Community support and leadership
Arizona State University recognizes Tribal Nations as sovereign governments and honors the relationships that make partnership possible.
Housed within University Affairs, the Office of Tribal Nations Advancement and Indigenous Futures (OTNAIF) provides university-wide leadership and coordination for Indigenous initiatives across ASU.
We work alongside Tribal Nations, support Indigenous students and communities, and advance practices across the university that affirm sovereignty and self-determination.
Leadership
Jacob Moore
Vice President and Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs
University Affairs
Indigenous advancement ecosystem at ASU
OTNAIF represents a coordinated institutional framework to ensure that Indigenous student success, Tribal Nation engagement and institutional strategy are unified and strategically aligned.
Indigenous initiatives at ASU are aligned across three interconnected areas:
University Affairs
Office of Tribal Nations Advancement and Indigenous Futures
Academic and research related strategic coordination, institutional alignment, executive leadership
Government Affairs
Office of Government and Community Engagement
Government-to-government relations, consultation and policy engagement
Office of the University Provost
Office of American Indian Initiatives | Access ASU
Student success through family engagement, strategic K-12 education and community partnerships
These three offices work collaboratively to support meaningful, accountable and future-oriented partnership with Tribal Nations to ensure alignment with and fulfillment of the ASU Charter and Design Aspirations
Our purpose
Grounded in the sovereign status of Tribal Nations and guided by the ASU Charter, our work centers relationships, responsibility and progress toward shared goals. OTNAIF aligns university leadership, partnerships and resources to advance:
- Government-to-government engagement
- Multiple pathways through higher education for American Indian/Alaska Native students
- Research responsive to Tribal priorities
- The integration of Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural protocols
- By design, places and spaces that create a welcoming home away from home
- Innovation guided by Indigenous leadership and next-generation thinkers
- University-wide coordination for faculty and staff working with Tribal Nations
Indigenous futures at ASU
Indigenous futures are built through:
Respect for tribal sovereignty and self-determination
Increased accessibility to higher education
Community-informed and use-based research
Workforce development and economic sustainability
Cultural vitality, language recovery and Indigenous knowledge systems
Long-term partnerships and institutional accountability
How can we help you?
OTNAIF serves as a university-wide portal connecting Tribal Nations and communities, students, faculty and other partners to the broad scope of important work occurring throughout ASU. We welcome partnership with Tribal Nations, university colleagues, students, community leaders and other stakeholders.
Together, we advance Tribal Nations and Indigenous futures grounded in sovereignty, shared responsibility and sustained collaboration.
Students
ASU offers financial assistance, academic support, organizations and events for Indigenous students.
Tribal Nations
ASU engagement with Tribal governments and communities is grounded in respect for sovereignty.
Faculty and staff
We offer guidance for ASU faculty and staff seeking to partner with Tribal communities.
News
Research and innovation
Indigenous research at ASU spans governance, law, digital sovereignty, education, infrastructure, sustainability, health equity and data stewardship — guided by research integrity, coordination, accountability and rigorous oversight.
Land acknowledgment
Arizona State University acknowledges the 22 Tribal Nations that have stewarded the lands of what is now Arizona since time immemorial.
ASU’s campuses are located on the homelands of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh peoples, whose care and keeping of these lands continue to sustain this valley.
We recognize the enduring sovereignty, self-determination and presence of Tribal Nations and honor their ongoing relationship to this land.
Our commitment extends beyond acknowledgment through calls to action, government-to-government engagement and respect for Indigenous knowledge systems that continue to guide our work.
Engage with us
Get in touch to request a meeting or consultation, discuss research and partnership opportunities, invite ASU to your community, connect with university leadership, or share your questions or feedback.