Cynthia Lindquist named director of Tribal Initiatives & Collaboration for UND

Cynthia Lindquist, a UND graduate, is the former president of the Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten, N.D., a position she concluded at the end of August. She is a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, from and around Fort Totten, N.D. Her tribal Dakota name is Star Horse Woman, which in the Dakota language is Ta’sunka Wicahpi Winyan.

As Tribal Initiatives and Collaboration director, Lindquist will work to build and maintain mutual trusting relationships with regional Tribal Nations and Colleges. She will work alongside UND faculty and Tribal representatives to develop, sustain and grow key research and other sponsored partnerships between Tribal partners and UND.

Lindquist is also leading the development of a new UND policy focusing on consultation with Tribal Nations. Consultation with Tribal Nations is a process for deliberation that acknowledges and respects tribal sovereignty and sets parameters for respectful relationships.

David Wilson, associate vice president for Health Research and professor and chair of the Indigenous Health program, welcomed Lindquist back to UND, and said he welcomes her efforts to bolster research ties with Tribal colleges and communities.

“The University of North Dakota is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Lindquist join our team,” Wilson said. “Her experience as a Tribal College president for the Cankdeska Cikana Community College for so many years brings to UND the critical knowledge to move forward the many important projects that will lead to more equitable Tribal collaborations. Ultimately, our strengthened relationships with our Tribal communities will result in increased research capacity for Tribes and developing pathways for the next generation of Native American students to thrive in research for their communities.”

Lindquist, who graduated from UND with an undergraduate degree majoring in American Indian Studies and English, said she is pleased to be returning to the University.

“Besides being a UND graduate, I feel like I am coming home to UND and Grand Forks, as that’s where I was 21 years ago when I became a Tribal College President for my Tribe’s community college,” she said. “The new role at UND is timely and important. I am excited to work with Dr. Wilson and others to create strong and respectful alliances with Tribes and the Tribal Colleges.”

In addition to her UND bachelor’s degree, Lindquist earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Dakota. She then returned to UND and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Lindquist began her role as president of the Cankdeska Cikana Community College in 2003. Over the years, she has served on multiple boards. At present, she serves on the North Dakota Ethics Commission and is a peer reviewer (working on accreditation) for the Higher Learning Commission. She is also on the board of directors of the Bush Foundation.

She has also served on the Executive Committee for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the American Indian College Fund Board of Trustees and the North Dakota News Cooperative. Additionally, she has served on the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), which is an advisory board to the National Science Foundation.

In her own research endeavors, Lindquist has been the principal investigator on numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.