Native American Initiatives (NAI)
BACKGROUND
The Office of Native American Initiatives was established in 2020 to guide and support University of Arizona endeavors serving Native American students and faculty. A history of initiatives and the office are included in the NAI Strategic Plan.
MISSION
To honor the Indigenous lands and Native Nations from which the University of Arizona has benefited by insuring the internal systems are in place to advance student success.
INITIATIVES
Native American Initiatives (NAI) is a leader in enhancing Native American student and faculty experiences on campus by being innovative and advancing initiatives that honor the importance of building relationships, trust, and mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous communities.
We present you with the final 2022-2027 Native American Initiatives (NAI) Strategic Plan: A Collective Approach to Nurturing Indigenous Student Success, which has been developing since the creation of the NAI office in January 2020.
Red Star International, Inc. (Red Star), an Indigenous-led non-profit organization, supported NAI in facilitating a planning process to create an Indigenous-centered, student-focused, and research-based framework to guide NAI’s commitment to leading and coordinating campus-wide support for Indigenous student success.
We added a one-year progress report of the different activities and initiatives aligned with the strategic plan that NAI either led or supported. The activities and initiatives are not a comprehensive list of all the work achieved by our institutional partners. However, it is a start in documenting the operationalization of the plan’s strategic priorities.
May the plan be helpful in your work as we strive to enhance the university experience for Native American students, faculty, and communities.
NAI Strategic Plan 2022-2027
Double-page spreads 8-1/2” x 11” pages
NAI Strategic Plan Year 1 Progress Report
The Indigenous Circle is a University of Arizona (UArizona) organization for staff and faculty members who are and/or work with Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous students. We foster networks and build collaborations to optimize partnership and programming opportunities in culturally appropriate and respectful ways, thereby, increasing our effectiveness at recruiting and retaining Indigenous staff, faculty, and students; ensuring community based participatory efforts; building Indigenous community capacity; supporting awareness of Indigenous contributions at campus events; and, ultimately becoming a recognized institutional entity.
Meetings: Organization meetings are held in spring and fall and are hosted by a UArizona unit/department. Date, time, and location will vary depending on the host. Meeting announcements will be posted to the listserv.
Agenda: The host of the meetings will provide a welcome and an overview of their unit/department to kick-off the meeting. The remainder of the meeting will be open to other agenda topics put forth by the membership.
Listserv: indigenous_circle@list.arizona.edu; as a member, you are able to post announcements to this listserv.
To add or remove from listserv: Please contact Martha Lee, Native American Initiatives Program Coordinator, at marthalee@arizona.edu. Thelistserv is restricted to UArizona employees only.
MESCIT is a math tutoring and mentorship program for Native American high school students in Southern Arizona. The program was established in 2018 by Dr. Irene Shivaei and Dr Gurtina Besla from the Department of Astronomy & Steward Observatory. MESCIT trains UArizona undergraduate students as math tutors to hold personalized math tutoring sessions at the Ha:sañ Preparatory and Leadership School, a charter high school in Tucson with predominantly Tohono O’odham students. This program operates at the interface of education and workforce development, with the goal to both advance math education and math identity among Native American high school students and also to help them realize their potential to pursue careers in STEM fields. UArizona undergraduates serve as both math tutors and mentors, offering students relatable role models pursuing careers in fields like engineering, physics, and math.
MESCIT is funded and supported by:
- The UArizona Department of Astronomy & Steward Observatory
- The UArizona College of Engineering
- Larry Allen (Astronomy Board Donor)
- The Office of the Senior Vice President for Native American Advancement & Tribal Engagement.
- NOIRLab
- Freeport-McMoRan
Contacts:
- Dr. Gurtina Besla, Associate Professor, Astronomy Email: gbesla@email.arizona.edu
- Amber Laughing, Program Administrator of MESCIT Email: amberlaughing@arizona.edu
Program Leads: Dr. Irene Shivaei & Dr. Everett Schlawin
Native SOAR (Student Outreach, Access and Resiliency)
The University of Arizona (UArizona) College of Education's Native Student Outreach Access, and Resiliency (SOAR) is a high impact service-learning course and multigenerational mentoring program. Grounded in Indigenous teachings and ways of knowing, our GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE (HED 397C) and MENTORING PROGRAM centers the needs of Native students and provides engaging and effective programming for students, families, and educators at no cost.
Native SOAR was based on the success and structure of another College of Education program called Project SOAR which was established by Dr. Jenny Lee in 2005. In 2013, Dr. Amanda Tachine (Diné), UArizona alumna and Indigenous Higher Education scholar, partnered with Dr. Lee to Indigenize the SOAR program with the purpose of serving Native communities. Today, Native SOAR continues to increase college access among Native youth and families in southern Arizona and beyond!
In addition to providing culturally responsive programming and services, Native SOAR strives to support educational pathways for students from middle school through doctoral education. The program has been recognized nationally, including by First Lady Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative and in 2022, Native SOAR was also awarded the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community's "Outstanding Student Support Program Award."
Since 2016, 238 undergraduates have served as Native SOAR mentors, representing over 70 UArizona majors. 90% of our mentors identify as citizens and/or enrolled members of Native nations, and represent 36 tribes across the country. In addition to serving as college mentors for middle/high school students, undergraduates also receive mentorship from Native graduate students, professionals, and/or community members. In this sense, Native SOAR is a multi-generational mentoring program, featuring familial and community values. Rooted in evidence-based best practices that create a strong familial environment for both mentors and mentees, Native SOAR promotes higher education attainment for K-12 students and retention and persistence for undergraduate students.
Felisia J. Tagaban
Director, Native SOAR
NAI STAFF
Tessa Dysart
Tessa was previously the Assistant Director of Legal Writing and Clinical Professor of Law at the James E. Rogers College of Law. She also served as the Secretary of the Faculty Senate from (add dates) and is a member of the University Advisory Council.
Professor Dysart writes and speaks nationally on appellate advocacy issues. She is the author or editor of four books. Her publications have appeared in The Green Bag, the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, the Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, and the Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy.
Professor Dysart is a graduate of Willamette University and Harvard Law School. She clerked for the Hon. Dennis W. Shedd of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Her practice experience includes working for the United States Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In 2021, Professor Dysart was appointed to a four-year term on the Arizona State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She also serves on the Arizona Board of Regents Free Expression Committee. Professor Dysart is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Since 2023, she has served as a pro tem judge for the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Martha S. Lee
Martha S. Lee is the Program Coordinator for Native American Initiatives in the University of Arizona Office of the Provost, where she supports policy, programs, and events for Native American students and faculty. Throughout her career in higher education, Martha has focused on the systems that promote success for learners and educators. Currently, she supports programs and events for Native American students and faculty. She has worked on publications, grants, reports, and special projects for Tohono O’odham Community College and previously for the Extended University at the University of Arizona. She enjoys advocating for and documenting the success of Native American students in their educational journeys. Martha earned a B.A. in English from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and an M.B.A. in accounting from Cornell University.
520-621-6735
PARTNERS
Felisia Tagaban Gaskin
Director of Native SOAR (Student Outreach, Access & Resiliency)
Amber Laughing
Program Administrator of MESCIT (Mentorship and Education in SCIence for Tucson)
CAMPUS PARTNERS
Native American Initiatives works across campus with the following units. Within these units are many key exemplary programs and services supporting students and faculty.
