Undergraduate Program
Indigenous Nations & Native American Studies

Portland State University is one of only two universities in Oregon to offer a major in Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies, and the only one with a strong focus on Indigenous science, land care, and hands-on field and career-building experiences.

Our program has deep roots within the city of Portland, which is home to one of the largest urban Native American, Alaska Native and Indigenous Pacific Islander populations in the U.S. However, our curriculum takes a global Indigenous perspective while maintaining a focus on Native, Indigenous, and First Nation peoples and nations of the Pacific Northwest.

In your classes, you’ll explore topics such as:

• Community development and community health
• Food systems and food sovereignty
• Healing people through healing land
• Indigenous arts, cultures, histories, and futures
• Indigenous science and land care
• Indigenous traditional ecological and cultural knowledge (ITECK)
• Relational worldviews
• Reclaiming urban landscapes
• Self-determination
• Tribal sovereignty

Spaces Designed for Learning and Belonging

You will study and gather in spaces designed with Indigenous knowledge at their core. These spaces include the renovated Vernier Science Center, our ITECK Center, and Oak Savanna outdoor classroom—all co-created by our students, alumni, faculty, and local Native community leaders. Our program gives you the learning environments and community support you need to succeed.

Where You'll Learn and Connect

• Vernier Science Center: Learn, study, hang out, work on projects, and meet with professors and peers in our ITECK Food Lab, Gathering Classroom, and Indigenous Library.
• Oak Savanna: Gain hands-on experience with our on-campus Oak Savanna restoration site, outdoor classroom, and research space. She is the heart of our ITECK programming.
• ITECK Center: Designed to support our Oak Savanna, the ITECK Center was dreamed into existence by students, Indigenous Nations Studies and Architecture faculty, and Native community.
• Native American Student & Community Center: Connect with peers and resources, and build lasting relationships in a beautiful campus hub dedicated to cultural support and community.
• Community-Centered Learning: Engage directly with Indigenous communities and organizations, regional nonprofits, and government agencies to build strong technical skills and supportive professional circles before you graduate.

Student Community & Support

Join a welcoming network of Tribal, Indigenous, and ally students from across Turtle Island and beyond. At PSU, you will find strong cultural connections, student-led clubs and events, and dedicated campus resources to support your college journey every step of the way.

Ways to Connect and Get Support

• Student Organizations & Clubs: Build community through student groups like AISES (Advancing Indigenous Science and Engineering Society), AIBL (American Indigenous Business Leaders), the ITECK Club, Pacific Islanders Club (PIC), SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science), and UISHE (United Indigenous Students in Higher Education).
• Campus Support Centers: Access resources, advising, and gathering spaces through the Indigenous Nations Studies Department, the Native American Student and Community Center, and Multicultural Retention Services.
• Financial Aid & Scholarships: Reduce tuition costs with grants and programs designed for Indigenous students, including the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, Native American Resident Grant, and Native American Tuition Program. PSU also offers residency classification or other tuition benefits to enrolled members of any federally recognized Tribe. As an Indigenous Nations Studies major, minor or ITECK certificate student, you will also have access to departmental scholarships, as well as to general scholarships available to any PSU student. Be sure to fill out a FAFSA (federal student aid) application each year.
• Student Employment: Indigenous Nations Studies is often able to hire a few students each year to support classroom activities, grant-funded projects, and Indigenous Library administrative tasks. Students qualifying for Federal Work-Study (check this box on your FAFSA!) are often prioritized for these positions and others across campus. Please check departmental emails and PSU Handshake for student worker positions.

Sustainability & Indigenous Science Focus

Sustainability is at the core of our program. We honor Indigenous Peoples as the original scientists and teach you how to respectfully uplift traditional Indigenous scientific knowledge alongside Western science to tackle modern environmental and social challenges.

What You'll Explore in This Focus

• Multiple Ways of Knowing: Combine Indigenous and Western scientific methods to solve complex ecological issues while advancing Tribal and Indigenous sovereignty.
• Environmental & Cultural Protection: Discover methods of protecting the Earth that safeguard Indigenous cultures, lands, and the well-being of all peoples and our more-than-human kin.
• Sovereignty & Self-Determination: Learn how self-determination—including control of data and community resources—supports the long-term survival and independence of Indigenous Nations.
• Holistic Solutions: Study sustainability through environmental, cultural, and political lenses to create lasting, real-world solutions.