Each book in The Arizona Series begins with an introduction to the Indigenous peoples whose homelands are focal points of the novel.
All of the books are woven, usually in an alternating pattern of four chapters with different points of view, alternating time periods, and Native American culture stories. These stories—and the landscapes of this state that inspired them—are among Arizona’s treasures. I feel lucky to be able to explore them alongside my novel’s beloved, flawed, handsome Arizonan cowboy and hero, Guy Thornton
Organizations to Support
Labriola National American Indian Data Center
An Indigenous library center at Arizona State University (ASU) led by an all-Indigenous staff seeking to collaborate with and proactively meet the needs of ASU Indigenous students, faculty, and regional Tribal communities by:
Providing a culturally safe space within academia for critical learning, scholarship, creativity, and reflection for community healing (Space and Place)
Promoting and supporting Indigenous academic excellence through research in scholarly work, data, and creative writing (Research Services)
Curating, preserving, and facilitating access to Indigenous information – stories, scholarly works, poems, art, music, and primary sources (Collections)
Developing and implementing programs that engage and center Indigenous ways of knowing, lived experiences, and creative expressions (Programming)
Stewarding collections through centering Indigenous ownership of data, cultural and intellectual property, research, archives, traditional knowledge, and community memory (Stewardship)
Supporting and upholding cultural sovereignty through implementation of cultural protocols and practice to support Tribal Sovereignty, and Indigenous ownership of traditional knowledge and information (Protocols)
American Indian College Fund
Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund is the nation’s largest Native-led and serving charity supporting Native student access to higher education. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provides American Indian and Alaska Native students with scholarships and program support, ensuring they have the tools to graduate and succeed in their chosen careers.
The College Fund also supports 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), most of which are chartered by tribal governments and are located on or near Indian reservations.
The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities in the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.
Partnership With Native Americans
Partnership With Native Americans is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to championing hope for a brighter future for Native Americans living on remote, isolated and impoverished reservations. Collaborating for nearly 30 years with reservation partners, they provide consistent aid and services for Native Americans with the highest need in the U.S.
Much of their work centers around material aid, educational support and community-based services. PWNA also connects outside resources directly to reservations through its distribution network and reservation partnerships. They care about quality of life for Native Americans and respect their self-determined goals for their tribes.
One of the largest Native American charities to work in Indian Country year-round, their service area is concentrated in 9 priority states and encompasses Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Navajo and other high-need reservations. Scholarships are offered nationwide to eligible Native students.
Land Acknowledgement
Jan acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited for centuries the land which she writes about and lives on. Her home is located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. Jan acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. She is an advocate for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary education at all levels. Jan hopes her work will inspire others to undertake a journey of reflection and learning to honor and respect the sovereignty and legacy of Indigenous peoples in Arizona.
Learn more about Land Acknowledgements and search relevant territories in your location by visiting Native Land Digital.
