Center for the Study of the American Indian

Center for the Study of the American Indian
Name	Center for the Study of the American Indian
Formation	19XX
Type	Research center
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Wilma Mankiller
Parent organization	Smithsonian Institution

Center for the Study of the American Indian is a research and cultural center dedicated to the study, preservation, and dissemination of Indigenous histories and contemporary issues affecting Native American peoples. The Center engages with communities, museums, archives, and universities to support scholarship, curatorial practice, and public programming related to tribal nations across North America. Its work intersects with legal, cultural, and political arenas involving treaties, land rights, and cultural heritage.

History

The Center was established amid wider institutional developments such as the Indian Reorganization Act debates and the creation of programs within the Smithsonian Institution, responding to advocacy by leaders like Vine Deloria Jr., Wilma Mankiller, and scholars connected to Diné College and Haskell Indian Nations University. Early collaborations involved anthropologists from Bureau of American Ethnology, curators from the National Museum of the American Indian, and legal scholars active in cases related to the Marshall Trilogy and the Indian Claims Commission. Landmark moments included contributions to discussions following the passage of the National Museum of the American Indian Act and interactions with tribal governments such as the Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation, and Lakota Sioux (Oglala Sioux Tribe). The Center’s archives grew through transfers from institutions like American Philosophical Society and donations from figures connected to Frederick Webb Hodge and Edward S. Curtis.

Mission and Objectives

The Center’s mission aligns with principles advanced in court decisions and policy frameworks associated with United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians (1980), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and educational initiatives pursued by Bureau of Indian Affairs. Objectives include supporting tribal sovereignty debates seen in cases such as McGirt v. Oklahoma; documenting oral histories comparable to projects led by Alan Lomax; informing cultural repatriation processes like those implemented by the Smithsonian Institution; and fostering ethical research practices promoted by organizations such as the American Anthropological Association and the Native American Rights Fund.

Programs and Research

Research programs encompass historical studies of events like the Trail of Tears, analyses of treaties including the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and contemporary policy research on topics addressed by the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Center hosts fellowships in partnership with universities such as University of Arizona, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of New Mexico, and supports projects by scholars connected to Raymond Wilson, Deloria Jr., and Paula Gunn Allen. Its research labs have produced work on linguistics tied to languages like Navajo language, Choctaw language, and Lakota language, collaborated with archives like the Library of Congress and the Newberry Library, and contributed to exhibitions with the National Museum of the American Indian and the Field Museum.

Collections and Archives

Collections include material culture comparable to holdings at Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, photographic archives similar to the Edward S. Curtis Collection, and manuscript collections analogous to those in the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Holdings document treaties such as the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), correspondence involving leaders like Chief Joseph and Red Cloud, and records related to boarding schools exemplified by files from institutions like Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The Center curates audio archives resonant with the work of Frances Densmore and John Peabody Harrington, and maintains digital repositories interoperable with initiatives by the Digital Public Library of America and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Education and Outreach

Educational programs draw on models from the National Museum of the American Indian and collaborations with tribal colleges such as Sinte Gleska University and Salish Kootenai College. The Center offers curricula informed by scholarship from Paula Gunn Allen, Suzan Shown Harjo, and Nellie Two Bears Gates, public lectures featuring speakers connected to Ada Deer and Oren Lyons, and workshops for museum professionals influenced by the American Alliance of Museums guidelines. Outreach extends to K–12 partnerships with school districts engaged in projects inspired by the Smithsonian]']s educational initiatives and to community programming coordinated with tribal cultural centers like the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Center partners with tribal nations including the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Tohono O'odham Nation, and Blackfeet Nation; academic institutions such as Columbia University and University of Oklahoma; museums like the Peabody Essex Museum and the American Museum of Natural History; legal organizations including the Native American Rights Fund; and international bodies such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Collaborative projects have involved scholars affiliated with Lewis Henry Morgan-inspired programs, community leaders like Winona LaDuke, and cultural practitioners from ensembles associated with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Governance and Funding

Governance combines advisory input from tribal representatives akin to councils found in the National Congress of American Indians and oversight by boards drawing members from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and universities like Yale University and Stanford University. Funding sources include grants from foundations similar to the Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and federal agencies comparable to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation, alongside philanthropic gifts by individuals with ties to collections like those of Edward S. Curtis and endowments modeled after the Andrew Carnegie philanthropic tradition.