Welcome to the Native American and Indigenous Studies academic program!

Native American and Indigenous Studies, formerly American Indian Studies, begins its fourth year at Fort Lewis College in Fall, 2009 with a new name that reflects its dedication to the developing conceptual basis of the emerging scholarly and community perceptions of the field. The exciting possibilities of building upon the values of Native communities and upon global indigenous thought provide direction for the curriculum of this program.

The Native American and Indigenous Studies program includes an interdisciplinary major and minor that provide a structured way to prepare students to participate in Indian Self-Determination processes in many fields of study and in many careers in or near Indian Country. For those who live and work there, the unique conditions created by the long history of Indian affairs and the present policy of Indian Self-Determination warrant a special orientation to the cultural, social, political, and economic aspirations and potential of America’s and the world's Indigenous Peoples.

This major embraces concepts and methodologies of American Indian Studies, Native American Studies, and Indigenous Peoples Studies.