Arizona State University Appoints Diane Humeweta

To Advise President on Indian Affairs

by Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

TEMPLE, ARIZONA - Diane Humetewa, a tribal member of the Hopi Tribe, has been named special advisor to the President for American Indian Affairs at Arizona State University.

Diane Humetewa - Hopi

Humetewa is a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. She was the first American Indian female in history to be appointed a U.S. Attorney in 2007. Humetewa received her law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 1993. She has served on the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Indian Legal Advisory Committee since 1997.

“One of the comments most often heard among tribal leaders is that providing higher education opportunities to tribal members is an important goal.

There’s a real priority placed on providing as much assistance to tribal members or identifying and tackling the roadblocks to education in the native communities,”

Humetewa said. This can be challenging in an environment where nationally approximately 50 percent of Native American students don’t obtain a high-school diploma.

“ASU is committed to working with Arizona’s tribes to bring more Native American students to the university. Diane Humetewa will provide advice and counsel to ASU on its efforts to design and implement programs and initiatives to better serve Native American students and to partner with Arizona’s tribal governments,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow.

Humetewa will serve as chairperson of the ASU Tribal Liaison Advisory Committee and will be a member of the Provost’s Native American Advisory Council. She’ll continue the university’s work to promote higher education opportunities among Arizona’s tribes.