The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is proud to announce that IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) will be honored with the inaugural Native Elements Distinguished Achievement Award for his profound impact on Native arts, education, and land stewardship. The award will be presented at the Native Elements Festival + Art Market's opening celebration on Wednesday, May 21, 5:30–7:30 pm, at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. “I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Native Elements Distinguished Achievement Award. This recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the collective efforts of the entire IAIA community and our shared commitment to empowering Native communities through creativity. I accept this award on behalf of the IAIA community, whose passion and hard work have made our mission a reality. Together, we’ve shown that by nurturing Indigenous arts and supporting one another, we strengthen our communities and inspire future generation,” said Dr. Martin. For more information, a listing of events, and to purchase tickets, visit the Native Elements website: https://visitsfbg.org/native-elements/ Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts. (fb)

Today at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), we celebrated our graduating class of 2024–2025. The 2025 Commencement Ceremony took place at our Performing Arts and Fitness Center on campus and featured our keynote speaker and Honorary Doctorate Recipient, the Honorable Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna and Jemez Pueblo). Loren Kieve (Cherokee Nation), IAIA Trustee Vice-Chair, was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate Recipient. Additional speakers included Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation), IAIA President, Beverly Wright Morris (Unangax̂), IAIA Trustees Chair, and Dayton L. Ladd (Jicarilla Apache), 2025 IAIA Valedictorian. “I am proud this year to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates as they receive their degrees and to have The Honorable Deb Haaland as our keynote speaker,” said Dr. Martin. “Deb Haaland made history as the first Indigenous Secretary of the Interior, and it is a blessing for her to speak to the class of 2024–2025 and send them forward to a lifetime of success and service.” Following the Ceremony, our community came together for the 2025 “Honoring Our Graduates” IAIA Spring Powwow, which the public was invited to attend. We collectively congratulate our graduating students, their families, friends, and communities. We take great pride in your accomplishments and look forward to the great things you will achieve. Photographs by Jason S. Ordaz and Ariana Hatcher, Institute of American Indian Arts. (fb)