PXU Governing Board Reaffirms the Land Acknowledgement
September 26, 2025
Jeston Morris
Community Newsperson
PHOENIX – On Sept. 4, the Phoenix Union High School District’s Governing Board met at the Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) to consider whether to retain or remove land acknowledgement from its school board meetings.
The public filled CEE, and the event was streamed live. Members of the public were given up to two minutes each to address the board. The Governing Board includes President Ceyshe Napa, Clerk Signa Oliver, and members Aaron Marquez, Francisco Pastor-Rivera, Jeremiah Cota, Debbie Cross, and Lizette Mier. Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis also attended the board meeting.
According to the Arizona Independent News Network, board member Cota, argued that the land acknowledge was a religious ritual and a prayer, and had no place in board meetings. It does not add to the students’ academic performance. In August, Cota refused to read the land acknowledgement statement and instead he recited the Lord’s Prayer. He was ruled out of order by Board President Napa.
The land acknowledgement statement has significant support from the public. More than two dozen individuals spoke in favor of keeping the land acknowledgement as part of the PXU’s school system.
“The land acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the original caretakers of the land. It also officializes the commitment to Native American Education that prioritizes student achievement. Land acknowledgment is not religious, but rather it’s historical facts about the land,” said a Tamira John, a PXU high school senior.
“We are an intertribal council of Indigenous high school students. We are making a statement to the governing board regarding the removal of the land acknowledgement. It recognizes that the Indigenous peoples are the original caretakers of Turtle Island, and it has a rich, complex, and devastating history vis-à-vis the Indigenous peoples and the United States Government. The land was stolen from Indigenous peoples. They experience genocide, force relocation, and cultural/language erasure. We support the land acknowledgement,” said Joseph Dosela.
“Before there was a Phoenix Union High School District, there was a Phoenix Indian School (PIS) a federal Indian boarding school. Thousands of Native children were forcibly taken from their families across the Southwest and brought to PIS for one purpose – to strip away their language, culture, and identity. Students were forbidden to speak their native language, their long hair was cut, their traditional clothing replaced, their ceremonies were banned, and tragically, some never made it home. PIS became a place of trauma, neglect and separation,” said Candice Ramsey.
“The land acknowledgment that PXU governing board adopted in 2022 is not a small gesture, it was proposed by students, parents, and community members. It is a meaningful step forward of inclusion, respect, and support for native students. It affirms the Native identity,” said Ramsey.
“I am here as a religious professional to say that the land acknowledgment is not a religious statement. It does not go against the separation between church and state. The justification of removing it on religious grounds is wrong. I am proud to affirm the PXU land acknowledgement,” said Reverend Christine Dance.
“The land acknowledgment is not just a piece of paper with written words but rather it’s a commitment. As a representative of the Gila River Indian Community, our sacred ancestral land includes all metropolitan Phoenix and the schools. Our Hu Hu Kam ancestors built the canal system, sacred sites, and civilization. They lived here since time and immemorial. Phoenix Union school system sits on the ancestral lands of O’otham that is rich in history. I stand with the students. I support the land acknowledgement,” said Gov. Lewis.
The Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board voted to retain and reaffirm its land acknowledge statement after public support and debate. The board will now be recognizing each campus with a plaque and adopt an annual celebration to honor Indigenous heritage and history.