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Resources for Success at the CNAIF
As a university student, one of the greatest opportunities is extending your networks and your circle of friends. The Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF) hosts a variety of events, programs, and student organizations on a daily and weekly basis. The CNAIF has numerous places where you can chat with other students, study, or even visit the Story Room, the CNAIFs “Smudge” and/or meditation room. The CNAIF Indige-Jacks and the OISS Indige-Peer Mentors are students workers and can provide you with additional information about programs, events, and other support services.
If you are looking for ways to connect with the wider Northern Arizona University community, there is a diverse range of Student Organizations that will help you extend your circle of friends and help you Create Your Community. Check out the Office of Student Life website for more information about all of NAUs 400+ Student Organizations. The CNAIF is honored to host some of the Indigenous student organizations for their weekly meetings and events. Below is a listing of some of the student organizations that meet at the CNAIF.
Office of Indigenous Student Success
OISS is a unit under the Office of Student Affairs, and is located within the west side of the CNAIF. OISS offers students the opportunity to connect with the campus community through a wide variety of events, activities, programs, and presentations, in addition to offering guidance to balance your academic and cultural commitments as you journey to become an NAU Lumberjack! The knowledgeable and friendly staff strives to provide top-notch services to students and has much to offer, including:
- one-on-one academic, financial aid, personal, and cultural guidance
- peer mentor support
- connections to resources for tutoring, child care, and more
- cultural events and activities
- computer lab and study lounge
- free faxing
Contact the OISS at 928-523-8086, or email your questions to: ISSNatives@nau.edu. OISS is open from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
NAU Student Organizations
Looking to get involved on campus? Interested in making new friends? Try joining one of the 400+ Student Organizations that NAU offers! Here is a list of some of the Indigenous student organizations on campus:
Abaya Yala University Association
The purpose of the organization is to bring together people interested in Indigenous Issues within the University, and Flagstaff community, and provide academic support to NAU students.
American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL)
NABO recognizes professionalism and heritage as central to the club’s success. The club assists and encourages students to complete their degrees while maintaining their identities, promotes awareness of Native American culture through events, and performs community service to local and tribal communities.
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
AISES is a national organization that nurtures the building of community by bridging science and technology with traditional Native values through educational programs and providing opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives in science, engineering, and technology arenas.
Generations
Student organization of the Applied Indigenous Studies Department. To promote indigenous knowledge, provide student support, engage in our communities, and work on the retention and recruitment of indigenous students into higher education.
E: generationsflagstaff@gmail.com
HAPA Club
The purpose of the NAU HAPA Club is to help students transition into college and feel a sense of “Ohana.” The NAU HAPA Club supports club members both socially and academically. Club activities give students the opportunity to bond with one another, participate in community service activities, and get involved with events around the school to build a sense of engagement and belonging on campus. By giving students these opportunities, our club members are able to spread the Aloha Spirit and the Polynesian culture around Northern Arizona University, as well as around the Flagstaff Community.
E: HAPA@nau.edu
NAU Council of Indigenous Ambassadors
As student ambassadors at Northern Arizona University and the surrounding communities, MINAU Org members will help to promote cultural awareness and understanding of tribal/indigenous nations. To support and represent NAU students and participate in programs and activities to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts of Native American students.
E: ncia@nau.edu
Academic programs and departments
Learn more about the education programs and departments that are designed to benefit Native American students.
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College of Health and Human Services
Native Journey to Academic Success (NJAcS)
As part of the university’s NJAcs program, you’ll benefit from:
- faculty mentoring
- cultural support
- financial assistance for your education
We also provide career programs like the Dream Catcher Middle School Mentoring and Career Shadowing.
Visit the College of Health and Human Services
Commission for Indigenous Peoples
The Commission for Indigenous Peoples considers, evaluates, and analyzes all matters pertaining to Indigenous Peoples at Northern Arizona University. We establish goals and priorities, engage Indigenous faculty/staff/students, disseminate and share the information, and most importantly advise the president on these matters.
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Applied Indigenous Studies Department (AIS)
The mission of the AIS department is to prepare students to assume 21st century leadership roles for nation building within indigenous communities in the United States and globally.
Traditional Knowledge Scholars program (Resident Elder program)
The Traditional Knowledge Scholars program offers culturally-based mentoring and provides assistance to all students with traditional knowledge for today’s world.
Archaeology research project
Archaeology research projects include:
- The Hopi Footprints Project
- Colorado Plateau Agricultural Origins Project
- Hopi Iconography Project
- Southwest pottery traditions
Department of Global Languages and Cultures
The Department of Global Languages and Cultures, offers a minor in Navajo language.
NAU Online
Find more information here about: Northern Arizona University Online
Pre-college programs
We offer a variety of pre-college programs to help you prepare.
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Educational Support Services (ESU)
ESU provides services to enhance the academic experience of junior high, high school, college and returning adult students. Explore the resources available through ESU.
Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Services
The Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services serves a broad array of university students. Important transition services and support is provided for many first generation students, including a growing number of historically underrepresented students. They:
- promote student success through academic, personal, and cultural growth
- provide an access point into the campus community
- develop leaders that enrich our diverse society
Successful Transition and Academic Readiness (STAR)
STAR offers new freshmen an innovative and exciting way to begin their higher education at Northern Arizona University. This program, sponsored by the First-Generation program, assists new students with making the important transition from high school to college.
Office of Indigenous Student Success (OISS)
As part of the university’s mission, OISS is committed to providing culturally-sensitive support services to all of our Native American students, including:
- American Indians
- Alaskan Natives
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders
Our emphasis is on serving first-year freshmen and transfer students and providing assistance with the transition from home to the university community.
Additional resources
Explore our additional pre-college resources:
Community/outreach programs and services
Learn how you can get involved in the community.
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Center for American Indian Economic Development (CAIED)
CAIED is a unique information and resource center for Arizona’s twenty- two tribal nations and communities. Services include technical assistance, business consulting and training, and educational workshops.
Institute for Human Development
Capacity Building for American Indians Project (CBAIP)
CBAIP has provided national outreach, technical assistance (TA) and trainings to existing American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs and interested American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives in the form of grant writing workshops, grant management trainings, and follow-up assistance that may be needed to ensure a successful program.
Growing in Beauty Partnership Program (GIBPP)
GIBPP is funded by the Navajo Nation’s Education Department to assist the Navajo tribe in addressing their intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Arizona’s Part C Program for infants and toddlers
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
ITEP was created in 1992 to act as a catalyst among tribal governments, research, and technical resources at Northern Arizona University, in support of environmental protection of Native American natural resources, which includes:
Research
Find out what research projects related to Native Americans and the Southwest have been happening at Northern Arizona University.
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Center for American Indian Resilience
The Center for American Indian Resilience is a new 5-year center awarded to NAU in August 2012. A collaboration between the University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Dine’ College, the center’s mission is to reduce health disparities by identifying, assessing, applying and teaching models of resilience associated with positive health outcomes in American Indians. The 6.1 million NIH P20 Grant is the first of its kind to be awarded to NAU and is supported by the National Institute of Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Exploratory Centers of Excellence (P20). The grant Principal Investigators are Dr. Priscilla R. Sanderson, Assistant Professor with Health Sciences and Applied Indigenous Studies and Dr. Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone, Associate Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona.
Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention
The overall objective of the Partnership for Native America Cancer Prevention is to alleviate the unequal burden of cancer among Native Americans of the Southwest through research, training and outreach programs.
Additional programs and projects
- Cancer Risk Factors and Screening Behaviors of the Hopi Tribe
- Community Outreach Program
- Training Program
- Four Corners Sustainable Futures Initiative