Heritage Celebration Months
National Hispanic American Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month.
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates more than 60 million Hispanic Americans, Latinos, Latinas, and Latinx-identifying people and their ancestors for the countless contributions to our culture and society.
See the Event section below for past virtual as well as in-person events. More information to come for 2025!
2025 Events are To Be Determined!
| September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month.
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates more than 60 million Hispanic Americans, Latinos, Latinas, and Latinx-identifying people and their ancestors for the countless contributions to our culture and society. We would like to highlight some virtual as well as in-person events taking place in the coming weeks. Thursday, October 3rd @ Conversations with Colleagues, 3pm – 4pm Speaker: Dr. Anthony Hernandez Award-Winning Researcher, Award-Winning Teaching Faculty, and a Former Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Topic: “Critical Transformational Leadership at Hispanic-Serving Institutions” Wednesday, October 16th @Maricopa Campus (A101), 1:30pm – 2:30pm Professor Chantele Carr and Office of Student Development are co-hosting “La Identidad” – a 60 minute program on the history of Latinx identity, a virtual celebration of achievement in the Chicano and Hispanic American Movement from the 1900s to the present day, and an opportunity to view livestreams with tour guides in historic Hispanic neighborhoods in Los Angeles, CA. Students/Employees: If you cannot attend in-person, you can register to participate online via Zoom. To register for Zoom: https://calendly.com/student-engagement-centralaz/hispanic-heritage-zoom Support Local Arizona!
National Resources & Events
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Native American Heritage Month
CAC Video Meeting Backgrounds (Zip File)
Walk the Land – Native American Heritage Celebration
SAVE THE DATE! Monday, November 17, 2025 (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
To honor Native American Heritage Month, CAC is hosting a “Walk the Land” celebration to acknowledge the important contributions of our tribal communities and to honor their diverse cultures, traditions, and histories.
Date and Location:
- Monday, November 17, 2025
- 11AM – 1PM
- CAC Signal Peak Campus
8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85128 - Program will begin at our
I-building outdoor plaza.
Agenda:
- Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
- Celebration & Blessing
- Keynote Speaker: Revitalizing the Language
- “Walk the Land” self-guided cultural tour
- Culturally-inspired Lunch & Closing
History
The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. The celebration was an effort led by Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, who rode across the nation on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.”
Similar proclamations (with name variations) have been issued each year since 1994. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
We encourage all CAC students and employees to be intentional this month to learn about the tribal lands that your campuses populate.
Reflect on how you can support and/or advocate for greater recognition, learning, and collaboration of Indigenous cultures.
Highlighted Local and Virtual Activities
Nationwide Websites:
- Smithsonian works with Native American communities to revive & sustain indigenous languages: Native Voices
- National Museum of the American Indian provides resources to support teaching & learning about Native Americans: Native Knowledge 360° Education Initiative
- Rock Your Mocs Week is a worldwide Native American & Indigenous Peoples virtual unity event held annually via Social Media to create a positive opportunity to celebrate tribal individuality and to honor indigenous peoples worldwide: # Rock Your Mocs
- Native Lands Digital – an Indigenous-led nonprofit in Canada created a searchable map of Native territories, languages, & treaties: Native Land Digital
- Learn about the history of Native American Reservations
Watch/Listen:
- View a recording of the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo.
- Revitalization of Indigenous Food Ways: Chef Sherman TED Talk
- PODCAST: Stolen: The Search for Jermain (description: Missing & murdered indigenous women and girls):
- Arizona Public Media – documentaries and full-length movies about indigenous histories: AZPM Native Heritage
- 35th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest (2/15 – 2/16/2025)
Arizona Tribal Colleges
- Diné College | Tsaile, AZ
- San Carlos Apache College | San Carlos, AZ
- Tohono O’odham Community College | Sells, AZ
Scholarships for Indigenous American Students:
- Tohono O’odham Education Assistance
- Gila River Indian Community – Tribal Education
- Institute of American Indian Arts
- ASU Indigenous Leadership Academy
- U of AZ American Indian Alumni
- Fastweb
- Phoenix AISES Scholarship Program
- American Indian Services
Visiting American Indian Tribal Lands in Arizona
Support Local Native-Owned Businesses:
- Val’s Fry Bread | Phoenix, AZ
- Emerson Fry Bread | Phoenix, AZ
- Fry Bread House | Phoenix, AZ
- Native Coffee from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community | Salt River, AZ
- Sana Sana: Food Medicine for the People | Phoenix, AZ
- The Stand on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation | Scottsdale, AZ
- The REZ An Urban Eatery | Phoenix, AZ
- M&D’s Snack Stand | Scottsdale, AZ
- Kuvua Design | Indigenous Graphic Designer
- Native Health of Phoenix
- SMCC’s American Indian Student Center
- Phoenix Indian Center
Arizona Degree Programs:
- ASU American Indian Studies program
- NAU Applied Indigenous Studies
- UAZ American Indian Studies
- MCCCD Sustaining & Advancing Indigenous Nations
Checkout the White House’s 2024 Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month!
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
Join us as we host various celebrations and events to commemorate Black History Month!
2025 Event dates are To Be Determined!
PAST EVENTS:
Tuesday Feb 11th: ShySpeaks
Shy Speaks Event Flyer And Details (PDF)
Spoken Word Artist
Live Music Performance
Free food and giveaways!
Thursday Feb 20th: Conversations with Students
“Hidden Conversations: Race and Identity Project” (PDF)
3pm- 4pm ( Virtual Event )
All CAC staff and students will receive an email invitation!
Tuesday Feb 25th: Black History Month Celebration, Poetry Contest, & Pecha Kucha!
Event Flyer and Details ( PDF )
- Cultural Expression
- Kawambe Omowale – African Drum & Dance Theatre
- Student Poetry Contest
- Student Pecha Kucha
- Storytelling
- Free Lunch and Displays.
- West African and Soul Food