Welcome to NASA!

Group photo of Native American Student Affairs staff all standing in front of a grass covered building.

Welcome to NASA!

Group of Indigenous Women round dancing during Indigenous Peoples' Day
Crown Dancers from the White Mountain Apache Tribe dancing during Indigenous Peoples Day
Kevin Duncan providing a hoop dance during Indigenous Peoples' Day
Miss Native American University of Arizona giving welcoming remarks.

Tradition Meets New Knowledge

Welcome! Please take some time to learn about the university’s efforts to support Native American and Alaska Native students. Whether you are a current student or are looking to become a Wildcat, the university’s Native American Student Affairs (NASA) unit is here to support you in achieving your academic goals. Beyond this, we will ensure that your UA campus is a safe place for you to explore different facets of learning and navigating the world.

Learning is an action that takes place inside and outside of a classroom. It is our mission to encourage your curiosity, promote critical thinking to enhance your knowledge systems, and guide you to holistic wellness. We are constantly developing innovative, culturally informed programs to help you harness the knowledge you gain in navigating the world. Furthermore, we promote solution-oriented problem resolution that reverberates to tribal communities to address challenges that they face.

As you visit campus, be sure to speak a word of thanks to the Tohono O'odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe upon whose lands we are guests. As guests and scholars, we aim to build community and continue to promote tribal nation building by preparing leaders for 'Indian Country.’

NASA Mission:

Native American Student Affairs at the University of Arizona provides culturally sensitive academic counseling and support services to Native American/Alaskan Native students enabling them to achieve academic excellence. We nurture student success by encouraging all students to proactively explore and shape our diverse campus community.

NASA Strives to:

  • Create a safe environment and build community among enrolled students
  • Provide students with personal and leadership development opportunities
  • Advance the on-going development of a culturally competent campus community with an emphasis on justice education
  • Support the University of Arizona’s diversity initiatives

Land Acknowledgment

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on unceded land of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally-recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with Arizona’s Native Nations and tribal communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

Declaration of Native Purpose in Higher Education

American Indian College Fund, 2019

The purpose of this declaration is to assist institutions in their efforts to ensure the access, visibility, and success of Native American students in higher education. The intended outcome is for colleges and universities to inspire and build campuses and a United States that value and make visible Native American experiences and stories.

  • We believe that Native American students have a right to a higher education and to attend any college or university of their choice.
  • We believe that colleges and universities have the duty to recognize and acknowledge that college campuses reside on the original homelands of Indigenous peoples.
  • We believe that colleges and universities have the duty to incorporate Indigenous knowledge for Native students to survive and thrive.
  • We believe in the inherent right of all Native students to have a place on college campuses that fosters their sense of belonging and importance in their campus community.
  • We believe that colleges and universities have a duty to make visible, to advocate for, and to empower Native students’ degree attainment.
  • We believe that colleges and universities have a duty to cultivate an ethic of care in supporting Native peoples by listening, learning, and engaging with Native students, staff, and faculty.
  • We believe that senior leadership at higher educational institutions must make a commitment to do system-level work that benefits Native students’ college degree attainment.
  • We believe that colleges and universities have the responsibility to uphold tribal sovereignty by generating meaningful government-to-government relationships with tribal nations and tribal colleges and universities.

NASA Offers:

  • O'odham Ki Living and Learning Community (Required to apply through Housing & Residential Life)
  • Embedded CAPS counselor (Free services available in-person and remote)
  • Financial Aid Peer Advisor 
  • Library Resource Support 
  • 1:1 Support (Drop-In or Email staff to schedule appointment) 
  • Student Study Lounges (Group Study/Quite Study)
  • Room Reservations 
  • Recharge Room 
  • Free Printing 
  • Scholarships (Through Scholarship Universe)
  • Emergency Funding (Reach out to NASA Professional Staff)
  • Equipment Rental 
  • Campus Pantry 
  • Equipped Kitchen for Students & Staff 
  • Native Convocation (Annual event held in May) 
  • Academic, Cultural, and wellness events for student success