Vincente Diaz, professor of American Indian studies, is originally from Guam, and was drawn to the University of Minnesota partly because of the region’s canoe culture. “The more you learn about voyaging, the more you realize that truth and knowledge are just conventions of certain peoples,” Diaz says.

John Little, PhD student in history and American Indian Studies, explores what Native American veterans' experiences were like during and after the Vietnam War. "They were fighting on two fronts: they were battling racism and stereotypes, while also fighting for the US Army,” he says.

Inspired by Brenda Child's research, Google commissioned a "doodle" honoring the jingle dress, a 100-year-old American-Indian tradition with roots in MN. "It is still empowering women in their communities today," says Child, the leading authority on the jingle dress.

Christopher Pexa, assistant professor of English and of American Indian Studies, researches the important role that oral and written histories have played in preserving the culture of the Dakota. His book, "Translated Nation: Rewriting the Dakota Oyate," is scheduled to be released in June by the University of Minnesota Press.