Indigenous Communities

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The Aztec Governing Authority and the Aztec Culture Education Committee are tasked with charting the path forward for SDSU’s relationship and educational efforts with the historical and contemporary descendants of the Aztec people and the Aztec Empire.

Our focus on education, respect and restorative treatment around the Aztec name, both in the curriculum and the culture of the campus, is critically important. This work will further SDSU's respect and appreciation for the indigenous culture historically known as the Aztecs.

SDSU’s leaders recognize that efforts to provide education and create discourse around the history of the Aztec People do not address nor replace the need for further investment in relationships with the many other indigenous people with whom SDSU shares land and history. Instead, this effort provides an additional opportunity for the university to become a leader in the development of knowledge and understanding relative to native and indigenous peoples and to reinforce our support for our native students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. 

SDSU is regionally positioned within proximity to dozens of local indigenous tribes. Our unique geography carries an elevated responsibility to ensure we are investing in relationships with the tribal leadership and communities. The university is actively engaged with faculty, students, staff, and community stakeholders to develop pipelines to SDSU within indigenous communities; to recruit native and indigenous students and faculty; to provide support systems for enrolled students from native and indigenous groups.