Investing in Indigenous Engagement

November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the cultures, languages, and heritage of Native American and Alaska Native communities.

The relationship between education and Indigenous communities is layered and complex — a history in which education was often used to divide and harm rather than empower, particularly through boarding schools that forcibly separated children from their families and cultures.

Today, UW Tacoma is committed to doing our part to transform this legacy by actively partnering with Tribal nations. We focus on three key areas: supporting Indigenous student engagement, enhancing research and teaching, and strengthening government-to-government relations.

This summer, we established a new Office of Indigenous Engagement within the Office of the Chancellor and under the leadership of Dr. Leander Yazzie (Ed.D. '18). An Army veteran and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Dr. Yazzie brings a wealth of experience, including a decade of Tribal relations and Native student advising at Green River College. Read about the new office and the syay??adi? (Family Room) in this recent UW Tacoma news story.

On November 22, Dr. Yazzie will host the Native & Indigenous Higher Education Symposium, a full-day event designed to raise awareness of the contributions of and challenges faced by Native and Indigenous scholars and students while encouraging a college-going culture for future generations. This year’s theme is Gathering Strength: Reigniting Indigenous Community and Success.

I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Yazzie, Ken Tuckfield, the student leaders in the Cedar Circle, and all the faculty, staff, and students who continue to make UW Tacoma a more welcoming university.

Together, let us continue to amplify the voices, initiatives, and perspectives of our Native and Indigenous Tacoma Huskies and community partners.