Charting the Course

If You Build It, They Will Come

Research shows Native American students do far better at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), most of which are situated on tribal land, than they do at non-TCUs. While the graduation rate for Native students at non-TCUs can be as low as 10 percent, 86 percent of TCU students graduate or complete their respective programs. Apache College is well on its way to achieving the same success.

The college is located in San Carlos, a residential community of nearly 5,000 people two hours east of Phoenix on the San Carlos Apache reservation. More than half of San Carlos’s residents live in poverty. Encompassing nearly two million acres, the reservation is mostly desert—earning it the name “Hell’s 40 Acres” by U.S. cavalry who imprisoned Apache “renegades” there in the 1800s—punctuated with wooded areas. The largest employer is the tribal government, which operates many enterprises including a healthcare corporation.

Under Ahumada’s leadership, Apache College has graduated 49 students over the past four years. And in May, his team of four full-time and 29 adjunct faculty celebrated commencement for the college’s largest class yet: 28 students. Of the 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities in the United States, few, if any, have achieved what Apache College has in its first six years of existence.

Born in Mexico, Ahumada and his family moved to Tucson, Arizona, when he was four. His parents were mestizo, his father a mix of Indigenous and Moorish heritage and his mother Indigenous and European. “At home, I never heard a word of English,” he says. “My father passed away at 99. He and I never exchanged a single word of English.”

With Spanish as his first language, Ahumada keenly understands the importance of preserving the Apache language and lifeways, a top priority for the community he serves. Some 17,000 enrolled tribal members live on and off the reservation. While many Apache adults over the age of 50 can speak the tribal language conversationally, fluency drops significantly for those under 50. Local schools teach the language, but very few elementary school–age children are conversationally fluent.

In the student handbook, the college’s vision statement is spelled out partly in Apache and then in English. “Nṉee bi’at’e’ihii nłdzilgo ádanłzih” translates to “Upholding the power of Apache wisdom and knowledge.” Its mission is “to provide the Nṉee an excellent higher education experience rooted in Nṉee bi’at’e [Apache customs].”

“We must empower the Apache people to regain their language. This involves building their self-esteem. They possess all the elements to be stewards of their language,” says Ahumada. “At Apache College, we want to share the Apache journey.”

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Ahumada’s first exposure to Indigenous communities in the U.S. began in Tucson. “I went to school with a diverse population, inclusive of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui,” two tribal groups in southern Arizona. Ahumada takes pride in his heritage, and at Carleton, he learned to fully explore his identity as a Latino Indigenous man.

“This is what Carleton does best,” he says. “It engages you in an endless journey of self-discovery. With self-discovery comes transformative power. I was transformed to be a global thinker. I was taught to be well-grounded and analytical. I can see things from different perspectives. This is what I want for the students at Apache College.”

While working as a professor at Harvard and the University of Arizona, and later as interim president of Diné College, Ahumada naturally gravitated toward working with Native American and Hispanic students, which became his lifelong mission. “I love working with Indigenous communities. They all struggle with similar challenges,” he says. “It’s important to understand the values of a community.” Learning cultural philosophies, he adds, can then lead to nation building, which involves a comprehensive effort to rebuild societies that work.

Apache College, with just 52 students admitted in its first year, now boasts an enrollment of 383 and is on track to serve more than 400 students in the next year. Under Ahumada’s guidance, the college, which has operated since its founding under the umbrella of Tohono O’odham Community College, has been laying a strong foundation to become independently accredited.

Trailblazer and Visionary

“My vision for Apache College is that it will always have a foundation in spirituality and that students develop as thought leaders, which is ideal for the tribe,” he says. “Thought leaders are those whose thoughts are trusted. They’re viewed as problem solvers. This is the catalyst for economic development. These are the components of nation building, instilling in them an entrepreneurial spirit and preparing them to be better, as parents, as families.”

One such leader is tribal member Artie Steele, who graduated from Apache College in May with honors after being named Arizona’s Native American College Student of the Year in 2023. “Dr. Ahumada continues to be a crucial role model to me,” he says. “He inspires me to be courageous, confident, and resilient during times of hardship and to always carry myself with discipline, confidence, and modesty, which plays an essential role in the man I am today.” Steele was recently hired as Apache College’s IT manager, but he says he aspires to continue his education at an Ivy League school.

Ahumada has spent much of his life blazing big trails. And having just announced his retirement from San Carlos Apache College, he’s setting his sights on a new goal.

He aims to advance the concept of Indigenous education—that is, learning that is passed from parents, grandparents, or the community to children, outside of formal schooling—through the creation of a TCU Leadership Institute.

“We want to draw from the very best, those who can go on to become CFOs, presidents, provosts, and leaders of tribal councils. That’s our dream,” he says. “And we want to be global. We want to start exchanges among the Indigenous colleges and universities around the world. Their journey is so comparable to our TCUs. They’ve struggled with the same kind of racism and colonization. They’ve struggled to preserve the unique beautiful traditions, values, culture, customs, and trying to cultivate, and engage in nation building that’s meaningful.” With the support of Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University, he believes the TCU Leadership Institute will thrive.

When the vision becomes reality, Ahumada says he will have come full circle. “I want to dedicate the rest of my career to contributing to this exciting, noble, and spiritual work,” he says. “It will be a dream swan song for me.”