Arizona Office of Indian Education bi-weekly update

Arizona Office of Indian Education bi-weekly update

Posted inDiversity, Education, local, Native American, newsNo Comments
The Office of Indian Education (OIE) strives to meet the educational and cultural needs of the Native American students across Arizona. With bi-weekly highlights, our goal is to provide consistent communication, share valuable resources, and highlight meaningful opportunities that may benefit Indigenous communities, including educators, students, and parents. NEW: To view ongoing updates to this email, please click the "View in browser" link at the top of this email.
Capacity crowd turns out for Arizona Attorney General’s Flagstaff Town Hall on April 15. With updated related news stories

Capacity crowd turns out for Arizona Attorney General’s Flagstaff Town Hall on April 15. With updated related news stories

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Education, Events, Immigration, local, newsNo Comments
FLAGSTAFF — With issues ranging from federal funding cuts to local health care, highway construction, homeless shelters, food services, wildfire and flooding prevention projects to staffing cuts at local universities and national parks — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she wanted to hear it all so she can include the feedback of myriad lawsuits being filed by nearly two dozen state attorneys general against the Trump administration. Coconino County residents provided that information and much more during Mayes's Flagstaff Town Hall held on April 15, 2025, at the Coconino Center for the Arts. With a capacity-stretching standing-room-only crowd approaching 300, local government officials, former government workers, community service providers and others shared a variety of stories on how the administration financial cuts and funding delays have impacted the region. The most heart-wrenching stories came from local residents and veterans who are on the verge of or have lost their government jobs and are forced to fend for themselves as they try to pay for housing, food and medical services, with many saying they will be forced to leave Flagstaff and region to find jobs elsewhere.
Tribal Reglia Graduation Toolkit

Tribal Reglia Graduation Toolkit

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Research, recommendations, and resources — The Arizona Department of Education's Office of Indian Education is thrilled to launch the Tribal Regalia Graduation Toolkit for Students and Families! This invaluable resource has been developed through extensive collaboration with Tribal Leaders, State Leaders, community partners, and Indigenous families. It is a heartfelt effort designed to honor and protect Native American graduates during this significant milestone. 
‘THE FUTURE IS INDIGENOUS: Messages to the Seventh Generation’ exhibit at Coconino Center for the Arts through June 7

‘THE FUTURE IS INDIGENOUS: Messages to the Seventh Generation’ exhibit at Coconino Center for the Arts through June 7

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Contemporary Indigenous Perspectives is a dedicated biennial exhibition for artist voices in the Indigenous community. Curated by Jihan Gearon, THE FUTURE IS INDIGENOUS: Messages to the Seventh Generation (through June 7) includes work by Zefren Anderson, Corey Begay, Averian Chee, Jihan Gearon, Jay Redhouse, Monica Wapaha, and Janet Yazzie. There is no doubt we live in challenging times. The impacts of climate change are being felt by more people than ever before. We are witnessing major challenges to long held frameworks and systems – like colonization, capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy – as well as the backlash to these challenges. Much like Mother Earth, these frameworks have reached their limits. Today’s context calls for abilities, skills, and frameworks that most of us have not been equipped with. Thankfully, they are available and ready for us to pick up.
More than 2500 protest against Trump/Musk in Flagstaff

More than 2500 protest against Trump/Musk in Flagstaff

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Events, local, newsNo Comments
Northern Arizona community declares “Hands Off” to Trump and Musk By Indivisible Northern AZ FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — More than 2500 Northern Arizona residents had one simple message for President Trump and Elon Musk: keep your hands off the programs that middle class families rely on. They gathered in Flagstaff Saturday (April 5, 2025) to protest against the administration’s overreach.  Local co-sponsors were: 50501, AZ LD7 Democrats, Arizona List, AZPAC, AZ Students Association, Catch Fire, Coconino County Democratic Party, Indivisible Northern Arizona, and Women’s March Flagstaff. Sherrie Smith said, “The Trump regime is killing our democracy. We have to be vocal and visible in our disapproval. We must stand up for those he is trampling, disappearing and cheating. I will continue to engage in protest.”
HANDS OFF Flagstaff! — Largest protest in city’s history jam downtown Flagstaff City Hall

