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Indigenous Leadership Academy
Inaugural Cohort
A Unique Opportunity for Emerging Indigenous Leaders
The Center for Professional and Workforce Impact at Tufts University has joined efforts with the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University to launch the next cohort of the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA). As the first program of its kind in the United States, the ILA started in January 2022 with seed funding from Arizona Public Service (APS) with the intention of serving emerging Indigenous leaders in Arizona. It quickly became a national leadership program that hosts two cohorts a year and draws participants from across the country, building a strong, cohesive network among the next generation of tribal leaders and their communities.
In Fall 2024, Tufts University entered a partnership with Arizona State University to expand the reach of the Indigenous Leadership Academy to emerging Indigenous leaders in the Eastern United States starting with the Spring 2025 cohort. Applications will open for the next cohort on November 15, 2024.
Participants engage in a 10-week hybrid program that caters to working adults. Indigenous Leadership Academy alumni unanimously agree that one of the most valuable skills acquired in the program is increased confidence when presenting ideas in Indigenous and non-Indigenous spaces. The tools given at the ILA help lay the groundwork for participants to serve as community advocates to implement projects while using Indigenous thought and techniques derived from cultural frameworks that value connectedness and sustainability.
At A Glance
Program Dates
January 4, 2025 - March 10, 2025
Location
Online / Virtual
Application dates
November 15 – December 13, 2024
Credit
Not for credit
Program fee
$2,650
Scholarships are available. Applicants are automatically considered for a scholarship upon application to the ILA program.
Program Curriculum
10 Week Course
Module 1: Indigenous Leadership Practices
Module 2: Understanding Political and Economic Contexts in Indian Country
Module 3: Research, Data, Indigenous Knowledge
Module 4: Innovation and Sustainable Enterprise-Building
Module 5: Response and Responsibility
Module 6: Communicating Your Story and Exhibiting Professional Etiquette
Module 7: Building Relationships and Growing Your Network
Module 8: Bridging Differences and Fostering Consensus
Module 9: Community-Centered Management Practices
Module 10: Developing Leadership Capacity and Looking to the Future
Program Outcomes
ASU - Digital Certificate
- Demonstrate an understanding of effective leadership practices that are contextually situated and culturally framed
- Analyze and reflect on multiple case studies and models of Indigenous leadership
- Utilize data and leverage resources effectively
- Improve communication and representation of self and community
- Examine strategies for facilitating collaborations, fostering partnerships, and building consensus
- Design personalized leadership and project/program action plans
Program Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
- Must be committed to attending all 10 meetings (January, 2025 - March, 2025)
- Must have adequate internet for Zoom
- Must commit to all required work for the cohort
- Must reside within the United States (US Residents Only)
- Must have an understanding of tribal sovereignty and tribal communities in the United States
- Must be age 21 or over
- Is interested in being an emerging leader in Indian country
- Must have a desire to positively impact your home community
- Must have a project in mind that will benefit Indian country
- Must be willing to expand knowledge, skills, and network
- Must be excited to work with a diverse group of people
- Someone who has a can-do attitude
- Must have a desire to solve an issue
Preferred Qualifications
- Evidence of a bachelors degree or
- Evidence of an AA degree or
- or 5 years minimum of work experience
Shaping Indigenous Communities
The American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI), a college-level unit within ASU’s Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, focuses on building strong ties to Indigenous urban and rural governments and communities through emerging trends and tribally driven innovative democratic practices.
Need More Information?
Please contact Vernon Miller, Tufts Indigenous Center Director, with questions on how you can apply for the Indigenous Leadership Academy.