Undergraduate Program Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies

 Portland State is the first four-year institution in the state of Oregon (and only the third in the region) to establish a major in Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies. Portland, Oregon has one of the largest urban Native American populations in the United States and Portland State is uniquely positioned to partner with the many governmental agencies, Tribal and Native organizations, and nonprofits that are headquartered in the city. Several of which have inter-governmental and cooperative agreements and grants with the PSU Indigenous Nations Studies program. Community partners were integral in encouraging the establishment of the major which is reflected in the significant community-based component of the program.

Sustainability is a central aspect of Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies internationally, and a core theme of the program at Portland State. Sustainability — particularly its interrelated cultural and environmental components — is inextricably connected to Native worldviews around the need to protect and cherish the ecological systems of the Earth, and the need to embrace self-determination and sovereignty. Sustainability is not only critical to the survival of the planet in environmental terms; it is critical to the survival of Indigenous peoples in cultural, political, and physical terms. Students will take several courses that deal with sustainability issues, engage in partnerships such as the one with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and connect with faculty who are experts in this area.

The Portland State Indigenous Nations and Native American major offers a focus on Native, Indigenous, and First Nation peoples and Nations of the Northwest and Alaska. The program overall has a global Indigenous view.

Our expert faculty are international scholars who work with Native peoples across the globe. They bring their knowledge, scholarship, and rich experiences into the classroom. Through mentorship, our faculty and staff provide students with the support you need to grow as a person and as a professional. Courses in this major will encourage you to analyze and reflect upon your own identity. Much of what students gain from the program happens outside of the classroom through engagement with a cohort, the community, and faculty. All of these components contribute to the deconstruction and building of identity, self, and Native/Indigenous/First Nations peoples. This will allow you to forge your own pathway of decolonization alongside your peers.

Here, you’ll find an interwoven community of both Native and non-Native students. PSU’s Native American Student Community Center is unique in the United States. Native staff, faculty, community members, and students guide and serve the Center. It houses four active student groups:

• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): The goal of this student group is to increase the representation of American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Using a “full circle of support” model, AISES programs serve the organization’s members as pre-college and college students, professionals, mentors, and leaders.
• Healing Feathers: The purpose of Healing Feathers is to promote wellness to Native American/Alaska Native students of Portland State University and community members.
• Pacific Islanders Club (PIC): A student organization that educates and gathers PSU students who are familiar with and interested in the pacific island heritage. We represent the different Island Nations located in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.
• United Indigenous Students in Higher Education (UISHE): Assists American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Indigenous Peoples in maintaining cultural values, while pursuing their educational goals.