2008 Status and Trends in the
Education of American Indians
and Alaska Natives
A collection of video, audio, and other multimedia documents related to indigenous peoples.
Native American Programs Initiative
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) Native American Programs Initiative is designed to provide support to the Native American students at our colleges. Each year, the MCCCD serves over 3,000 Native American students among its 10 colleges.
Many of the Native American students who attend MCCCD come from the 21 federally recognized tribes that lie within the borders of the state of Arizona. Each tribe is a separate sovereign entity that has a “fiduciary relationship” with the United States government. Tribal sovereignty is the inherent right of Native people to self-government, self-determination and self-education, and governance of activities within their own lands. Tribal reservations and tribal communities make up 25% of the land base in Arizona. They are also home to over 250,000 Native American people. In addition, the greater Phoenix metropolitan valley is home to over 60,000 Native American people.
There are a number of special or designated programs within the MCCCD that specifically serve the Native American population. For example, Scottsdale Community College (SCC) serves over 400 Native American students and the college resides on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land. SCC also has its own American Indian Center (www.scottsdalecc.edu/aip/) which provides a number of services to its Native American population. SCC also has an American Indian Studies program and offers an Associates Degree in Tribal Development.
Mesa Community College (MCC) also has its own American Indian Center (www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/aic/) and annually serves over 800 Native American students. MCC also offers a variety of American Indian Studies courses and several courses in tribal language and culture.
MCCCD also sponsors an early college-high school model called the Hoop of Learning Program. This program began in 1995 with Phoenix College and currently exists in 9 of the district’s colleges. These programs annually serve over 600 Native American students.