Indigenous Local Government Fellows

Pathways to Tribal Governance and Public Service Excellence

In fall 2025, Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions issued a call for proposals for the Indigenous Scholarship Seed Grant to support projects advancing ethical, culturally grounded Indigenous scholarship. Rooted in respect for tribal sovereignty and aligned with ASU’s commitment to Tribal Nations and communities, the grant supports research, training and creative work guided by Indigenous worldviews, values and priorities.

The School of Public Affairs Center for Local Government Education and Innovation, in partnership with the Town of Gilbert, was awarded funding through the grant to establish this program.

The ASU inaugural Indigenous Fellowship is a component of the grant designed to create sustainable pathways for Indigenous students into tribal and government public service careers by bridging academic preparation with professional experience and cultural grounding.

Fellowship Experience

The fellowship places one Indigenous student each semester into Gilbert’s nationally recognized Native American Management Internship (NAMI) program during the spring and fall 2026 semesters. Fellows participate in leadership and public administration training while engaging with the Center for Local Government Education and Innovation and other local government fellows, gaining access to both Indigenous-focused development and broader professional networks.

A distinguishing feature of the fellowship is its commitment to elevating Indigenous perspectives within mainstream public administration. Fellows integrate concepts of sovereignty and Indigeneity into their work, creating reciprocal learning opportunities that recognize Indigenous ways of knowing as essential to effective governance.

Upcoming and recent events

April 28: Pathfinders: Indigenous Student and Alumni Mentoring April 17–19: Tabling: Pow Wow at ASU April 16: Tabling: Indigenous Career Paths April 15: Our Stories, Our Service: A Conversation on Indigenous Culture, Commu…

Meet the fellows

2026 Inaugural Indigenous Fellows

Candice Joe

Tribal Affiliation: Diné (Navajo)

Master of Public Administration graduate student

Woman in red dress smiling and leaning against column outside building

Jenna Rios

Tribal Affiliation: Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi & Saginaw Chippewa

Public Service & Public Policy undergraduate senior

Beyond the fellowship placement, the program builds lasting community and mentorship infrastructure. Facilitated mentoring workshops will convene current and former Gilbert NAMI interns, School of Public Affairs Indigenous alumni, Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Alumni and enrolled Indigenous students to create supportive networks for sharing experiences and sustaining one another through academic and professional journeys.

A recruitment information session will be held in collaboration with Arizona State University’s Indigenous academic units and partners in fall 2026, connecting prospective students with program leadership and alumni representing tribal, local, state and federal government career tracks.

Fellows will also participate in key professional conferences, including the Arizona City/County Management Association Summer Conference.

Together, these efforts build understanding of Indigenous governance structures, strengthen practical public administration skills and foster professional relationships that support a growing pipeline of Indigenous leaders serving their nations and communities.

Arizona State University’s School of Public Affairs thanks the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community for their generous funding of the NAMI internships. We also thank the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions for program support through the Indigenous Scholarship Seed Grant, which helped bring this program to life.

This initiative is led by the Center for Local Government Education and Innovation within the School of Public Affairs, in partnership with the Town of Gilbert’s NAMI program, which has supported the development of Indigenous leaders for tribal and government service careers for more than 13 years.