Native American and Indigenous Studies Program

Study the art, archaeology, culture, geography, literature, and religion of Indigenous peoples in North and South America and the greater Pacific World— a collective history and impact spanning 15 millennia.

Students participate in a weaving demonstration during Colgate’s annual Native American Festival.

The Native American and Indigenous Studies Program centers the lived experiences and worldviews of Indigenous peoples in North America, South America, and the greater Pacific World. Students participate in transformative study that considers the values of Indigenous belief systems, the lasting legacies of colonialism, Native resistance and resilience, and the complex social and legal systems that continue to shape Indigenous lives. In so doing, students gain tools for imagining a more just and empathetic society. Students learn holistic approaches that uphold Indigenous sovereignty by prioritizing relationships with and accountability to Indigenous communities, past, present, and future.

Students in the program develop an interdisciplinary foundation that can be applied to professional work or continued study in a variety of fields, including anthropology, archaeology, history, education, law, writing and literature, government services, art history, museum studies, religion, international relations, Latin American studies, and more.

The program offers both a major and minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies, as well as a variety of off campus learning opportunities.

 

Learn about the Program

We recognize that Colgate University is situated on the Indigenous homelands of the Oneida Indian Nation. We pay respect to Oneida people—past, present, and future—and honor their continuing presence in this homeland area as well as throughout the Haudenosaunee diaspora.

Land Acknowledgement Resources

Department Contacts

Director: Ryan Hall 
Native American and Indigenous Learning Community Program Coordinator and Academic Department Coordinator: Nicole Carvell
Office: 216 Alumni Hall
Phone: 315-228-7669

Program Info

Three students wearing Colgate t-shirts at an excavation site in Mexico
Course Offerings

Learn about required and elective courses available to students majoring and minoring in Native American and Indigenous Studies.

Spring 2024 NAST Faculty, Staff, and Student Concentrators standing on steps of Colgate Memorial Chapel
Faculty and Staff

Meet the faculty and staff of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program, and learn about ongoing research and scholarship.

Colgate University Colgate students visit the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico.
Off-Campus Study

The department encourages Native American and Indigenous Studies Program students to pursue off-campus study opportunities.

News

Janaya Jones '26 stands with her mother behind a display of her pebble art
NAST Major Janaya Jones

Shares her experience of attending the Indigenous Nations Festival as a child and now as a student and vendor

Headshot of
Author Jon Hickey

discusses his book Big Chief as part of the Living Writers series

Headshot of Rebecca Nagle
Fall 2025 Aveni Lecture

Journalist Rebecca Nagle discusses the importance of visibility and representation

Ecuadorian dancers performing at the Indigenous Nations Festival
2025 Indigenous Nations Festival

The festival highlighted Indigenous artists, performers, and Elders as they shared lessons from their crafts and experiences. 

Villagers in Mohosa, Bolivia, perform a flute genre
Professor Michelle Bigenho's

new research is on heritage lawmaking in Bolivia. 

Black and White Headshot of Dr. Montejo
Spring 2025 Aveni Lecture Series

Anthropologist Victor Montejo Discusses New Book ‘Mayalogue’