Statement of Solidarity
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
Native Bruins: Past, Present & Emerging – Greg Sarris
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
[The Guardian] Why Native Americans took Covid-19 seriously: ‘It’s our reality’
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
[ABC News] Pandemic shows need for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders participation in census
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
Native Bruins: Past, Present & Emerging – Temryss Xeli’tia Lane
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
Professor Randall Akee to chair the Interdepartmental Program in American Indian Studies at UCLA
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
American Indian Reservations and COVID-19: Correlates of Early Infection Rates in the Pandemic
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
[The Guardian] Native Americans being left out of US coronavirus data and labelled as ‘other’
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
Indigenous Education Now Coalition Submits Formal Complaint to US Department of Education Against LAUSD
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