Central Arizona College to Hold Native American Heritage Month Celebrations

PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. – In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Central Arizona College (CAC) will host their annual Native American Heritage Month celebrations at both the Maricopa and Signal Peak campuses. These events acknowledge the important contributions of our tribal communities and honor their diverse cultures, traditions and histories.
 
The first annual Maricopa Campus Native American Heritage Month Celebration will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 17945 N. Regent Dr, Maricopa, AZ 85138. The program begins at 1 p.m. in the library (B-Building, room 101) with a welcome and light refreshments.
 
At 1:30 p.m., Dr. Laura Tohe, a poet, writer, librettist and scholar of Indigenous American Literature will deliver the keynote address. Talking circles led by Dr. Ruth Butler will follow at 2:30 p.m.
 
On Monday, November 16, 2026, the celebration will continue with the fifth annual Signal Peak Campus “Walk the Land” event at 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ 85128. Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. at the outdoor patio of the I Building.
 
The program will begin at 11 a.m. with a welcome, reading of the Land Acknowledgement and a blessing. Participants will then explore Walk the Land Exhibits and participate in an Indigenous Culinary Exploration featuring Denella Belin of Nella’s Innovative Kreations and Jerald Tso of Nature’s Kitchen Catering.
 
The event will conclude with a culturally inspired lunch and keynote address by Ginger Sunbird Martin, prominent Native American cultural consultant, court-certified expert and owner of Sunbird Enterprises. Martin belongs to the Pima (Akimel O'odham) people of the Gila River Indian Community.
 
These events are free and open to all students, employees and community members.
 
Additional local and national resources and activities are available on the CAC Native American Heritage website.
 
 
- www.centralaz.edu –
 
For more than 50 years, Central Arizona College has been serving and educating the diverse communities of Pinal County. With five campuses located strategically throughout the county, CAC provides accessible, educational, economic, cultural, and personal growth opportunities for those of all ages.
 
CAC is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity and anti‐discrimination. CAC strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of the following protected classes and/or characteristics, in all of its operations, programs and activities, including but not limited to employment, promotion, admissions and access to all career and technical programs: race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. For more information contact:  Laura Shepherd, Title IX Coordinator at 520-494-5106 or titleix@centralaz.edu; Section 504/ADA Coordinator at studentaccessibility@centralaz.edu or Human Resources at human.resources@centralaz.edu.