The Effron Center for the Study of America is excited to announce the launch of a new minor program in Native American and Indigenous studies (NAI) at Princeton University. The culmination of years of collaboration and planning across campus, NAI will catalyze the energy of Princeton faculty and students interested in studying Indigenous communities’ engagements with questions of identity, governance, and self-determination across social, cultural, geographical, and political frameworks.

“The Effron Center is thrilled to be part of the collective effort to finally launch the program in Native American and Indigenous studies at Princeton, which has been a long time in the making,” said Aisha Beliso-De Jesús, Olden Street Professor of American Studies and Chair of the Effron Center. “The NAI minor program is a necessary part of understanding the historical and contemporary experiences of the United States of America and is crucial to the Center’s overall purpose to broaden interdisciplinary studies on our campus. Importantly, the NAI Program will prepare students to address the multifaceted histories of Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples, cultures, laws, and governance, while fostering rigorous scholarship and meaningful community engagement.” 

This step builds on a long yet underrecognized history of Indigenous scholarship on campus. A pivotal moment came in March 1970, when Princeton hosted the First Convocation of American Indian scholars. That historic gathering brought together over 200 participants—including distinguished scholars and tribal leaders—for conversations on American Indian philosophy, tribal sovereignty, and the emerging field of Native American studies. Since then, NAIS has flourished as a dynamic and interdisciplinary field of study. In 2007, the United Nations passed a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and in 2008, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) was established. These developments catalyzed the field’s growth, reinforcing its intellectual and cultural significance.

This minor marks another significant milestone for Princeton who joins a growing movement in higher education committed to supporting Indigenous scholarship and deepening understanding of Native and Indigenous experiences. Along with last year’s exciting appointment of Effron Center Professor J. Kēhaulani Kauanui as the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Professor of Indigenous Studies, NAI will build on the expertise of faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences across the university. 

"I’m excited,” Professor Kauanui writes. As was one of the architects of the minor proposal Professor Kauanui attests that this move “reflects the intellectual and administrative work of so many. This newest development affirms the importance of the field of Native American and Indigenous Studies — perhaps now more than ever.”

The minor will officially launch in the 2026–27 academic year, with courses beginning that fall. Students in the Class of 2028 will be the first eligible to enroll in the NAIS minor, while those in the Classes of 2026 and 2027 may take NAIS courses and apply them toward an American studies minor.

The Effron Center appreciates the student, faculty, and administrators who have contributed to the launch of the NAI minor program, with special acknowledgement to: Natives at Princeton, Native Graduate Students of Princeton, Native Alumni of Princeton, the Princeton American Indian and Indigenous Studies Working Group (PAIISWG), the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Princeton (NAISIP), the Indigenous Studies Digital Humanities Working Group, the Princeton Indigenous Advocacy Coalition, the Indigenous Language Alliance, Land, Language, and Art (LLA), the Less-Commonly Taught Language (LCTL) Summer Initiative, and the Seed Farm at Princeton. 

The development of the NAI program has been supported by sustained efforts across the University. Special thanks go to the Office of the Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of the Provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of the Dean of the College, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding, the Humanities Council and the Humanities Initiative for their unwavering commitment to advancing Indigenous scholarship and supporting Native and Indigenous students at Princeton.

Questions about NAI can be directed to the Effron Center for the Study of America at [email protected].