Native American Studies: History

History of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College

Samson Occom

Samson Occom (Mohegan)
Co-Founder of Dartmouth College

Dartmouth's commitment to Native American Studies began with the founding of the College. Mohegan preacher Samson Occom raised funds for the College in Britain. The grant for the College, given in 1769 by King George III of England, highlighted Native American education as the purpose of the institution: "...for the education and instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in the Land in reading, writing & all parts of Learning which shall appear necessary and expedient..." Unfortunately no more than 71 Indians attended in the years 1770-1865, and in the century between 1865 and 1965, only 28 Indians enrolled at Dartmouth.

Dartmouth's commitment to Native American education was re-affirmed on March 2, 1970 by Dartmouth's 13th President, John G. Kemeny, during his inauguration. President Kemeny promised to enroll a "significantly greater" number of Indians than at any time since the College's founding. This commitment is shared by our current College President, James Wright. The first director of the Program was Michael Dorris.

Native American Studies Today

The Native American Studies Program at Dartmouth College is an academic program open to all Dartmouth students. NAS strives to develop interdisciplinary teaching and research that bridges academic and Native perspectives on cultures, histories, and futures of Native individuals and communities in North America. We aim to provide a more accurate understanding of traditional roots, modern adaptations, and the full range of conflict and interaction with Euroamericans in Indigenous thought, accomplishments, and expressive arts.

The mission of the Native American Studies program is to increase understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of Indian peoples in the United States and Canada. Our courses explore Native American ways of living, understading the world, and organizing their societies; they also examine the impact of invasion and colonization on Indian America, and the intersection of Indian European histories and systems of knowledge.

Justin

Our faculty consists of scholar-teachers with a broad range of expertise from diverse backgrounds, including Native faculty members from the United States and Canada and non-Native faculty from the United States, Russia, and Britain. The Native American Studies Program depends upon attracting a varied body of students who bring their own perspectives to the classroom setting. Our students build upon their individual experiences and understandings in a shared learning environment.

Josh Breedlove

Dartmouth College offers both a Major and Minor in Native American Studies. The initial course offerings begun in 1972 were organized around the study of Native American ethnology, literature, and history. We have since expanded the agenda with new courses, reflecting the important commitment Dartmouth places on excellence in education and staying current with recent developments in the various fields of Native American scholarship.

At present, our active staff hold dual appointments in Anthropolgy, History, Environmental Studies, Linguistics, Government, and English. We augment our regular offerings with additional NAS courses cross-listed with Women's Studies, Sociology, and Education.

Every year, the NAS Program brings a number of outstanding guests, scholars, mentors, community activists, tribal elders/leaders, and artists to the Dartmouth campus.

Students

Our Program hosts regular symposia of interest to researchers and scholars around the Country. Past conference themes have included "Native Americans and Christianity," "Survival and Revival in Native New England," "New and Future Directions in Native American Studies," "Traditional Knowledge in the 21st Century," "German and Indian Encounters Across Three Centuries," and "Native American Archaeologist Relations in the Twenty-First Century."

Darren

Since 1970, Dartmouth has graduated over 500 American Indian students. NAD alumni hail from many different nations and a variety of areas of professional life. Many of them remain in close contact with their Alma Mater, making the trip to the Hanover Plain each spring for the annual Dartmouth College Pow Wow.

Non-native Dartmouth students studying everything from pre-med to religion also enroll in NAS courses. Some chose Native American Studies as their major or minor.

Copyright (C) MMIIII by the N.A.S. Department of Dartmouth College
Please send comments to webmaster. Last updated: 09/16/2004