Tribal leaders get preview of Native cultural center

Tribal leaders and representatives from across Arizona met with Northern Arizona University leadership Tuesday afternoon to discuss the university’s Native American cultural center.

About 35 individuals gathered in the High Country Conference Center to have “the first of what I hope will be many conversations about the cultural center,” said Joe Martin, NAU President John Haeger’s special adviser on Native American issues. “The center will be a place for all people to gather, to exchange ideas.”

The Native American representatives, who included Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, discussed the center’s design and functions as well as the need for additional funding. Haeger has pledged $3 million in funding if the university can raise another $3 million from outside donations.

“I’m confident enough that we will achieve our funding goal that I’m willing to make the expenditure to design the building,” Haeger said. “We have a dedicated mission to Native Americans. We want to be one of the premier institutions in the United States for serving Native American students and faculty.”

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians already has contributed $2 million toward the cultural center, and the university has launched a $5 million “Native Roots, Native Futures” fundraising campaign to construct the facility, strengthen programs, and expand scholarships to recruit, retain and graduate Native American students.

Catherine Talakte, director of NAU Native American Student Services, gave an overview of NAU services for Native students and explained the plans for the center, which include meeting and ceremonial rooms as well as educational areas.

“This will be a building where things will happen, not where we store people,” said Michael Stevenson, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Both Haeger and Stevenson reminded tribal leaders that the cultural center will serve Native American students but also will be a place to teach other NAU students about Native culture.

NAU is working with the architectural firm of Studio Ma to design the project and incorporate aspects of all 22 Arizona tribes. 

Carolyn Bourhil, an NAU history major and member of the Lakota nation, is eager to see the center, and told the group, “We’ll finally have a place to call our own.”