Programs
Our programs combine academic excellence, Native wisdom, and Indigenous heritage and history. Learn more about the various programs we offer our students.

WeSpeak

The WeSpeak initiative strives to drive youth-led pedagogy + policy work to combat linguicide, empower L.A. area Indigenous students and communities to advocate for a living Indigenous ecosystem that nurture language revitalization within public schooling, communities, and the world.

‍The program includes a student-led council of university students. If you are an Indigenous and a student in university and would like to participate, please contact: wespeak@ndgnsla.org.

Chief Ya’anna Village

Academia Anawakalmekak and Tzicatl Community Development Corporation purchased and rematriated 12 acres of land to the Gabrielino Shoshone Nation of Southern California, the land’s original stewards. The land, renamed the Chief Ya’anna Learning Village, will be the site of Tuatukar Eco-Cultural Center for Indigenous Regeneration, a center for students and the community to learn about Native ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation and the process of decolonization.

IndigeNations Scholars

Students in eleventh and twelfth grade are enrolled in our IndigeNations Scholars program, a continuum consisting of 1) Core Curriculum: UC approved A-G and AP aligned course of study, 2) Survivance studies: Sovereign Knowledge, Metacognition of Indigeneity, Chicana/o Studies, and Latin American Studies, 3) Survivance Reflective Project: Tekiyotl (Survivance Game) and Community Presentations, 4) Career-related Studies: AIUPNA Career Certificate and Externships/ Internships/Mentorships/ Apprenticeships, and 5) HONORS: Aztec Knowledge: Language & Literature and Performing Arts & Permaculture. IndigeNations Scholars also complete a culminating project, the Survivance Reflective Project, where students identify, analyze, critically discuss, and evaluate an ethical issue arising from their Survivance Studies and career-related studies.

Danza Azteca: 
Xinachtemachtiloyan

Xinachtemachtiloyan, also known as Danza Azteca-Chichimeca, is an intense martial form of cultural dance, which has survived colonization and cultural domination through the popular practices of Indigenous Peoples. It is a path and experience that gives a practical basis to the organization of Indigenous leadership and Nawatl language taught at AIUPNA. Danza Azteca is one form of cultural expression of the student community, but it is also its most guarded area of ​reflection and collective development. The Danza Circle provides access to a culturally-rooted curriculum, maintains physical health, and is accessible to all students, bearing in mind potential peer mentorship for at-risk youth through student leadership within the Danza Circle. This path of dance unites theory and practice, the individual and the community, and ultimately, our organization of healthy young people with those of other Indigenous peoples.

Teponaskwikatl Nawatl Music Education and Revitalization 

Teponaskwikatl is a unique school program dedicated to the education and revitalization of traditional Aztec music, reconnecting students with the sounds and songs of their ancestors. The program brings together a rich variety of instruments including the Huehuetl, Teponaztli, Chicahuaztli, Ayoyote, Tlapitzalli, and Concha. Students learn to play these ancient instruments and engage with Nawatl texts from centuries-old codices, rediscovering and performing songs that have been passed down through generations. Through hands-on learning and cultural immersion, Teponaskwikatl revives the traditions and melodies that were nearly lost 400-500 years ago, ensuring that these vital elements of Aztec heritage continue to thrive in the next generation of students. This program fosters a deeper connection to Indigenous history and culture while empowering youth with the skills and knowledge to carry these traditions forward.

Tuatukar Eco Cultural Center:
Masewaltlapixkayiotl

Masewaltlapixkayiotl Fire Resurgence program engages students with their peers in a structured, intentional setting whereby they are able to steward ancestral territories and practice ancestral stewardship practices following a model of simulating fire ecology. Students build self-confidence, compassion, and an awareness of their community and beyond. Students gain a greater willingness to challenge themselves emotionally and physically to, ultimately, become positive leaders in their communities. With a crew of peers, participants work as a team to achieve goals and explore belonging, physical confidence, reflection, and courage that translate to far-reaching areas of their lives.

Science is Ceremony

Science is Ceremony is a philosophical perspective emphasizing the interconnectedness of scientific knowledge with cultural and community revitalization. It originated as a summer course meant to give students an empowering understanding of the rapidly changing world in which we live through a multidisciplinary approach that includes traditional ecological knowledge-based earth science, conservation and restoration biology, chemistry, botany, history, and geography. Currently, AIUPNA implements the Science is Ceremony approach and philosophy into all science courses, activities, and programs as a core element of our pedagogy.

Yolsentlapixkeh Youth Research Council

The Yolsentlapixkeh (Ecoguardian) Youth Research program was developed in collaboration with the Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation of Southern California and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County creating a vision of youth-conducted participatory community-science research at Ya'anna Village. The Yolsentlapixkeh Youth researchers worked with cultural guides and field-expert mentors to conduct a year-long investigation, merging indigenous and Western sciences to produce and disseminate community-oriented scientific knowledge based on collected data. The Yolsentlapixkeh researchers investigate one of five research areas and host community events where all members of the local community are welcome to learn and participate in the restoration or study of Ya’anna village as part of the emphasis on community-led research, culminating in a youth summit where researcher presented back to the community on their findings.
WeSpeak
The WeSpeak initiative strives to drive youth-led pedagogy + policy work to combat linguicide, empower L.A. area Indigenous students and communities to advocate for a living Indigenous ecosystem that nurture language revitalization within public schooling, communities, and the world. The program includes a student-led council of university students. If you are an Indigenous and a student in university and would like to participate, please contact: wespeak@ndgnsla.org.
Chief Ya’anna Village
Academia Anawakalmekak and Tzicatl Community Development Corporation purchased and rematriated 12 acres of land to the Gabrielino Shoshone Nation of Southern California, the land’s original stewards. The land, renamed the Chief Ya’anna Learning Village, will be the site of Tuatukar Eco-Cultural Center for Indigenous Regeneration, a center for students and the community to learn about Native ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation and the process of decolonization.
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