For more information contact:
CNAIF CLOSED: July 9 - August 2
Looking to host an event at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF)?
Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF)
A dedicated cultural center to call home
Students in search of support, culture, and community can easily find it at the 12,000-square-foot Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF), located in the heart of the Flagstaff campus. Built in 2011, the CNAIF “home away from home” is a campus hub where students can access services, attend cultural events, study, and socialize.
The only facility of its kind in the entire Southwest, the CNAIF provides resources that help students navigate the university and support their academic success. It is a warm gathering place for students, scholars, Tribal collaborators, the university community, and the public. On average, the CNAIF serves more than 10,000 students per year, welcomes 70,000 visitors, and hosts 465 events per year in various capacities, such as tours, educational presentations, concerts, cultural events, and student services.
The center embodies Native values and symbolizes NAU’s Commitment to Indigenous Peoples. The main doors open to the east, greeting the sun every morning. Like many traditional Indigenous homes, the CNAIF has an open gathering space in the center of the building. The CNAIF also hosts a Story Room specifically designed to accommodate our students’ spiritual needs.
The CNAIF was built with core funding from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of Highland, California, and the support of numerous other donors. In addition to the Office of Native American and Indigenous Advancement (ONAIA), the CNAIF houses the Office of Indigenous Student Success (OISS), which provides culturally competent, individualized support for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students through services such as Indigenous Connections to Success, Field Day, and Indigenous Peer Mentorship.
Navigating the Future with Generational Wisdom
The Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF) also houses the Elders/Cultural Advisor Program to provide students with cultural support and model the relationships students often miss while away from their home communities. Elders offer students intergenerational learning through cultural activities, hands-on workshops, visits, and lectures.
Programs inspire an understanding of Indigenous knowledges and philosophies directed at providing a holistic approach to student, faculty, and staff support.
Elders Program Accordion Closed
The Elder Program was previously housed in the Applied Indigenous Studies Department until Fall 2016 and was known as the Traditional Knowledge Scholar program. This program has been an essential component to support NAU’s mission to serve Native American students and increase retention efforts. Placing Elder in one-on-one contact with students maintains cultural continuity, offers traditional knowledge teachings on campus and in the community about lifeways and indigenous philosophies, and balances Native cultural traditions with university life. The Elders do not hold faculty positions and are funded through private gifts and grants.
The Elders are centered on meeting and mentoring students, and by helping them find solutions to individual problems by offering cultural and spiritual support. Other areas that the Elders assist with include giving presentations to NAU staff, faculty and students in a variety of formats and assisting students with off-campus referrals for spiritual and cultural needs and contributing to recruitment and retention efforts.
The Elders host events in the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF) and are involved in outreach, research, and other activities with the local Flagstaff and neighboring tribal communities. The Elders provide a lectures and workshops every semester. Visit the events page for information about upcoming Elder events.