Native American & Indigenous Support (NAIS)

Meeting Schedule

Our next meeting will be in the Multicultural Student Center on Sept 17th, 2026 from 5-7:30pm

Land Acknowledgement

PLEASE NOTE: Our current Land Acknowledgement is being thoughtfully reworked to ensure we properly honor the ancestors and stewards of these lands. In the meantime, we pause to reflect on the land itself: its peoples, animals, waters, and native plants that have been here since time immemorial. We consider the knowledge and care carried by the first peoples, passed down through generations, and we commit ourselves to learning, evolving, and changing our ways to honor those who came before us and continue to guide us today.

A "land acknowledgment" is not static, it's a call to action. Land is as much of a living, breathing entity as each one of us, with its own story that spans across time and space. Let us all take a moment today to ground in the spaces we find ourselves, stay curious, and recognize our sacred obligation of interconnectedness with the land, water, people, animal, and plant relatives in each and every space we find ourselves. May we seek out the truths beyond the veiled history of colonial legacy, be willing to stand in the light of truth in ourselves, and embody the courage to find solidarity that bridges across our multifaceted individual identities and complex histories.

All my relations means you and all your ancestors, past, present, and future. We are all connected. We are all in community.


Native American & Indigenous Support

Four Areas of Focus

●Promoting Native American Studies throughout the curriculum and support of a faculty position.
●Student support and engagement.
●Strengthening relationships with the Native community.
●Providing educational opportunities for the college and community.

Local Tribal History

Original Inhabitants: The Awaswas

  • Tribe/Group: Awaswas

  • Linguistic Family: Ohlone (also known as Costanoan)

  • Territory: Coastal Santa Cruz Mountains, including present-day Santa Cruz County.

  • Villages: Many small villages throughout the region, often located near creeks and coastal areas. Some notable ones were around the San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek.

  • Lifeways: The Awaswas people lived in seasonal villages and relied on fishing, shellfish gathering, acorn harvesting, and trading with neighboring groups.

Pronunciations of the tribes are: Amah (Aaa-Ma), Mutsun (Moot-sun), Uypi (You-P), Awaswas (Aaa-Was-Was).

Today:

The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band includes descendants of the Awaswas and other Mutsun-speaking Ohlone peoples. They are actively working to revitalize culture, language, and reclaim stewardship of ancestral lands. Although not federally recognized, they are deeply engaged in environmental and cultural restoration efforts in the Santa Cruz region.