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Phoenix Union board keeps land‑acknowledgment after heated public comments; directs annual celebration and school plaques
Summary
After hours of public comment — largely from Native students, tribal leaders and community members — the Phoenix Union High School District board retained its land‑acknowledgment statement and directed the superintendent to plan an annual commemoration and obtain plaques for school offices. The board carried the motion with one abstention.
The Phoenix Union High School District governing board voted Sept. 4 to keep the district’s land‑acknowledgment statement on its agenda and in policy and asked the superintendent to develop an annual celebration and provide plaques for each school.
The decision followed an extended public‑comment period that drew hundreds of speakers. Dozens of Native students, community members and tribal representatives told the board the statement — adopted in November 2022 — affirms Indigenous presence, supports Native students and is educational rather than religious. Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community spoke in favor of the acknowledgment and described it as “a pathway” for relationship and truth telling.
‘The land acknowledgment that this board adopted in 2022 is not a small gesture,’ Governor Lewis said during his brief remarks. ‘It’s a meaningful step toward respect and inclusion.’
Board members also heard numerous speakers who urged the district to focus on mental‑health resources and questioned whether the acknowledgment could be construed as a prayer; district leaders and Native speakers repeatedly said the text does not invoke a deity and was developed with Native advisors and scholars.
Superintendent Andrade reviewed the statement’s development, saying a broad working committee consulted tribal leaders and academics and produced student‑led media to accompany the text. ‘It was never the intent of this committee or of Phoenix Union to use the land acknowledgment as a prayer,’ Andrade said, describing the statement as action‑oriented and tied to the district’s Native American education program.
After discussion, Board Member Meyer moved to confirm the acknowledgment in policy BEDB, to direct the superintendent to explore an annual November commemoration tied to the acknowledgment’s adoption, and to have plaques prepared for school offices. The motion carried by voice vote with Board Member Cota recorded as abstaining.
The board's action preserves the district’s statement and adds a formal, annual recognition and physical markers in school offices. Superintendent Andrade said staff will report back on implementation steps and cost estimates.
