Zah to be honored by ASU

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

FORT DEFIANCE — The first president of the Navajo Nation and former chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council, Peterson Zah, will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Arizona State University during a Spring 2005 University Commencement Ceremony May 12 in Tempe.

More than two dozen tribal leaders from around the nation will lead the procession into Wells Fargo Arena, where ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Zah will be draped in a hand-woven leadership blanket after receiving the honorary degree from ASU President Michael Crow.

Considered one of the 100 most important Native Americans of the last century, Zah has been a key leader in government and education. He was elected the Nation's first president in 1990 and led the movement to restructure the tribal government system from a council to a nation.

He has worked for 30 years to defend the interests of all Native Americans, earning the respect of tribes throughout Arizona. The former Navajo president's intense focus on education earned him a lifetime achievement award last fall from the National Indian Education Association.

While at ASU, Zah has served as adviser to the president on American Indian Affairs. Thanks to his efforts over the last 10 years, ASU's Native American student population has doubled from 672 to 1,237. He also has helped boost student retention from 43 percent to 78 percent, the highest of any major college or university in the country.

Born in 1937, Zah grew up in the remote community of Low Mountain, where, as a child, he had little contact with the outside world. Upon witnessing Navajo soldiers returning home after World War II and listening to their stories of progress and new ideas, Zah became determined to get an education and return to help the Navajo people.

He left home in 1953 to attend Phoenix Indian School, later enrolled in Phoenix Community College, and in 1963, finally earned his bachelor's degree in education from ASU. He then returned to Navajoland where he began teaching carpentry skills to Navajo adults through a vocational education program. Later, he served as field coordinator for VISTA Indian Training Center.

Zah became executive director of DNA-People's Legal Services, a nonprofit legal services program for members of the Navajo, Hopi and Apache tribes. He established widespread community education programs and became a champion for Native consumer rights.

In 1982, Zah's proven leadership abilities led to him being elected chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council. He now represents ASU in meetings with American Indian communities and federal and state governments. During 2003-04, he was chosen Graduate Mentor of the Year by the ASU graduate student body.

Zah helped create ASU's Native American Achievement Program, a partnership with tribes which provides scholarships, mentoring and advisement services to students. He is much sought after by ASU students, who often turn to him for advice.

In 2002, Zah became the first recipient of the Pierce-Hickerson Award for outstanding advocacy and promotion of justice for Native Americans from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. He also holds honorary degrees from Colorado College and the College of Santa Fe.

ASU's President Crow calls Zah one of the university's most distinguished alumni.

"Peterson Zah is the living national treasure of the Navajo Nation, a senior statesman to all Native Americans, and one of Arizona's most prominent citizens," he said.