:
The
Result:
Context-Specific
Natural Resources
Programming

22. 2. Grassroots Goals:
?
How should we
learn about
these?

23. SONDEO
“Sounding Out”
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

24. “Sondeo” Defined
A rapid and participatory team
methodology used to enhance information
about:
> community context, and
> community members’ goals and
constraints
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

25. The Sondeo is Participatory
> Engages community members on their terms and in
their settings (homes, garages, truck cabs, etc.)
The Team is Inter-disciplinary
> Considers [Nat.Res.] issues from multiple
perspectives
(such as: gender and age equity, economics, health,
environment, education, etc.)
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

26. Why do a Sondeo?
The method Reinforces and Enhances
what we already know...
But as often, dramatically Alters what we
thought we knew!
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

27. The Sondeo Report
• An overview of community members’ goals,
objectives, and constraints (related to NR)
• A common and jointly-built foundation for FDL /
Extension collaboration on Nat.Res. projects and
programming
• A possible scholarly publication
• An evaluation tool to be revisited
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

28. Building a Foundation:
1. Organizational 2. Grassroots
Objectives: Goals:
FDL & Extension Priorities The Sondeo Report
The Result:
Context-Specific Natural
Evaluation Evaluation
Resources Programming
Dave Wilsey
University of MN Extension
dwilsey@umn.edu

29. THERE ARE MORE...
White Earth Science Summer School...10 years!!!
Horizons (more tomorrow)
Adapted existing Extension curriculum
Everyday informal interactions, etc...

30. American Indian
Task Force
SONDEO
Image: www.storycorps.net
• Addressing unmet needs
• Changing rules of engagement
• Institutional learning
•Catalyzing change...
Rediscovering Extension!

31. THANK YOU!
COMMENTS?
QUESTIONS?
Dave Wilsey Dawn Newman
dwilsey@umn.edu danewman@umn.edu