Program Information and Learning Outcomes

The Program in American Indian Studies at MD传媒入口 acknowledges the land it occupies is within the traditional homelands of the Tongva (Gabriele帽o) and Acjachemen (Juane帽o) people鈥攌nown as Puvungna, 鈥淭he Gathering Place,鈥 which is recognized nationally as a historical, heritage, and sacred site. The Program in American Indian Studies offers a Minor and Certificate that prepares students and professionals with an integrated study of American Indian history, culture, art, politics, education, and social work.

American Indian Studies at MD传媒入口 is the oldest American Indian Studies Program west of the Mississippi; it was founded in 1968-69, during a time of great social awareness and change, at a time when American Indian students and academics were the smallest minority of any ethnic group within institutions of higher learning, despite the fact that Los Angeles County is the home to the largest population of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in the US. Because of these disparities, the AIS founders at MD传媒入口 felt a moral responsibility to be 鈥渁 voice for the voiceless.鈥 Then and now, AIS at MD传媒入口 values and fosters the professional development of faculty members, both intellectually and pedagogically, who are committed to Native Ways of Knowing, Traditional/Indigenous Knowledge, Creative Practices and Scholarship of Engagement in Tribal Resurgence, Revitalization, Respect, Responsibility, and Reciprocity that support Sovereignty, Survivance, and Service to American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people, communities, and students. By grounding our praxis in Indigenous knowledge systems and community engagement, AIS courses empower and prepare MD传媒入口 students to work effectively with Tribal Nations, Native-led/non-profit organizations, academic institutions, financial institutions, corporations and government agencies that advocate for and support Indigenous communities.

The AIS mission is to advance, uplift, and support Indigenous knowledge production, Tribal sovereignty, and self-determination to serve the diverse needs of California/American Indian and urban populations. AIS is committed to fostering an academic environment that prioritizes Indigenous ways of knowing, being, having, and doing, recognizing settler colonialism鈥檚 historical and contemporary impacts, and actively working towards liberation, resilience, and Indigenous "thrivance." We achieve our mission through culturally responsive pedagogy grounded in place-based knowledge, American Indian epistemologies, activist history, experiential learning, and community-based and -driven practices.

  1. Analyze the impact of historical and contemporary settler colonialism on Native Americans alongside Indigenous sovereignty, agency, and survivance.
  2. Apply Indigenous epistemologies, ontologies, and methodologies to academic inquiry.
  3. Evaluate the revitalization of Native American languages, oral traditions, and land-based knowledge systems and their role in cultural continuity and identity formation.
  4. Integrate an interdisciplinary approach to AIS research, writing, and creative projects by collaborating with other disciplines and fields, such as, environmental studies, law, health, the arts, education, and more, to enhance Indigenous knowledge production and sharing. 
  5. Create scholarship and artistic projects that engage conventional academic paradigms and reflect Indigenous storytelling, activism, and human expression.

  1. Mentor and support American Indian students through culturally grounded and responsive teaching, academic advising, and professional development to ensure students are empowered to serve their communities and advance Indigenous-centered scholarship.
  2. Engage in relational accountability with Native American students, scholars, and communities by cultivating reciprocal partnerships, ethical research practices, and sustained community involvement.
  3. Support self-determination by advocating for Tribal sovereignty, Indigenous-led governance structures, and policy development that upholds Native rights and responsibilities.