ILA Program Sponsors
Thanks to our generous sponsor APS who has given seed money two years in a row to fund this program and the Arizona Tribal residents that attend.
Indigenous Leadership Academy
ILA Participant Testimonial
Spring 2023 Indigenous Leadership Academy Application Is Now Open!
The application for the Spring 2023 Indigenous Leadership Academy is now open. This third cohort for the Indigenous Leadership Academy is open to Arizona Tribal residents, as well as Tribal residents nationwide. There is no other leadership program like this in the country. The first two cohorts graduated 46 participants from 10 states representing 22 Tribal nations, 13 of which are located in Arizona. Applications will be open until January 6, 2023, at midnight MST. Spaces are limited, so apply now.
What is the Indigenous Leadership Academy
The ILA is the first program inclusive of indigenous leadership principles within an IDEA landscape. The differentiating factor for this program is that it is not for just Tribal leaders, its for emerging Indigenous leaders in Arizona and nationally. The initial ILA program started in January 2022 with seed funding from Arizona Public Service (APS). By collaborating with APS, and various schools at ASU and professors, we were able to create a brand and curriculum that attracted emerging Indigenous and community leaders from Arizona and nationwide. This signature program is committed to building the next generation of Tribal leaders.
The ILA has completed two cohort sessions as of November 2022. The ILA program is now poised to build on the successful outcomes achieved to-date. The integration of IDEA concepts to the existing programming will enable participants to view each topic through an added lens approach to understanding how anti-racist and anti-oppression can create inclusive environments for equity and access across a wide-range of topics.
Demographics on American Indians & Alaska Natives
2020 American Indian/Alaska Native Census Facts
2018 American Indian/Alaska Native Facts (Census)
2019 American Indian/Alaska Native List of Federally Recognized Tribes and State Recognized Tribes
2010 American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal Lands Map
National Congress of American Indians Publication: Tribal Nations and the United States
Facts and Demographic Information About American Indian Tribes:
Who Is An Indian?
- There is no single federal or tribal criterion that establishes Indian identity.
- Tribal Membership is determined by the enrollment criteria of the tribe/nation.
- Generally, if linkage to an identified tribal member is far removed, one would not qualify for enrollment.
- Tribes/nations determine their own membership criteria.
- Blood quantum needed varies from tribe Nation to Nation. Some tribes only require proof of descent from an Indian ancestor while others require as much as one-half blood quantum.
- To be eligible for Bureau of Indian Affairs Services, an Indian must be 1) a member of a federally recognized tribe; 2) be of ½ or more Indian Blood of tribes indigenous to the United States; or 3) must be of ¼ or more Indian ancestry.
Tribal Names: There are many terms used including:
- American Indian
- Indians
- Indigenous
- First Nations (Canadian)
- Native Americans
- American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)
- However, most Indians prefer their tribal name. For example, a Navajo person would prefer to be called Diné, which is the name of the tribe in the Navajo language.