HANDS OFF Flagstaff! — Largest protest in city’s history jam downtown Flagstaff City Hall

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Events, Immigration, local, newsNo Comments
FLAGSTAFF — Protesters (estimated between 2,000 and 2,500) flooded the zone in downtown Flagstaff for the "HANDS OFF! Flagstaff AZ Fights Back!" rally, part of a national day of protest held on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The Arizona Daily Sun and KNAU put the estimated crowd at 2,500 people, who surrounding City Hall from the corner of Humphrey Street and Aspen Avenue south to Route 66 and west to Milton Road. The crowd size exceeded the 2,000-person Jan. 21, 2017 "March For Love" protest during the first Trump administration. A small overflow crowd could be seen across the street from City Hall, with others protesting from the traffic islands at the Santa Fe Avenue and Milton Road exits. Carrying a variety of signs reflecting the organizer's multi-issue event, protesters took aim at everything from Hands Off Medicaid to Medicare, Social Security, Our Jobs, Our Wallets, Our Books, Fair Elections, Personal Data, Public Lands, Veteran Services, Cancer Research, NATO, Consumer Protections, Clean Air, Schools, Libraries, Free Speech, LGBTQ+ Rights, Immigrants, Courts and other issues.
United Left Coalition Student Club at NAU to hold May Day Rally and Panel on May 1

United Left Coalition Student Club at NAU to hold May Day Rally and Panel on May 1

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Education, Events, local, news
FLAGSTAFF — The United Left Coalition NAU student club is hosting a series of May Day events from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.   Organizers say, “join us in a community gathering to acknowledge and celebrate working class solidarity and the history of Mayday, and to protest the growing rise in fascism.” The day will begin with poster making, followed by a march to Flagstaff City Hall for a protest rally.  At 6:15 pm, there will be a panel of speakers that is open to the public.
Indivisible Northern AZ to hold community gathering in Flagstaff on April 21

Indivisible Northern AZ to hold community gathering in Flagstaff on April 21

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Education, Events, localNo Comments
Please join us at our Community Gathering on Monday, April 21st at 5:30 at the Flagstaff Federated Community Church!   We will celebrate the success of the protest movement across the country, and talk about why it’s important  and what we see coming next.  We’ll discuss the actions you can take in-between protests. We will  revisit some key elements of the Indivisible Guide, which lays out the tactics that underpin the actions we need to take to reclaim our democracy; in other words, Activism 101.
Students share their culture, talents during opening of NAU Ethnic Studies Program’s ‘Wings of Change: Our Narratives Reclaimed’ art exhibit

Students share their culture, talents during opening of NAU Ethnic Studies Program’s ‘Wings of Change: Our Narratives Reclaimed’ art exhibit

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FLAGSTAFF — From an enchanting scene featuring a colorful butterfly, nopales, roses and seeds soaring to the heavens, to an image stating “Education is NOT a Crime — Making Our Ancestors Proud,” students from throughout the region displayed their heartfelt images in an exhibit of more than 30 murals and mix-media projects during the annual “Wings of Change: Our Narratives Reclaimed” exhibit presented by the NAU Ethnic Studies Program. The exhibit opened March 26 at NAU’s School of Behavioral Science West Building, Suite 100 (Building 70) in the south campus. Featuring the artwork by NAU Ethnic Studies 160 and 100 classes, Ponderosa High School, Leupp Public Schools and T-schools, the exhibit touches on a variety of cultures including African-America, Asian, European, Jewish, Mexican-American/Hispanic, Muslim and Native American indigenous peoples. Themes feature images ranging from United Farm Workers of America protest murals, to those touching on Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead and a Hopi Kachina Soyoko.
Channeling the spirit of César E. Chávez, community leaders provide passionate response to our times at annual community breakfast

