American Indian higher education in the United States has evolved within paternalistic, hierarchical decision-making policies and practices based on complex sociopolitical and cultural factors since the 1600s. Indigenous peoples had historically been excluded from most decisions affecting their lives until the 20th century when a deliberate Indian…

In this article we introduce a "head and heart" approach to community-engaged scholarship. Through the literatures of Aboriginal scholarship and engaged scholarship we reflect on a community-university research and program development project undertaken in response to health and education concerns of Aboriginal people in Canada. We…

This report summarizes the activities of Colorado College in establishing a Southwestern Studies Program. Designed for the undergraduate level, this program is an interdisciplinary, interracial cultural study of the American southwest including its land, people, the relations of land and people, and racial and cultural issues. The report includes…

This book compiles stories about the formation of American Indian/Native American studies in 12 mainstream university settings. Common elements of these successful programs include a highly committed core of Indian and non-Indian faculty and students who believe in the intellectual and nation-building agenda of Indian/Native studies; a strong…

The establishment of an American Indian Studies program at Michigan State University was facilitated by the existence of a Native American Institute and its director's leadership, a strong American Indian faculty/staff association, and the support of other faculty and American Indian students. Notable program components are an interdisciplinary…

Factors contributing to the problems of the American Indian studies program (AINS) at the University of Arizona are examined, based on a 1991-92 program review. The relationship of the AINS program to the land grant university mission is highlighted. Observations and conclusions specific to this program are then generalized to ethnic studies and…

Northland College's strategy for redevelopment included substantial program expansion in environmental studies, building a Native American studies program, and aggressive student recruitment. (MSE)

The development of a new Indigenous Nations Studies program at the University of Kansas is described. Success depended on a critical mass of Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty and students that had a sense of political and social justice and understood the need for institutional change. The biggest challenge was countering the entrenched…

Describes the process of building partnerships between Aboriginal communities and the University of Northern British Columbia at the levels of both institutions and persons, focusing on collaborative development of a First Nations Studies curriculum. Argues that overtly participatory methodologies have enhanced the collaborations' success,…