Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law acknowledges that the law school is located on the ancestral lands of the Akimel O’odham and further acknowledges that Arizona is home to 22 Tribal Nations that comprise 27% of Arizona’s total land base. ASU Law recognizes the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students. Since our founding, the law school has been committed to scholarship, service and teaching in the areas of Indian law and tribal law, and we pledge to continue and expand this work.
ASU’s student coalition, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, represents and unifies all self-identifying Indigenous voices at Arizona State University. This effort ensures all students receive appropriate resources and support to develop into impactful and holistic Indigenous leaders.
Students featured in this video represent the tribal nations of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Tohono O'odham Nation, Hia-Ced O'odham Community, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Tribal resources for tribes located in Arizona
The Ross-Blakely Law Library within ASU Law provides a libguide (library guide) in Indian Law. The research guide is designed to aid attorneys and scholars in researching federal Indian law, tribal law, and international law related to Indigenous peoples. Click below to see the full list of federally-recognized Native American tribes located in Arizona and relevant accompanying resources.
Ak-Chin Indian Community
Cocopah Indian Tribe
Colorado River Indian Tribes*
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
Fort Mojave Indian Tribe*
Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe
Gila River Indian Community
Havasupai Tribe
Hia-Ced O'odham Tribe
Hopi Tribe
Hualapai Tribe
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians
Navajo Nation*
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Pueblo of Zuni
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
San Carlos Apache Tribe
San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
Tohono O'odham Nation
Tonto Apache Tribe
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Yavapai-Apache Tribe
Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe
*Reservation boundaries extend into neighboring states
Land Acknowledgement Resources
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community comprises two distinct Native American tribes: the Onk Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Xalychidom Piipaash (Maricopa). Villages and farms previously occupied vast stretches of land along the Gila and Salt Rivers that the Phoenix metro now sits on.
ASU Labriola National American Indian Data Center
International in scope, the Labriola National American Indian Data Center brings together the current and historical work of Indigenous authors across a multitude of disciplines. With an emphasis on language, government, education, tribal history, biography, religion and customs, the Labriola Center features thousands of books, journals, Native Nation newspapers and primary source materials, such as photographs, oral histories and manuscript collections.
The Indian Legal Program, along with Professor Trevor Reed, is leading a team of graduate students to develop templates and license agreements that respect and honor Indigenous intellectual property and cultural property laws, as well as strengthen ownership of tribal archival materials. This project is in collaboration with the Labriola National American Indian Data Center.
Gila River Indian Community
Established in 1859, the Gila River Indian Community is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in Pinal and Maricopa counties.
American Indian Policy Institute
The American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI), a college-level unit within ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, focuses on building strong ties to Indigenous urban and rural governments and communities through emerging trends and tribally driven innovative democratic practices.
Office of American Indian Initiatives
The Office of American Indian Initiatives at ASU supports a program dedicated to Native American students, programs, and resources.