About Us:
Cal Seciwa
1953 - 2009
ITEP Director Cal Seciwa
passed away on July 13, 2009 in Zuni, New Mexico surrounded by his family.
Seciwa was raised in the Zuni area and spent much of his youth involved in his family's farming, ranching
and sheep-herding activities. He was a member of Zuni's Badger clan, born for the Eagle clan, and
maintained close ties with his Zuni cultural and spiritual heritage. In 2006 he and his family sponsored
a Shalako home, contributing to the tribe's most important religious ceremony.
Cal came to ITEP and Northern Arizona University after more than 15 years at Arizona State University,
where he served as director of the American Indian Institute, an organization whose mission is to recruit
and retain Native students at ASU. As ITEP's director he helped to forge new programs to provide direct
assistance and services to tribes across the country to address environmental protection and management
issues.
Before his career with ASU and NAU, Cal served in various settings as a teacher and school administrator,
tribal administrator and co-coordinator of intertribal efforts on issues such as cultural preservation,
NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), Indian economic-enterprise programs
and infrastructure development.
Cal is survived by his wife Margie Seciwa, daughters Chelsa and Collyn, and five grandchildren who live
in Tempe. He is also survived by many relatives in Zuni.
Traditional ceremonies will be held for Cal starting the evening of July 15 at Zuni.
He will be missed by all of us that knew and worked with him at ITEP and NAU. We will remember him for
his kindness, humility and sense of humor.
To make donations to the family please contact Mehrdad Khatibi at 928/523-0946 or email Mehrdad.khatibi@nau.edu.
For more information please contact:
ITEP General Information
itep@nau.edu