New Course in American Indian and Indigenous Families
A new course designed in collaboration with the Social Work Department by Harrelson Notah and Susan Salas. The course 
46th Annual Pow Wow!
Thank you to all of you who joined us for the 46th Annual Pow Wow at Puvungna, March 12 & 13, 2016. The American Indian Studies Program congratulates the American Indian Student Council and our outstanding head staff that made this one of the best celebrations of life in recent memory.
Here is a link to a few photos by Koichi Muto of our celebration. Pow Wow Photos 2016
If you missed the Pow Wow this year be sure to mark your calendars for the second weekend in March next year.
Our theme for last year’s celebration was “growing in two worlds” and refers to the ability of achieving balance in life. Special thanks to Pam Muro who translated the theme and has provided a link on how to say this in Tongva, “Growing in two Worlds” .
Poster from 2015 Pow Wow
American Indian Studies in LBUSD
LBESI Long Beach Ethnic Studies Initiative (formerly LBESP)
The Long Beach Ethnic Studies Initiative is a new and unique collaboration between the Long Beach Unified School District, LBUSD, and the four CSULB Ethnic Studies Departments, Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies and Chicano/Latino Studies, in the College of Liberal Arts, CLA, and the College of Continuing and Professional Education, CCPE, at CSULB.
In the Fall 2015 Semester over four-hundred LBUSD High School students enrolled in twelve sections of the course US Diversity and the Ethnic Experience at six LBUSD high schools. Three courses were taught from an American Indian perspective by CSULB American Indian Studies faculty, Becky Sanchez and Anna Nazarian-Peters (pictured below). The interest in these courses became evident when close to one-thousand five-hundred parents and students attended the orientations at the High Schools and seven hundred and seventy-one students registered for the four hundred and twenty available seats. In the Spring of 2016 American Indian Studies is teaching three sections of AIS 215 and one section of AIS 101 for LBUSD.
Link to LBUSD Ethnic Studies Website
We welcome Larry Hashima’s leadership as the LBESP Academic Coordinator and LBUSD EONA Program Director, Kathy Leonard, who will be the first to teach AIS 101 in the LB-ESP Program (pictured below).
Rebecca Sanchez Anna Nazarian-Peters Kathy Leonard
Link to New York Times Article
Link to Joseph Morales Huffington Post Article about Ethnic Studies AB 101 Bill
Link to Education Week article by Joseph Morales
Link to Long Beach Press-Telegram Article about LBESP
“Our goal is to develop a national Ethnic Studies Model that other school districts and universities can replicate throughout California and the US”.
Faculty Honored at LBESP Conference on Ethnic Studies
On October 31st of 2015, the LBESP Project held a Conference at CSULB with almost four-hundred people in attendance. The highlight of the conference was a Keynote Address by Dr. Ken Montero, the Dean of the only Ethnic Studies College in the United States. All ten of the faculty teaching in the LBESP Program were honored for their dedication to making this idea a reality when each faculty member was given a Pendleton from one of the LB-ESP students. Sponsored by the Ethnic Studies Department Chairs, an honoring song was sung for the LBESP faculty that served as the formal ending of the conference. American Indian Studies wishes to express our gratitude to the LB-ESP Faculty for their role in implementing this new and important partnership with the LBUSD and CSULB.
Excerpt from DAILY 49er Article: LBUSD students enroll in ethnic studies
November 2, 2015
“A small group of teachers stood in a circle in the University Student Union Ballroom as nearly 300 high school students danced to the pounding of a Native American drum to show appreciation for their instructors’ work.
This was the conclusion to the first Ethnic Studies Conference at California State University, Long Beach on Saturday. The conference brought Long Beach Unified students from six high schools together for a day of workshops, panels and guest speakers.
The Long Beach Ethnic Studies Program debuted this fall to give high school students the opportunity to earn college credit with a weekend ethnic studies class taught on Long Beach high school campuses….”
About the LBESI Long Beach Ethnic Studies Initiative
The Long Beach Ethic Studies Initiative (formerly the Long Beach Ethnic Studies Program) is a collaboration with Long Beach Unified School District, CSULB Africana Studies Department, CSULB American Indian Studies Program, CSULB Asian and Asian American Studies Department, CSULB Chicano/Latina Studies Department, the College of Liberal Arts and the CSULB College of Continuing and Professional Education. The LBESI Project is not affiliated with any organizations or programs that are not listed above.
Honoring Students & Supporters of American Indian Studies
Honoring Students & Supporters of American Indian Studies
We have recently created the medallion pictured to the left to honor our outstanding AIS students, staff, faculty, alumni and supporters. This idea grew out of a generous donation by Mabelle and John Hueston in honor of CSULB American Indian Studies faculty who have passed on. These medallions have been created with the help of Art Neri, Dr. Jeffery Klaus, Christopher Ramirez and Craig Torres. A few of our outstanding AIS students, staff, faculty and supporters were recently awarded these medallions for their support of American Indian Studies and American Indian Students at Cal State Puvungna. The wording on the Medallion is in the Tongva language and means; count or measure what you value.
You can support American Indian Studies with a tax-deductible donation by clicking Link to Give.
American Indian Student Council Events – Fall 2015 – Spring 2016
American Indian Student Council Events – Fall 2015 – Spring 2016
Check out the events below that the American Indian Student Council has sponsored this year!
46th Annual Pow Wow on March 12 &13, 2016.
AISC presents the following in celebration of Native American Heritage Month:
Thursday, October 29: Flash Mob Round Dance @ the Speaker’s Platform IMG_3428.MOV
Link to American Indian Student Council Facebook Page
November 2nd-5th: Genocide Awareness Week – Public Artworks displaying Native American Genocide at the Upper Campus Quad (on the lawn across from LA5 bldg.)
