Angela Valenzuela, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in the College of Education, also serves as the director of Academia Cuauhtli, an academy that helps Mexican American elementary students connect with their indigenous roots and culture.

According to Valenzuela, Academia Cuauhtli, which means Eagle Academy in Nahuati, is a language and cultural revitalization program that elevates a culture that has been disparaged and maligned while heightening student’s consciousness to injustices in society. The goal is to help students feel pride about being descendants of peoples who are native to this continent.

The work of Academia Cuauhtli is even more urgent due to the effects of Covid-19 on Indigenous, Mexican American and Latino communities. These communities have similar rates of infection and death largely due to the same occupational and socio-economic circumstances, such as being essential workers, that when combined with underlying health conditions and a lack of insurance and access to health care, makes them especially vulnerable to Covid.

Listen as Valenzuela discusses the academy’s vision and purpose.