CNAIF Elders Program

Elders weave traditional knowledge into the fabric of Lumberjack life

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures (CNAIF) Elders Program at Northern Arizona University is a unique initiative designed to support and enrich the educational journey of Indigenous students. At the heart of our program are the Elder Cultural Advisors, who offer one-on-one guidance to students, blending traditional Indigenous knowledge and wisdom with the university experience. These esteemed Elders, funded through private gifts and grants, are not faculty members but serve as cultural and spiritual mentors. Over the years, Elders have represented diverse Tribal traditions, including Diné, Hopi, Maya, and others. Their role extends beyond the classroom as they engage in various activities, including community outreach, research, and an annual lecture series.

The program’s impact is profound, providing Indigenous students with a sense of community and cultural continuity. It’s more than just academic support; it’s about maintaining a connection with one’s roots and traditions while navigating university life. The Elders’ presence on campus bridges the Indigenous philosophies and the modern educational environment, fostering a balance crucial for our students’ holistic development.

Furthermore, the Elders Program plays a pivotal role in recruitment and retention efforts, helping students address both academic and personal challenges. They also contribute their expertise to staff, faculty, and the broader student body, enhancing the cultural competency of the NAU community. They address various cultural, spiritual, and educational needs through workshops, presentations, and individual mentoring. For individual guidance on cultural issues, to schedule a meeting, or to have an Elder reach out to you, email NAU-CNAIF@nau.edu.

2023–2024 Elder Cultural Advisors

Viki Blackgoat (Diné)

I am of the Bitter Water clan, born for the Many Goats People. My maternal grandparents are the Salt clan, and my paternal grandmother was of the Honeycomb People. I was raised deep in Navajo country, out at the Big Mountain area. My father was a medicine person. He was a healer, a chanter. My mother was educated to the eighth-grade level. When her parents died, she moved back and took up the traditional lifestyle. She married my father, and we, the children, were raised with traditional teachings and values. They taught us a lot of the Navajo belief system, values, morals, practices, and language.

Read Elder Viki Blackgoat’s story

LeRoy Shingoitewa (Hopi)

I was born in Keams Canyon, Arizona. I grew up in a lot of ways traditionally, living on Hopi, and learned a lot of things from my dad, my grandparents, and from my uncles. In Hopi, we have extended family, so everybody, in one way or another, will have an influence on your life. I grew up traditionally, very close to the Hopi way, and I learned the Hopi language. Culturally, for me, right now, I can go to both sides, the world of Hopi and, as we say, the white man’s world.

Read Elder LeRoy Shingoitewa’s story

Albert Chase

My clans are Honághaanii nishłį́, One Who Walks Around in today’s translation, but according to my grandmother, Honághanii nishłį́, is from the shoulder people, as stories tell, we were made from shoulder of Changing Woman. México Dine’é báshíshchíín, People of Mexico, or people of the south. (Possibly the Aztecan people.) Txóbąąhí dashicheii, Edge Water are my maternal grandfathers. Naatxoohí Diné’é dashinálí – Isleta Pueblo are my paternal grandfathers. My original place of home is where my hoghan nímazí exists. The place where my young mind developed and recognized as my first home and first language is called Dibénjígą́ą́h (Big Horn Sheep Mountain) or Łį̨́į́’ Hádét’į̨įh (Looking Horse). That is my original place and land that I come from.

Read Elder Albert Chase’s story