Della C. Warrior is stepping down as president of the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico but will retain a role as consultant, the tribal college announced on Friday.

Warrior, a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma, has served as president of IAIA since 1998. She steps down on January 1, 2006, and will begin working as a consultant to the college.

"IAIA represents the very pinnacle of my career and I will never forget the many wonderful people that I have come to know and have worked with during my time here," she said in a statement.

The IAIA board of trustees plans to conduct a nationwide search for a new president, Jeanne Givens, the board chair, said.

IAIA is a two-year and four-year institution in Santa Fe. It is dedicated to the preservation, study, creative application and contemporary expression of American Indian and Alaska Native arts and cultures.

Relevant Links:
Institute of American Indian Arts - http://www.iaiancad.org

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