Native American Studies Stanford University

Overview

The Native American Studies programme at Stanford University offers a profound academic exploration into the diverse experiences of Indigenous communities across the Americas. Students engage with a curriculum that prioritises Indigenous ways of knowing while addressing critical issues of self-governance and cultural sustainability.

This course provides an intensive approach to understanding the unique legal and social relationships between sovereign tribal nations and federal governments. The curriculum extends beyond United States borders to include Indigenous contexts in Canada, as well as North, Central, and South America, ensuring a global perspective on Indigeneity.

Scholars within the department are dedicated to fostering an environment where academic research meets community-based activism.

Why Native American Studies at Stanford University?

The institution provides a distinctive learning environment where students can participate in community-engaged learning projects, such as the Native Plant Garden Field Project. Teaching is deeply interdisciplinary, often involving collaborations with tribal leaders, artists, and activists who are invited to campus for special learning labs.

Students benefit from the university's commitment to linguistic diversity through the Special Languages Program. This allows for the study of Indigenous languages including Lakota, Diné, Hawaiian, Samoan, and Nahuatl, which is essential for authentic engagement with cultural heritage and decolonisation efforts.

Tuition Fee Breakdown

• International fee: USD 22577 per semester
• National fee: USD 22577 per semester
• Local fee: USD 22577 per semester

Visit the Fees and Funding section for a breakdown in your local currency.

Syllabus

Modules may include:

• Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
• Decolonizing Methodologies: Native American Studies
• Indigeneity and Colonialism
• Institutions and Inequities
• Resistance and Liberation
• CSRE Senior Seminar
• CSRE Honors Seminar
• Muwekma Traditional Ecological Knowledge Native Plant Garden Field Project
• Comparative History of Racial & Ethnic Groups in California
• Indigenous Archaeology
• Native American Creative Writing
• Native American Women in History
• Exhibition/Performance: Identities on Display
• Muwekma House Seminar
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Land Stewardship
• Indigenous Feminisms
• Native American History
• Decolonizing the Indigenous Classroom
• Community & Nation Building and Peacemaking in Native North America
• Environmental Wayfinding: Cultural, Artistic, and Spiritual Approaches to Life on a Changing Planet
• Native American and Indigenous Voices
• Tribal Food Systems
• Early Andean Visual Culture: Interspecies Value and More-than-Human Presence
• Wild Writing
• Entrepreneurship for Sustainability and Social Impact
• Psychology and American Indian/Alaska Native Mental Health
• Queer Indigenous Performances in the Americas

Careers with Native American Studies

Graduates from this programme are prepared for influential roles that centre on Indigenous knowledge and advocacy. Many alumni pursue careers in tribal government, law, and public policy, focusing on the protection of tribal sovereignty and the advancement of social justice for Native communities.

The rigorous research training provided by the capstone and honours projects enables students to transition into high-level academic research and education. Others find success in the arts, community organisation, and environmental stewardship, applying traditional ecological knowledge to modern sustainability challenges.