Channeling the spirit of César E. Chávez, community leaders provide passionate response to our times at annual community breakfast

Posted inDiversity, Education, Events, Immigration, local, newsNo Comments
FLAGSTAFF — With a mixture of fiery speeches, presentations featuring the importance of telling everyone’s stories and a commitment to refusing to be erased from the history books (video clip*), the 7th annual Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council’s (CHAC) César E. Chávez Community Breakfast took on a more feisty tone this year. The event, held at the American Legion Post 3, included an opening presentation of the importance of remember the community’s history presented by Dr. Pedro A. Cuevas, assistant teaching professor at the Dept. of Ethnic Studies at Northern Arizona University.
Culture Connection AZ presents ‘Disappeared: Portraits of Absence, Songs of Resistence’ — A powerful evening of music, art and remembrance at the Flagstaff Historic Ice House on April 4

Culture Connection AZ presents ‘Disappeared: Portraits of Absence, Songs of Resistence’ — A powerful evening of music, art and remembrance at the Flagstaff Historic Ice House on April 4

Posted inDiversity, Education, Events, Immigration, local, newsNo Comments
FLAGSTAFF — Culture Connection AZ invites the community to Disappeared: Portraits of Absence, Songs of Resistance, an evening of powerful music and art dedicated to honoring the victims of forced disappearance and the global movements seeking justice. This interdisciplinary event will take place during the First Friday ArtWalk on April 4th at the Historic Ice House on Birch Ave and will feature an exhibition, live performances, and a space for community reflection and solidarity. Through music, photography, poetry, and historical storytelling, Disappeared will illuminate the human cost of these crimes while celebrating the resilience of those who refuse to let these stories be forgotten.
March 2025 Native Health Newsletter

March 2025 Native Health Newsletter

Posted inDiversity, Education, Events, local, Native American, newsNo Comments
Spring is here and we're busy! March is a beautiful month and there's so much happening in the community. As you know from my monthly letters, we're growing and in need of dedicated community members to help guide our way. If you are interested in being a member of our Board of Directors, please consider applying. There is a monthly time commitment, but you can make a difference in the direction of NATIVE HEALTH. For more information, please contact Cherie.
Update — Consumers take part in ‘Buy Nothing Day’ on Feb. 28. More protests to come

Update — Consumers take part in ‘Buy Nothing Day’ on Feb. 28. More protests to come

Posted inDemocracy, Diversity, Events, local, newsNo Comments
Please see related stories — • AP — Economic blackout: Will a 24-hour boycott make a difference? • Lincoln County Leader — Letter: “Buy Nothing Day’ on Friday NATIONAL — A variety of organizations are planning for a national “No Buy Day“ to protest what they believe is corporate greed, along with efforts by corporations to scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts (DEI), which they say is led by the Trump administration. CBS News has reported the economic boycott has been spreading on social media (see link below). In Arizona, the Arizona Republic reported the following “companies have rolled back DEI in the past year:”
Arizona Office of Indian Education — Bi-weekly Highlights

Arizona Office of Indian Education — Bi-weekly Highlights

Posted inDiversity, Education, local, newsNo Comments
Dear Partners in Education,The Office of Indian Education strives to meet the educational and cultural needs of Native American students across Arizona. With bi-weekly highlights, our goal is to provide consistent communication, share valuable resources, and highlight meaningful opportunities that may benefit Indigenous communities, including educators, students, and parents.(Note: if email appears cut-off, please find and click "View entire message" to display all.) 
African Diaspora Advisory Council announces 2025 Black History Month Essay Contest

African Diaspora Advisory Council announces 2025 Black History Month Essay Contest

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COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) is pleased to announce the annual Black History Month Essay Contest, open to students in Middle School and High School. The 2025 Black History Month Theme is “African Americans and Labor.” This theme highlights the impact of Black people’s work and how it shapes the experiences of Black people and the societies in which they live.