Mission and History

“To empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning, and outreach.” At IAIA our mission is more than a statement, it is the on-going objective of all that we do and all of our highly talented and dedicated faculty and staff.

Vision

Our vision is to be the premier educational institution for Native arts and cultures. As such, we dedicate ourselves, our curriculum, our facilities, and our energies to preparing our students for success and leadership which reflects Native cultures and values. We accomplish this through culturally-based programs that fulfill the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of our students. Through innovative teaching, critical inquiry and intergenerational learning, we offer the highest quality educational programs designed to instruct and inspire. As a 1994 land-grant institution, we provide training and outreach that promotes tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Above all, we are a national institute of excellence and an example of all that can be accomplished in furthering, supporting and nurturing contemporary Native arts through exhibitions, research, Indigenous exchange, and other educational programs which build and sustain our core values.

We believe in

• Collaboration, the joining together for student success,
• Excellence, by upholding high standards for students, faculty, and staff,
• Creativity, by encouraging fearless expression in arts and life,
• Respect, expressed by fostering an understanding of cultures, perspectives, and identities, and
• Integrity, which grows from demanding honesty, accountability, and responsibility to oneself and the world at large.