[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9054-9055]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO DR. GERALD ``CARTY'' MONETTE

 Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary scholar, leader, and friend, Dr. Gerald ``Carty'' 
Monette.
  For more than 30 years, Dr. Monette, a member of the Turtle Mountain 
Band of Chippewa, has been a leader in the tribal college movement 
nationwide, and more specifically, at Turtle Mountain Community College 
in Belcourt, ND. When the college opened its doors on the reservation 
in 1972, Dr. Monette served as its director, and in 1978 he assumed the 
presidency of the institution.
  During his tenure, Dr. Monette spearheaded an incredible 
transformation of the college with an added result of his determination 
being a remarkable increase in the ability of all American Indians to 
gain access to higher education opportunities. In 1973, under his 
leadership, Turtle Mountain Community College joined with five other 
tribal colleges to create the American Indian Higher Education 
Consortium--AIHEC--to provide a support network for member 
institutions. Today, AIHEC is composed of tribal colleges and 
universities located in 13 States, serving American Indian students 
from over 250 federally recognized tribes.
  Prior to the opening of Turtle Mountain Community College, those 
living on the reservation had no access to higher education. 
Unemployment and high school dropout rates were both very high. The 
college started from very humble beginnings, offering its first courses 
on the third floor of an abandoned Catholic convent, with less than 60 
students and only three full-time faculty members. Today, it has grown 
to serve over 650 students, with more than 150 courses and 65 full- and 
part-time faculty members, which is due in large part to Dr. Monette's 
dedication and leadership.
  One of the many highlights of Dr. Monette's professional life was 
realization of his vision for a new campus for the college. He led the 
effort to secure the needed funds to construct the facility, which is 
located on a 123-acre site. The 105,000 square-foot facility includes 
state-of-the-art technology, general classroom space, science and 
engineering labs, a library, learning resource center, and a gymnasium. 
This beautiful new campus stands as a shining testament to Dr. 
Monette's untiring dedication to the cause of increasing access to 
postsecondary opportunities in Indian Country.
  Under Dr. Monette's leadership, Turtle Mountain Community College 
also expanded from an institution of higher learning to one of the 
community's pillars of economic development and opportunity through the 
creation of the Center for New Growth and Economic Development. Working 
with tribal leadership, the center has embarked on

[[Page 9055]]

several projects to strengthen the community's ability to grow and 
become more economically independent. Some of the many projects taken 
on by the center include a very successful wind energy program, a 
review of the tribe's constitution, a school reform initiative designed 
to improve student performance, and a program to reintroduce 
traditional Native American foods into the diets of tribal members, 
which will yield tremendously positive health benefits.
  Dr. Monette has been a true agent of positive change in the lives of 
thousands of students who have passed through Turtle Mountain Community 
College during his tenure. He has been a true champion for higher 
education and a powerful national advocate for the tribal colleges. His 
passion is infectious, and he has motivated everyone to reach to their 
goals no matter how small or large.
  Dr. Monette has dedicated his life's work to the greater good. After 
27 years as president of Turtle Mountain Community College, he has 
decided to commence his well-deserved retirement, but he leaves behind 
a lasting legacy that will stand for many generations. We owe Dr. 
Monette a debt of gratitude, and I wish him and his family all the very 
best.

                          ____________________