American Indian Studies Program
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Thursday, October 29, 2026
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Professor Gillen D'Arcy Wood (English and Earth Science & Environmental Change) will discuss his book, The Wake of HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Oceans’ Decline.
Monday, November 2, 2026
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In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Illini Union Board, Native American House (NAH), and American Indian Association of Illinois, welcome everyone to enjoy a variety of musical genres performed by an ensemble of Native performers. In addition to tabling at this event, the NAH will have food for attendees. Food is first come, first served.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
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Academia remains shaped by colonialism in how it views knowledge and who it invites to share it. In this presentation, Evan Shannon (Dena'ina Athabascan, Sugpiaq) examines what it means to study and work within a field built without Indigenous scholars in mind, considering how we can begin to indigenize academic spaces long organized around separatism and exclusion.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
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Representatives from the HuMetricsHSS Humane Metrics Initiative will present on the values-based frameworks they’ve developed to guide all kinds of scholarly processes.
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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with University Housing’s Dining Services and experience a meal at PAR featuring flavors and foods inspired by Indigenous culinary traditions.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
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The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen), or “The Words That Come Before All Else,” expresses gratitude and reciprocity as ongoing, cyclical practices. This Dinner on Us program creates space for dialogue on how gratitude, relational accountability, and respect for the diversity of life shape Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Friday, November 13, 2026
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This presentation explores how Tribal Relations Administrators bridge Tribal Nations and higher education institutions. Grounded in Indigenous methodologies, it examines reciprocity, accountability, and resistance to settler colonial practices, offering guidance for policies that center Indigenous knowledge and support Indigenous futurity. Lunch will be provided at noon.
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Dr. Tiffani Kelly will share culturally grounded practices from the University of Oklahoma’s CS-INCLUDES scholarship program, which supports Indigenous Computer Science students through graduation. She will highlight program resources, structured support, and insights to inform efforts to increase Native and Indigenous representation in Computer Science and STEM.
Sunday, November 15, 2026
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Established in 2011, Rock Your Mocs is an annual and global social media event. The Native American House encourages you to break out your moccasins for a worldwide celebration of Indigenous cultures!
Monday, November 16, 2026
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Blue corn holds deep cultural and ceremonial significance for the Diné, including in the Kinaaldá, a coming-of-age ceremony honoring a Diné girl’s transition into womanhood, and traditional Diné weddings. During this cooking demonstration, Chefs Justice Janowski and Patrick Lyke will show participants how this meaningful ingredient can be used to make blue corn cookies.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
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Join Dr. Worl via Zoom as she shares insights from decades of collaboration with Indigenous communities in Alaska and the Arctic. Drawing on Tlingit culture, subsistence lifeways, and industrial development, she will explore how Indigenous knowledge sustains Native cultures, communities, and relationships with the land.
Thursday, November 19, 2026
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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with University Housing’s Dining Services and experience a meal at LAR and Ike featuring flavors and foods inspired by Indigenous culinary traditions.
Monday, November 30, 2026
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Participants will learn about AISES programs, membership, scholarships, conferences, and pathways for becoming involved in an Indigenous STEM community rooted in relationships, knowledge, and collective success.
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Graduate and Undergraduate Indigenous scholars are invited to meet with Dr. Johnny Poolaw to learn how AISES can support your academic, professional, and personal journey in STEM.
Wednesday, December 2, 2026
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Join us as we highlight the incredible work of each of Humanities Without Walls' Reciprocity and Redistribution Grand Research Challenge projects in four virtual showcases over the 2026-27 academic year. During each event, 2-3 teams will present their projects and share a bit about the centrality of reciprocal and redistributive methods to their work.
