As leaders of academic units at UCLA dedicated to social justice, we stand in solidarity with those in Los Angeles and throughout the country fighting to end state violence against African Americans, Indigenous peoples, Latinx, Asian, and other communities of color. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department as … Read more
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center Greg Sarris received his PhD in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, where he was awarded the Walter Gore Award for excellence in teaching. He has published several books, including the widely anthologized collection of essays, Keeping Slug Woman Alive: A Holistic Approach … Read more
Faculty member, Professor Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear quoted in the article— In the first few weeks of 2020, as president Donald Trump dismissed and mocked warnings about a novel virus killing people faraway in China, Native American leaders were taking the deadly threat seriously. And they were right. The infection rate among the Navajo Nation has now … Read more
Professor Randy Akee quoted in the article— For decades, government officials have struggled to accurately count Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders nationwide. Members have been mislabeled or gone uncounted because of an unwillingness or inability to participate in the census. Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau undertakes a massive effort to count the American … Read more
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center Temryss Xeli’tia Lane is from the Golden Eagle Clan of Lummi Nation, a Coast Salish tribe in Washington State. Temryss is the Director of the Indian Country Team at Pyramid Communications, a Seattle-based public relations and strategic communications firm that supports tribes and tribal … Read more
A Message From Dean Hunt Dear Colleagues, I am delighted to share the news that Professor Randall Akee has agreed to chair the Interdepartmental Program in American Indian Studies for a three-year term, beginning July 1, 2020. As you know, AIS is in the process of preparing a proposal for departmentalization status, and working with … Read more
April 25, 2020 The SARS-CoV-2 virus is causing widespread devastation as rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) grow across the world. The United States is experiencing one of the largest outbreaks with over half a million confirmed cases as of mid-April 2020. However, outbreaks on tribal lands are largely ignored by the federal government, mainstream … Read more
Native Americans are being left out of demographic data on the impact of the coronavirus across the US, raising fears of hidden health emergencies in one of the country’s most vulnerable populations. A Guardian analysis found that about 80% of state health departments have released some racial demographic data, which has already revealed stark disparities … Read more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Cuevas 213-375-8714 jeneratemedia@gmail.com INDIGENOUS EDUCATION NOW COALITION SUBMITS FORMAL COMPLAINT TO UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AGAINST LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Los Angeles, Calif. (April 21, 2020)– The Indigenous Education Now Coalition (IEN), comprised of Tribes, Native organizations and students, parents, and community members, filed a formal complaint with … Read more
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center Eugene Herrod (Muscogee Creek) is a UCLA graduate who earned a BA in Anthropology in 1977 and currently teaches at College of the Muscogee Nation. He teaches Native students about land issues, gaming law, and Muscogee and Native American history and culture. Eugene was … Read more