Tempe Union Native Am. Program

Congratulations to our very own TUHSD student from Marcos de Niza Lanae Medina. JR. MIss Salt River!

🎉 Week 3 of the Native American Summer Program is officially in the books! 🎉

What a week it has been! We started this summer with 8 classrooms full of students and are now down to just 3 classrooms as students continue completing courses and earning credits. Our students have been finishing classes left and right, and our teachers have done an incredible job keeping pace and supporting every student along the way.

As always, Friday was Workshop Day! This week, students completed their Ribbon Skirts, 🎀🪡🧵wrapped up their Cinematography 🎥🎬course, and enjoyed their final visit with the elders at the Guadalupe Senior Center. We are especially grateful for the time our students spent building relationships, sharing stories, and learning from our elders throughout the summer.

Students also explored traditional and historical foodways this week. Chef Tammy taught students about pre-colonial foods, including bison and wild rice, while Mrs. Saad from Corona del Sol shared lessons on post-colonial foods and introduced ingredients such as flour, lard, and milk. Students had the opportunity to make Osage grape dumplings and learn how to make homemade ice cream using coffee cans!

To help wind down from a busy and productive week, students also enjoyed a movie and popcorn with their classmates a well-deserved opportunity to relax and celebrate all of their hard work.

We also faced an unexpected challenge with a water main break 🌊🌊, but our students, staff, and families powered through without missing a beat. Thank you all for your flexibility and support.

As we head into our final week, we’re excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and look forward to Graduation next Friday! 🎓

Keep pushing forward NA SEA, you’re almost there!

🌟 Week Two Complete! 🌟

We made it through Week 2 of the Native American Summer Program, and what an amazing week it has been! Our students continue to show up ready to take care of business and earn those credits while also participating in some incredible enrichment opportunities.

Today was Workshop Friday, and we had 30 students participate in our art workshop. This week’s theme focused on creating entries for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s 48th Annual Recognition Art Contest. We can’t wait to see all of the amazing submissions our students create!

Our Native American Program staff shared the traditional story of the Three Sisters, teaching students about the importance of corn, beans, and squash in Native cultures. Students then had the opportunity to prepare and taste squash and corn as part of the lesson.

Beading was a huge hit once again! Students created beaded sunglasses, and our Dreamcatcher Workshop continued with Part 2 of the project. Students also worked on Part 2 of their Ribbon Skirt Workshop, continuing to learn sewing skills and the cultural significance behind creating these beautiful garments. We are excited to see the finished skirts in the coming weeks!

Students also visited the Guadalupe Senior Center, where they worked alongside ASU students, staff and local elders. As a special treat, they even got to sample delicious mesquite pancakes!

Meanwhile, our aspiring filmmakers continued Part 2 of their Cinematography Workshop, learning more about the filmmaking process. They are especially excited for next week’s field trip to the Scottsdale Community College Film Studio.

We were also thrilled to welcome Native Health to campus today to provide student physicals. If you still need a sports physical, don’t worry, Native Health will be back on June 26, so there’s still time to sign up!

Thank you to all of our staff, presenters, community partners, and students for making another successful week possible. We can’t wait to see what Week 3 brings! 🖤💛❤️

🏥🎒 FREE Sports Physicals & Well Exams at Mountain Pointe High School! 🎒🏥

The Native American Program is excited to partner with Native Health to bring health care services directly to our community this summer!

📅 Clinic Dates:
✅ Friday, June 12, 2026
✅ Friday, June 26, 2026
⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

📍 Mountain Pointe High School
4201 E. Knox Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85044

Students who receive a Sports Physical or Well Exam will receive a FREE backpack filled with school supplies while supplies last! 🎒✏️📚

This event is open to ALL students and families. Services are provided on-site by licensed medical professionals from Native Health.

⚠️ Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee an appointment. Walk-ins may be accepted if space is available.

To schedule an appointment:
📞 (602) 848-3917
📧 [email protected]
📱 Scan the QR code on the flyer to register.

Don’t wait until the last minute to get your sports physical completed for the upcoming school year! Take advantage of this free opportunity to check in on your health and get ready for a successful year ahead.

Please share this post with friends and family who may benefit from these services. We look forward to seeing you there! ❤️🖤💛

We are officially off and running! 🎉

The Native American Summer Program kicked off on Monday, and more than 300 students flooded the Mountain Pointe campus, ready to learn, grow, and make the most of their summer. Despite a few last-minute hiccups, our amazing staff jumped right in and made sure everything was ready to go. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and dedication!

One of our favorite parts of the program is Friday Workshop Day, and this week did not disappoint. Students had the opportunity to work with talented presenters who helped them create ribbon skirts, drums, dream catchers, beaded keychains, and some truly amazing artwork. 🎨🪶🥁

This year, students will also spend three weeks learning about cinematography and storytelling through film, while others will have the opportunity to connect with and learn from the elders at the Guadalupe Senior Center. These experiences help strengthen cultural connections while building new skills and friendships.

We can’t wait for next week as many of our credit recovery and credit advancement students begin completing courses and we launch another exciting round of workshops.

Thank you to all of our presenters, partners, staff, and families for helping make this program possible. Here’s to a great summer of learning, culture, and success! ☀️❤️🖤

It’s finally happening… 🌱 MDN PADRE PATCH

After running into a few snags, bad weather, and even surviving the infamous microburst 🌪️, our garden project is finally coming to life!

Some members of the MDN Native American Club teamed up with Governing Board Member Barazza to build our very first donated garden box, and we are so excited to get planting and start our first harvest.

This project is about creating community, culture, wellness, and a space our students can be proud of. We still have a lot to build and grow, and we could definitely use some support from our community.

If you’d like to help support the project, please reach out to program staff. We are currently looking for donations of a few gardening and outdoor items. 🌿☀️

Can’t wait to share the progress with everyone

This week was a busy one, but we wanted to make sure we shared this moment from Friday.

The Native American Program at Marcos de Niza was honored to welcome Pascua Yaqui Tribal Councilman Jose Saldaña, who was on campus for the annual Tribal Consultation. He took time out of his schedule to stop by our room early and have lunch with our students, something they truly appreciated.

Fun fact: Councilman Saldaña is also a proud Padre! 🤎💛

Thank you for taking the time to connect with our students.

🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓
This week we were busy getting everything ready for our Senior Banquet on Thursday, honoring our Native American graduates from Tempe Union. It was a great night celebrating our students and all they’ve accomplished.

So proud of the Marcos de Niza Native American Club for fundraising all year to make this happen, you all showed up in a big way.

Big thank you to our volunteers, speakers, and youth dancers who came out and made the night so special. We couldn’t do it without you.

Class of 2026, we are proud of you and excited to see what’s next for you. Wishing you all the success ahead.

Look for us at these events!

ATTENTION: High School Families!

Tribal Education Is hosting two (2) High School Nights, stop by and meet with local high schools, high school programs, community programs, and departments.

We hope to see you there!