Department of American Indian Studies

Hau/Han! Aaniin! Boozhoo! (Hello)

Through the exploration of indigenous narratives, heritage, and history, we strive to restore and promote the importance of American Indians in everyday life.

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Ojibwe People's Dictionary

Discover the Dakota Origins of Minnesota Words

Our beloved Dakota Language Instructor, Cantemaza Neil McKay, is explaining the Dakota origins of words we encounter daily as Minnesotans!

Upcoming Events

Online

February 23, 2026

Intersections in Indigenous and Immigration Histories

Join us to learn from scholars excavating the complex intersections of Indigenous and immigration histories.

An Ameican Indian woman raises her eyebrows and holds a feather up to a woman on a horse who is not American Indian but is pretending to be

Hybrid

March 18 - 19, 2026

Holding Our Ground: Voices and Strategies Against Self-Indigenization

Hosted by the Department of American Indian Studies, this symposium responds to the global phenomenon known as self-Indigenization, pretendianism, or ethnic fraud.

cover art of "Who Gets To Be Indian?" with a blue background

In-Person

March 18, 2026

Author Conversation: Who Gets to Be Indian?

A dinner conversation between Dina Gilio-Whitaker and Audra Simpson, part of the "Holding Our Ground: Voices and Strategies Against Self-indigenization" symposium.

Department of American Indian Studies

Discover the Dakota Origins of Minnesota Words

Recent News

The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary Featured in The Guardian

CBS News | Unlocking 'Minne': C̣aƞtemaza Reveals the Dakota Origins of Minnesota Place Names

Dr. Brenda Child Wins the 2025 Indigenous History Achievement Award from the Western History Association

Upcoming Events

Intersections in Indigenous and Immigration Histories

Holding Our Ground: Voices and Strategies Against Self-Indigenization

Author Conversation: Who Gets to Be Indian?