Indigenous students protest changes to Native affairs program at University of Arizona

Indigenous students at the University of Arizona are protesting changes to Native American Student Affairs, including the firing of its director and a shift in the office's structure. According to AZCentral, about 30 Native students from different tribes sent a letter on May 25 to university leaders and the Arizona Board of Regents, calling the changes a “betrayal” of the university’s commitment to Native students.

Two days later, the university announced the student affairs program would move under the Office of Native American Initiatives. On May 27, director Julian Juan was fired. In an Instagram video, Juan said he was dismissed after asking an administrator to leave a student event in April for safety reasons. A university spokesperson told The Arizona Republic that the changes are intended to “increase collaboration and strengthen support for Native students.”