Tempe Union Native Am. Program

Dont forget tonight is the night! the committee has planned an amazing night of information , Dancing and enjoying everyone’s company. See you at 6pm.
(Tonight’s IEPAC meeting has been rescheduled to November. )

🍂 Fall Break is getting closer, but the Native American Program is not slowing down!

This week, our students participated in the Homecoming Assembly at Marcos de Niza. Our Yaqui Language classes also celebrated the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s 48 years of federal recognition with a fun game of Yaqui Bingo, reinforcing numbers and vocabulary. Students also learned from a tribal community member who prepared a traditional meal for everyone to enjoy.

Our Circle of Nations (CON) students received a special treat today! Renowned Yaqui artist Ricardo Escalante Castro led a hands-on painting workshop after visiting South Mountain Community College yesterday. Mr. Castro’s artwork can be found in the Yaqui Museum in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico. We are honored to welcome him into our classrooms and thank the Yaqui Pride Project for making this wonderful experience possible.

Don’t forget, there is still time to register your student for the fashion show at Gila River Cultural Night on September 24! The link has been shared in parent square IM staff if you would like it emailed to you.

We are excited to partner with the Yaqui Pride Project to bring you a special opportunity to meet Yaqui artist Ricardo Escalante Castro tomorrow, September 17, 2026! Details are available on the flyer.

On September 18, 1978, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe achieved federal recognition. Tempe Union High School District is proud of our long-standing partnership with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. We celebrate alongside the Tribe and all Pascua Yaqui students and employees throughout Tempe Union as we commemorate 48 years of federal recognition, resilience, culture, and community.

The day is almost here, our first Cultural Family Night of the year! 🎉

We are excited to partner with the Gila River Indian Community for this special evening. If your student would like to participate in the fashion show, please contact our office.

We hope to see you and your family there!

🪶 What an amazing evening at Tempe High!

Last night, Tempe High hosted its annual Indigenous Night Football Game! With help from Student Council and the Indigenous Peoples Club, the stadium welcomed our community with signs featuring Indigenous languages.

We also enjoyed an incredible performance by the Yellowbird Dance Group, and the Native American Program held our first frybread fundraiser to support our Senior Recognition Banquet! 🎓

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, and supported our sale. It was a wonderful night celebrating our Indigenous students, culture, and community! ❤️💛🖤🤍

Today, we honor the courageous Navajo Marines who used their sacred Diné language to create an unbreakable military code during World War II. Their bravery, ingenuity, and service helped secure victory and protect countless lives. We remember their sacrifice and celebrate the enduring strength of the Navajo language and culture. Please enjoy a presentation by students from MDN Native American Club. One in English and one in Diné

Over the past two Sundays, volunteers from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Language and Culture Department rebuilt us a ramada that was damaged in the microburst last year September. We are so excited to be able to provide programming outside again. Thank you to all our volunteers.

And that’s a wrap on Week4!, ⭐️and another incredible Native American Summer Education Program!

Week 4 is always one of our favorite weeks because it’s when we get to celebrate everything our students have accomplished. Throughout the summer, we usually recognize student achievements by filling our walls with stars so they can see their progress in real time. This year, our students were completing courses so quickly and earning credits at such an amazing pace that we simply couldn’t keep up with adding all the stars, and that’s a great problem to have!

To every student who worked so hard this summer, we are incredibly proud of you. Your determination, perseverance, and commitment to your education did not go unnoticed.

A special congratulations goes out to our 12 graduates who completed the Native American Summer Education Program and are now members of the Class of 2026! We are so proud of everything you have accomplished and can’t wait to see where your journey takes you. Always remember that your Native American Summer Program family will always be here cheering you on and supporting you whenever you need us. 🧑🏽‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓

Finally, thank you to our amazing teachers and staff. Your dedication, patience, and willingness to go above and beyond for our students made this summer a success. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Have a safe and wonderful summer, everyone. We’ll see you next year!

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!