Amphi Native American Education

09/22/2026

On Orange Shirt Day, join NIEA for a timely conversation centered on truth, remembrance, and the voices of Native children and families.

Beyond Educator Day: True Stories of Indian Boarding Schools with Dr. Brenda Child
📅 September 30, 2026
🕒 3:30–4:30 p.m. Pacific | 6:30–7:30 p.m. Eastern
💻 Virtual Webinar

Leading boarding school historian and author Dr. Brenda J. Child will discuss her new middle-grade nonfiction book, In Our Own Words: Real Stories of the Indian Boarding School Experience.

Drawing upon letters written by Native children, their families, and school officials, the book shares firsthand accounts of the boarding school era and provides an important resource for educators, families, and communities seeking to understand and teach this history.

This webinar is presented by the National Indian Education Association in partnership with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rUUxhdCQQDmDiHEhz9ZkCw

09/22/2026

Come learn from nationally recognized Indigenous leaders who are reclaiming traditional agricultural practices and foodways across North America. Tastings offered.

946 W Mission Lane Tucson, AZ 85745
September 29, 2026 | 6-8PM
Free admission, no RSVP required

Alyssa Dixon is an O'odham culinary professional, food entrepreneur, community educator, and founder of Alyssa’s Kosin, established in 2017 in the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona.

Rooted in knowledge passed down through elders, family, friends, and community, Alyssa’s work focuses on reconnecting people with O'odham foods, ancestral cooking knowledge, healthy eating, and the cultural significance of food. Her culinary practice honors traditional ingredients and techniques while creating contemporary experiences that invite people to engage with Indigenous foodways in meaningful and approachable ways.

Alyssa spent five years working with Ramona Farms before founding Alyssa’s Kosin, building a foundation in Indigenous agriculture, traditional foods, and the relationship between farming, food, and community. Today, she provides community catering, culinary education, ancestral food programming, youth instruction, and food-support initiatives, while also developing her signature O'odham Bites concept.

Her culinary work has included high-profile Tribal and public events and serving distinguished guests including First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

For Alyssa, food is a way to preserve knowledge, honor elders, strengthen community, and carry ancestral teachings into the next generation.

Community Raised. Community Taught. Community Served.

09/21/2026

URGENT: Tribal Nations are encouraged to review proposed changes to the 2030 Census and make their voices heard.
The U.S. Census Bureau has proposed regulations that would fundamentally change how the census counts people across the United States. Of particular concern, the proposed rule would remove race and ethnicity questions, eliminating critical data about American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Census data help determine political representation, inform federal funding decisions, and guide planning for housing, community development, maternal health, transportation, and other essential programs and services. These proposed changes could have significant consequences for Tribal Nations and Native communities.

The Census Bureau will hold a virtual Tribal consultation for Tribal leaders and officially designated representatives:
Friday, October 2, 2026
3:00–4:30 p.m. ET

The public comment deadline is October 13. Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations have until November 2 to submit comments.

Read the Dear Tribal Leader Letter: https://hubs.la/Q04xX5ty0

Register for the consultation: https://hubs.la/Q04xX5sK0

Submit comments through https://hubs.la/Q04xX5tz0 by searching docket USBC-2026-0628.

Please share this information with Tribal leaders and the appropriate staff within your Tribal Nation. Questions may be directed to [email protected].

09/15/2026

For more than 13 years, Sarah EchoHawk has led AISES with resilience, vision, and care, and is now preparing to step down as President to begin her next chapter.

During her time at AISES, she helped build a stronger, more resilient organization and expand pathways for Indigenous students and professionals in STEM.

She will continue to lead AISES through the 2026 AISES National Conference in Portland before concluding her tenure in November.

As we look toward AISES’ next chapter—and our 50th year—we invite the AISES Family to join us in thanking Sarah for all she has given to our community.

Read the full announcement → https://www.aises.org/til-we-meet-again-a-leadership-transition-within-our-aises-family

Sarah, ‘til we meet again. 🧡

09/12/2026

Native students and educators are still feeling the effects of the federal government’s actions last year, when staff at the Bureau of Indian Education and BIE-run schools were cut without the Tribal consultation required by law.

And to add insult to injury, the Trump administration recently moved to transfer Indian education programs and staff out of the Department of Education, again without consulting Tribes.

These are major decisions that are already affecting Native students, educators, and communities. They should not be made without Tribal Nations at the table.

09/12/2026

09/11/2026

09/07/2026

Long before there were classrooms, our people were teaching.

Knowledge was carried through language, story, observation, ceremony, relationships, the land, and generations of people who understood their responsibility to teach those coming after them.

That knowledge is still here.

Native languages, histories, cultures, and ways of knowing are not additions to a student's education. They are part of the foundation from which our students learn and understand the world.

As another school year begins, NIEA honors the educators, language keepers, Elders, families, Tribal Nations, and communities ensuring that the knowledge carried for generations continues to have a place in the education of the next.

Our knowledge has always belonged here.

09/03/2026

Support our AWESOME AIEA colleague, AIEA Vice President Helen Thomas, by adding her co-authored book to your Indigenous library!

📚 We are proud to celebrate NIEA Professional Learning Manager Helen Thomas, who is a coauthor of the newly released book, Teaching Indigenous Studies: An Introduction for K–12 Educators, alongside Leilani Sabzalian and Meredith L. McCoy.

Created for elementary and secondary educators, this resource offers foundational knowledge and practical strategies for teaching Indigenous studies with greater respect, responsibility, and care. It explores essential concepts such as sovereignty, survivance, relationality, Indigenous pedagogies, and the responsibilities educators carry when bringing Indigenous histories, identities, and knowledges into the classroom.

Helen’s contribution reflects the thoughtful leadership she brings to NIEA’s work and her continued commitment to supporting educators and strengthening learning for Native students.

We encourage educators, school leaders, curriculum specialists, and others committed to more responsible Indigenous education to add this important resource to their professional libraries.

Learn more or purchase your copy: https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-Indigenous-Studies-An-Introduction-for-K-12-Educators/Sabzalian-McCoy-Thomas/p/book/9781032739403

Please join us in congratulating Helen and her fellow authors on this meaningful contribution to the field!