Dartmouth College (Native American Studies)

Dartmouth College (Native American Studies)
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Name	Dartmouth College (Native American Studies)
Established	1970s
Type	Academic program
Parent	Dartmouth College
Location	Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College (Native American Studies) is an interdisciplinary program at Dartmouth College focused on Indigenous histories, cultures, languages, and contemporary issues concerning Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. It draws on collaborations across departments and centers to offer courses, research, and outreach connecting students with tribal nations, federal and state agencies, museum collections, and legal institutions. The program intersects with regional and national networks of scholars, activists, and cultural institutions.

History of Native American Studies at Dartmouth

Native American Studies at Dartmouth traces roots to student activism and curricular reform movements of the 1960s and 1970s involving American Indian Movement, National Congress of American Indians, Native American rights, and campus organizers who sought instruction linked to Native communities. Early developments were influenced by interactions with the Abenaki people, Penobscot Nation, Mohegan Tribe, and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as well as collaborations with scholars associated with Harvard University, Yale University, Brown University, and University of New Hampshire. Over decades the program responded to federal policies such as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and court decisions including Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe by expanding coursework, language preservation efforts, and legal studies tied to tribal sovereignty. Institutional milestones included hires from among scholars connected to Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and the American Philosophical Society, as well as partnerships with cultural repositories like the National Museum of the American Indian.

Academic Programs and Curriculum

The curriculum integrates offerings from departments including Anthropology Department, History Department, Government Department, English Department, and Religious Studies Department along with cross-listed courses in collaboration with the Thayer School of Engineering and the Tuck School of Business. Programs include undergraduate concentrations, graduate seminars, language instruction in partnership with community speakers, and fieldwork tied to archives like the Rauner Special Collections Library and collections at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for Indigenous health projects. Courses address topics spanning Indigenous legal issues referencing cases such as Worcester v. Georgia and treaties like the Treaty of Portsmouth, environmental justice linked to litigation like Massachusetts v. EPA, and cultural revitalization drawing on works by Vine Deloria Jr., Gerald Vizenor, and Joy Harjo.

Research Centers and Initiatives

Research initiatives intersect with the Dickinson Center, the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center to support projects on language reclamation, indigenous health disparities, and archival digitization. Collaborative grants have involved institutions like the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act compliance projects with museums including the Peabody Museum and partnerships with tribal historic preservation offices from the Narragansett Tribe and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Faculty have led longitudinal studies referencing methodologies from American Anthropological Association protocols and digital humanities projects interoperable with repositories at the Digital Public Library of America.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Community engagement centers on sustained relationships with regional nations such as the Abenaki, Penacook Confederation, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and tribal organizations including the New England Indian Council and national entities like the National Indian Health Board. Partnerships facilitate internship placements with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, collaborative summer institutes with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and K–12 outreach coordinated with the New Hampshire Department of Education and local school districts. Cultural programming has included speaker series hosting figures like Wilma Mankiller and Russell Means and collaborative exhibitions with institutions like the Peabody Essex Museum.

Notable Faculty, Alumni, and Scholars

Faculty and affiliated scholars have included researchers who previously served at Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, and Stanford University, alongside Indigenous scholars connected to communities such as the Cherokee Nation and Oglala Lakota. Alumni have gone on to roles at the National Congress of American Indians, Native American Rights Fund, Indian Health Service, and academic posts at institutions including University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and Arizona State University. Visiting lecturers have included contributors to Indigenous law such as Philip Frickey and cultural figures like N. Scott Momaday.

Student Organizations and Activities

Student organizations include Indigenous student groups that liaise with national networks such as the Native American Student Association, cultural performance ensembles collaborating with the National Museum of the American Indian, and advocacy chapters linked to the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Activities encompass powwows, language nights, film series featuring works distributed by First Nations Development Institute, and service-learning placements with tribal schools and health clinics associated with the Indian Health Service.

Controversies and Institutional Reforms

Controversies have involved debates over representation, naming, and the stewardship of Indigenous artifacts, echoing national disputes seen in cases like the Standing Rock protests and repatriation controversies under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Reforms have included revisions to admissions outreach reflecting practices advocated by the Department of Education tribal consultations, establishment of codes of conduct aligned with American Anthropological Association guidelines, and formal agreements with tribal governments modeled on memoranda similar to those negotiated among Iroquois Confederacy constituent nations. Institutional responses have combined curricular reforms, governance changes, and expanded tribal consultation mechanisms.

Category:Native American studies programs