Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, Professor and Head of the Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) at the University of Arizona, interviews former AIS Ph.D. student, Michael Lerma, now Dean of the School of Business and Social Science at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona.

The interview covers a range of topics including Navajo political philosophies of governance, the role of family and mentors in one’s education and career pursuits, graduate studies in AIS at UA, and Indigenous water rights and COVID-19.

The interview was conducted on May 26, 2020.

For more information about the Department of American Indian Studies at UA, please visit: www.ais.arizona.edu