Native American Advancement & Tribal Engagement

It was great to welcome Pascua Yaqui students, Tribal Council, and representatives from the Education Department to campus. The day included a tour of Casino Del Sol Stadium and a lunch with Tribal leaders, creating space for our students to share their experiences and feel supported in their journey.

Thank you to our friends at Arizona Football and McKale center for providing the space for lunch and dialogue.

On Wednesday 4/8, we celebrated Native American Heritage at the Arizona Baseball.

Our office was honored to gift Arizona Baseball Coach Chip Hale and New Mexico State Baseball Coach Jake Angier with two special gifts, a Man in the Maze necklace representing the Tohono O’odham Nation and t-shirts that commemorate the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the importance of knowledge, respect, and community as cultural principles.

The evening also featured a tribal flag display, a powerful National Anthem performance by Destiny Olea, and ceremonial first pitch thrown by Native American Initiatives Assistant Vice Provost Tessa Dysart.

W: Wildcats- 13, Aggies- 3

A huge Thank You to our partners, Native American Initiatives, NASA, and Arizona Athletics for helping bring this celebration to life.

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We are grateful to have welcomed Sam McCracken to campus for an inspiring visit filled with meaningful conversations and connections.

From our main speaker series event, Leading Through Purpose, to engaging with students in a Journalism class, sharing lunch with Native students, and connecting with the AIBL club in the business school, Sam’s time on campus created space for dialogue around leadership, purpose, storytelling, and opportunities for Native youth.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this visit so impactful.

🚨 EVENT TIME UPDATE! 🚨

Our Leading Through Purpose conversation with Sam McCracken will now begin at 10:30 AM on April 7, 2026 at the Campus Store Lower Level.

Please help us spread the word and invite a friend or colleague to join this inspiring conversation on leadership and community impact. We look forward to seeing you there!

The NAATE team was excited to attend RES 2026 and connect with incredible leaders and professionals from across Indian Country. From reconnecting with familiar faces to building new relationships, we left inspired by the conversations and shared vision for our communities.

The rotating Tribal Flags are now on display at the Poetry Center for the month of April and features the 22 Native Nations of Arizona. The Poetry Center presents rare works by Indigenous writers and is currently hosting the In-Na-Po (Indigenous Nations Poets) Spring 2026 Retreat.

Please see below the First- and Second-night readings taking place this week:

First Night Reading is Thursday, April 2 at 7pm featuring poets Elise Paschen, Rob Arnold, and Ofelia Zepeda.

Second Night Reading is Friday, April 3 at 7pm featuring poets Kimberly Blaeser, Laura Tohe, and Bojan Louis.

**UA Departments interested in hosting the flags in the future, reach out to [email protected]

We’re excited to announce our upcoming Speaker Series event, Leading Through Purpose, featuring Sam McCracken, retired visionary and general manager of Nike N7. Join us for an inspiring conversation on leadership, purpose, and creating impact in our communities.

Everyone is welcome!

Save the Date: UA Baseball Native American Heritage Night!⚾️

Be on the lookout for more details soon.

Coach Tommy Lloyd rocking a beaded UA hat gifted by Dr. Damon Clarke, Former Chairman of the Hualapai Tribe. Bear Down!🐻⬇️

We send our congratulations to Coach Lloyd and the men’s basketball team as Big 12 champions!🏀