Oglala Lakota College is one of the first tribally-controlled colleges in the country. It was first chartered in 1971 as the Lakota Higher Education Center. In 1983 the college was accredited as a four-year degree granting institution. The Pine Ridge Reservation institution is dedicated to rebuilding the Lakota Nation through education by teaching Lakota culture and language and preparing students to live and work in a multi-cultural world.
Thomas Short Bull has been an important part of Oglala Lakota College for nearly twenty-five years. He first served as president in the late 70s when it was a community college. He returned to lead the institution in 1995. President Short Bull joined Dakota Midday and discussed the history of the college and the changes in education on the reservation over the past fifty years.