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Sacramento State opened the Wileety Native American College last fall, becoming the first campus in the California State University system to open a college dedicated to Native American students and Indigenous knowledge.
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Now, CSU Sacramento President Luke Wood, who championed the effort, has been tapped by Chancellor Mildred García to help guide tribal relations across all 23 CSU campuses.
Wood’s appointment as the CSU’s presidential advisor for tribal relations puts him in a systemwide leadership role as the university seeks to move beyond legal compliance and build stronger partnerships with tribal nations. While continuing to lead CSU Sacramento, Wood will serve as a liaison to campus presidents and help guide the system’s work on repatriation, tribal consultation and support for Native students.
“Building authentic partnerships requires listening, learning, and taking meaningful action to repair relationships and restore trust,” Wood said in a statement. “I look forward to helping advance these efforts across the California State University system and building stronger relationships rooted in respect and a commitment to honoring the history, culture, and sovereignty of California’s tribal nations.”
The presidential advisor position was created following the 2006 CSU Tribal Summit, which brought together leaders from more than 40 California tribal nations to address the systemic underrepresentation of Native Americans in higher education. Since then, the CSU has maintained the role to strengthen relationships with tribal nations and provide a direct line of communication with tribal leaders.
Wood will assume the position Aug. 3, succeeding CSU San Bernardino President Tomás Morales, who is stepping down following a discrimination and harassment lawsuit.
“President Wood has big shoes to fill, but he has already demonstrated his heart for this important work,” García said after announcing his appointment on July 21.
The chancellor cited Wood’s work overseeing compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and establishing the Wileety Native American College as evidence of his dedication to tribal communities.
After a 2022 audit revealed individual CSU campuses were handling artifact repatriation inconsistently, the CSU Office of Tribal Relations was created to oversee NAGPRA compliance across the system.
As of April, Sacramento State had repatriated 89% of the ancestral remains and 78% of the cultural items it had in its possession. Samantha Cypret, assistant vice chancellor for the Office of Tribal Relations, said the university has become a model for other campuses under Wood’s leadership.
The CSU campuses are still at different stages of the repatriation process, Cypret said, making it valuable for campus leaders to share lessons learned as they navigate compliance.
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“That’s really the role of this appointed position, to make sure that he can have those conversations and work as sort of an ambassador liaison from our office to all of the presidents,” Cypret said.
Cypret said Wood brings experience that extends beyond legal compliance and repatriation, giving him a broader perspective to share with other campus leaders.
She pointed to his role in establishing the Wileety Native American College, partnering with Wilton Rancheria and serving on the California Racial Equity Commission as evidence of his broader commitment to historically underserved communities.
Those efforts resonated with Damien Scott, a Yurok citizen who was part of the Wileety Native American College’s inaugural cohort. Scott said he felt isolated after moving away from his reservation in northern California, but the college gave him a sense of community and belonging.
Hearing Wood share his experiences as a Black, first-generation college student and former foster youth made him feel the university had someone in leadership who understood what it was like to overcome adversity, Scott said.
“It just gave me hope that he was going to stand up for us because he kind of came from a similar background,” Scott said. “He knows what it’s like to struggle, and so I’m really appreciative that we have somebody who can relate in this position.”
Scott said Wood seemed genuinely invested in students at the Wileety Native American College, even giving them his contact information and encouraging them to reach out if they ever needed anything.
Now, Scott hopes Wood’s appointment will help Native students at other CSU campuses find the same sense of belonging he found at Sacramento State.
“I think a lot of the time, the CSU system and any other education system is not set up to help or benefit us,” Scott said. “And so, I think with people who are actively trying to improve that experience, I hope other students will get to experience what we get at Sac State, because it’s really amazing.”
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