We, as a community with our CCC family and friends, are very fortunate to live, work, and share this unique location.
It is land that is rich in geological stories and steeped in a sacred importance to all of us who live here. Coconino Community College is located in the middle of the land’s magnificence. More than 20% of our students at the college are Native American, and because CCC is dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment, the perspective of our Native American students is vitally important to our identity. To that end, when students from the college’s Indigenous Student Association developed a Land Acknowledgement Statement, the college community acted universally to make it a part of CCC’s culture.
It states: “On behalf of Coconino Community College, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the sacred land on which this educational institution resides. Sacred sites located within Coconino County include the San Francisco Peaks, Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona Red Rocks, the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River, the Colorado River Confluence, the Grand Canyon and many more sites. This land has been inhabited by the Sinagua and Ancestral Pueblo for thousands of years. Currently, the Zuni, Apache, Yavapai, Hualapai, Havasupai, Paiute, Diné, Hopi and many other Arizona tribal nations recognize this land as a significant spiritual place. This sacred land is enriched with indigenous history and culture that lives on to this day. We, as a community with our CCC family and friends, are very fortunate to live, work, and share this unique location. Thank you.”
Whenever I am honored to get the opportunity to speak it – like at CCC’s recent Indigenous Peoples’ Day event – I am struck by its power and its meaning.
The educational success of CCC’s Native American students is also vitally important. Recently, staff at the college applied for and received a $2.1 million, five-year Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant is specifically devoted to helping increase the course success and program completion rates of our Native American students. The NASNTI program at CCC is made up of three components to help Native American students succeed in higher numbers, and to help them, their families and communities find a greater sense of belonging with us.
First, CCC will be launching a summer bridge program for new Native American Students. The program is designed for Native American students planning to attend CCC for the first time in the next fall semester. Students will enroll in the eight-week course, and they and their families will be involved in orientation activities. The students will take a composition review course that will focus on writers and topics relevant to them. They will also be taught college success strategies, meet with advisors, and receive tutoring and academic support.
Second, CCC will be establishing and staffing Native American Student Success Centers at our locations in Flagstaff and Page. The centers will be a dedicated location, with staff, to provide Native American students with a recognizable physical space to receive services unique to their lived experiences and to interact with peers with similar experiences – to serve as a home away from home.
Finally, CCC will be improving culturally responsive teaching. Faculty in highly enrolled foundational courses like math and English will receive training to include learning opportunities where Native American students are able to see their values and culture reflected in the coursework. This is meant to help the students build perceptions of academic success, confidence and belonging.
CCC is here to serve all our communities and to help all who come to us with dreams satisfy their educational goals. Don’t forget, registration for the Spring 2022 semester is fast approaching. Come visit us at coconino.edu.
Onward! FBN
By Colleen Smith
Colleen A. Smith, Ph.D. is the president of Coconino Community College.