@ the Multi-Cultural Center (MCC)
November 4th Seri Women’s Basket Weavers @ Lot 20 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
November 9th: When was the first time you heard about the California Indian Genocide? Panel Discussion 12:30 to 1:30
Link to information about California Indian Genocide Panel
Link to Blind to History Youtube Video
November 8th-15th: Rock Your Mocs – It’s easy! Just wear moccasins to school, to work or wherever your day takes you
November 10th: University Art Museum and American Indian Studies Cultural Patrimony Panel
Link to information about UAM/AIS Panel Discussion
November 19th: Contemporary Issues Information Table @ Prospector Pete Courtyard 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
November 21st: Cultural Exchange with Australian Rugby Team @ Lot 20 Time: TBA
November 30th: Flash Mob Community Drum @ the University Student Union Southwest Terrace at Noon
When did you first hear about the California Indian Genocide?
Panel Discussion: November 9th in the Multi-Cultural Center (MCC) 12:30 – 1:30
The author, Thomas Mann, was motivated to write his best selling book, 1491, because his son was in college learning the same thing about the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas that he had learned in college. He attributed this lack of currency of knowledge about Indigenous Americans to the way that academic disciplines tend to only talk to others in their disciplines and rarely compare notes with academics in other disciplines. This panel discussion will ask three professors and one student from different disciplines outside of American Indian Studies to discuss: When did you first learn about the California Indian Genocide? Is it an actual Genocide? Why is it important to learn about it? And, why is it important to incorporate this into your teaching?
Recently the high school AP (Advanced Placement) Exam for American History in the United States was revised and has been characterized by American Indian Studies Scholars and Historians as “perpetuating lies about American Indian Peoples”.
Link to article about new AP History Exam
Earlier this semester an American Indian Student at CSU Sacramento was told by her History Professor that she was expelled from his course for questioning his refusal to use the term Genocide to refer to the lived experience of American Indians. While she was not dropped and continues to take his course, the question still lingers.
Link to Article about History Professor in Indian Country Today Link to Article about History Professor on Fox News
Recently, California became the first state to ban the use of a name for school mascots that denigrates American Indian People, when Governor Brown recently signed Assembly Bill 30.
Link to article about AB 30 in Think Progress Link to article about AB 30 in ABC News.
The CSULB American Indian Studies Program is interdisciplinary in nature and currently has partnerships with eighteen departments and programs across several colleges. AIS is pleased to initiate this campus dialogue in partnership with the MCC (Multicultural Center), Jewish Studies, American Studies, History, the American Indian Student Council and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society Student Chapter about a subject that is seldom taught in the United States yet essential, not only to our understanding of the history of California, but more specifically, to understanding the implications of having “Prospector Pete” as our School Mascot.
Link to 2014 Press Telegram article about rebranding CSULB and retiring Prospector Pete
AISC Events Leading up to the Panel Discussion:
Leading up to the panel discussion the American Indian Student Council, AISES and the American Indian Studies Program will sponsor several events to raise awareness about this issue. The first project is Craig Stone’s “Blind to History” project that places a blindfold on the “Prospector Pete” statue that is locate between F02 where the History Department is located and the FO3 where the American Indian Studies Program, the Chicano and Latino Studies Department and the Asian and Asian American Studies Department are located. The statue is located in such a way that he is looking toward the History Department while turning his back to the Ethnic Studies Departments. This project was installed on October 29th and continues through November 5th and was presented on the AIS webpage for a week prior to installing the artwork (see image above).
Link to 49er article “Blind to American Genocide” Link to Blind to History Youtube Video Link to Blind to History Flash Mob Round Dance
November 2nd – Nov 5th AISC/AIS California Indian Genocide Awareness Public Art Project
Located on the lawn in front of the History Department, each golden flag represents 300 California Indians and has a printed logo with the slogan in the Tongva Language, “Twaa’aa Mohino Tehoovetmo” meaning: Count What You Value. (image below)
AISC & AISES answered questions about the California Native American Genocide at a American Holocaust table
during the week that was locate at various locations in the plaza by the History Department. (Image Below)
Initial “Blind to History” press coverage (image above) Images of unknown persons referred to above (image below)
Faculty Honored at LBESP Conference on Ethnic Studies
Faculty Honored at LBESP Conference on Ethnic Studies
On October 31st the LBESP Faculty were honored at an Ethnic Studies Conference that drew four-hundred people to CSULB.
Ekweenax Tovaangara
Congratulations to AISC & AISES on a successful AILOTT Conference
Congratulations to AISC & AISES on a successful AILOTT Conference
Link to post about the AILOTT Conference
American Indian Studies Partners with LBUSD
Image of the founders of the new LBESP Program with AIS Faculty: Craig Stone, Anna Nazarian-Peters and Becky Sanchez
AILOTT 2015
Congratulations to the American Indian Student Council and AISES on a very successful AILOTT Conference.
The American Indian Studies program wishes to acknowledge these very active AISC and AISES leaders and members who have also organized many events for the month of November in addition to hosting this very successful AILOTT Conference on October 24, 2015.
Thank you to all the visiting students, parents, advisors, councilors, drivers and chaperones and the CSULB staff, faculty and alumni who helped to make this year’s AILOTT a success. Students learned about the college admission process along with cultural activities that included basketry, making dogbane cordage (used to sew the planks of the canoe together) while learning about the Tiat (a twenty-seven foot long plank canoe) that is being restored at Cal State Puvungna in the Engeneering Department. We thank the communities of Big Pine, Santa Ynez, Sherman Indian High School, Tribal TANIF, LA &Torres Martinez and Tule River for making this event successful.
The photo above was taken by CSULB American Indian Graduate Student Taylor Tarmey.