This August we are highlighting Native Bruin Christie Michelle Poitra, Class of 2010. Dr. Christie Michelle Poitra graduated from UCLA in 2010 with a Master of Arts degree in American Indian Studies. As a first-generation college graduate, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in Educational Policy from Michigan … Read more
This July we are highlighting Native Bruin Shayna Powless from the Oneida Nation, Class of 2016. Shayna Powless is a professional cyclist for DNA Pro Cycling and a member of the USA Track National Team. She is also a USA Cycling Certified Coach and Dream Catcher Foundation co-founder, a non-profit dedicated to empowering Native youth … Read more
Congratulations to the UCLA Native Bruins Class of 2023! The Students from AISA did an amazing job putting the graduation together along with inviting the 1st Native American California State Representative, Assemblymember James C. Ramos from the San Manuel Indian tribe to lead the graduates with an amazing commencement speech followed by an honor song. … Read more
This May we are highlighting Native Bruin, Nina Stanton (Tule River Indian Reservation) class of 1997. Nina Stanton is Yokuts from the Wukchumni and Chukchansi tribelets of the Tule River Indian Reservation. She is a 1997 UCLA graduate who earned a BA in history, and a minor in American Indian Studies. Nina began her studies at … Read more
This APRIL 2023 we are highlighting Native Bruin Lorenzo Begay Navajo/Mexican class of 2010 Lorenzo Begay is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at California State University, Chico where he teaches nursing foundational concepts of pharmacology, clinical judgment, patient-centered care, and clinical practice. He graduated from UCLA in 2010 with a B.A. in Anthropology and a … Read more
After decades as a highly regarded interdepartmental program at UCLA, American Indian Studies has been elevated to a full academic department. This achievement is a tribute to the leadership and advocacy of Native American faculty, staff and students over many years. While American Indian Studies will continue its tradition of collaboration with other disciplines and … Read more
This January 2023 we are highlighting Native Bruin Maya Rose Dittloff (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Blackfeet) class of 2019. Maya Rose Dittloff (ǔkkayǔ”kwīyinnimǎakii/Many Pipes Woman) is a queer Mandan, Hidatsa, and Blackfeet writer, director, and producer. A graduate of the School of Theater, Film, and Television with a concentration in screenwriting and cinematography in 2019. Maya … Read more
Jessica Wolf | November 30, 2022 A new agreement between UCLA and members of the Gabrielino Tongva tribe will ensure that traditional ways of planting, harvesting and gathering are part of campus landscaping and caretaking practices. The memorandum of understanding also establishes guidelines that provide access to the descendants of the original inhabitants of the land … Read more
On the surface, Sequoia Point seems like another lovely spot in a Bay Area park, with gnarled oaks, towering old-growth redwoods and a glorious view of the Bay. But this scenic overlook in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park has now acquired new significance, and a new Chochenyo name—Rinihmu Pulte’irekne, meaning “Above the Red Ochre”—because the city … Read more
Citizen Potawatomi Nation In recent years, more Native American tribes across the country are building programs to preserve, maintain and revitalize their traditional languages, including Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN). It recently received a federal grant of $82,609 to launch college-level language courses. The grant was awarded under the Administration for Native Americans’ Emergency Native Language … Read more