Native American and Indigenous Community
Latest News
Dartmouth Tribal Sovereignty Institute Launches
A $5 million lead gift from alums Tom and Gina Russo will endow an executive director.
Board of Trustees Welcomes Four New Members
Sarah Harris ’00, Peter Roby ’79, Holden Spaht ’96, Bill Tyree ’85 to join the board in July. Harris will be the first Mohegan trustee.
Forgotten Founder: The Untold Story of Samson Occom and Dartmouth had its campus premiere on Friday, May 8.
"None of us can change the past, but we can all decide where we're going to go in the future, and how this story continues."
SARAH HARRIS '00, VICE CHAIR OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL
Leadership: Dialogue, representation, and strategic direction
Native American Visiting Committee
The presidential advisory committee, which is made up of Native and non-Native alumni, has advised Dartmouth leadership on Native American affairs since 1972.
Participants in the Tribal Leadership Academy discuss their week at Dartmouth, which features sessions addressing strategies to enhance the political integrity, economic security, health and welfare of the tribal nations of this country.
Ivy Native Council to Focus on Languages and Cultures
The conference brought 150 Ivy League Native and Indigenous students to Dartmouth.
Community: Honoring history and creating supportive spaces
Geisel Celebrates Artwork Honoring Abenaki People
Project HEAL, part of Geisel School of Medicine’s chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, unveiled a new work of art by Mateo Tlakuilkoatl Silva ’26 honoring the Abenaki people of the Upper Valley.
Students discuss the process of planning the Dartmouth lūʽau in anticipation of the Sunday, May 10 event.
A Dartmouth delegation repatriated Samson Occom’s papers to his Mohegan homeland in Connecticut.
Since 1972, the Native American House has been the heart of the Native community at Dartmouth. Known as the Native American Cultural Center, the NAD House, or the NAH throughout the years, many call it a home-away-from-home.
A vibrant series of community programs for Indigenous Peoples' Day led by the Native American Program honored the cultural traditions and contributions of Indigenous students at Dartmouth.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, met with faculty, students, and staff during a visit in 2024.
A Vibrant Present: Sharing culture through the arts
The We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration concert that marked the reopening of the Hopkins Center for the Arts also celebrated the historic role of the Connecticut River.
Passing Along Hands-On Knowledge
Navajo master weavers led a four-day workshop at Dartmouth for students, faculty, and staff.
Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) at the Hood
Photographer Cara Romero tells stories about the beauty and resilience of contemporary Indigenous life.
Film Related to Houma Culture Screens at Sundance
Mariah Eli Hernandez-Fitch ’23 made the nonfiction film Ekbeh for her senior thesis.
Indigenous Peoples’ Fashion Show at the Hood Museum
Students walk the runway in the annual celebration of Indigenous fashion, creativity, expression, and design
Hood Museum curators use “Artist Once Known” label to acknowledge their identity and stature.
Prominent Voices
(Photo By Katie Lenhart)
We are reminded within the story of Occom and Wheelock that Dartmouth would not exist without the work of an Indigenous educator, Samson Occom. When we obscure it, we lose a crucial opportunity to remind ourselves of where we come from, who we could be as a community, and how we learn from our past in order to do better.
(Photo By Eli Burakian '00)
We have to be open in dialogue —a dialogue that everyone needs to participate in. It’s human to disagree, and it’s human to make light of difficult issues; I think Indigenous communities are just particularly great at it because of our culture, our humor, and our histories.
(Photo By Eli Burakian '00)
We are charting a new vision at Dartmouth for the next 50 years of engagement with tribal communities. In addition to recruiting and educating Native students, we are adding the additional layer of engagement with the communities that these young people come from.
Scholarship: Scholar-teachers, student excellence, and alumni achievement
Five Students Selected for Udall Foundation Awards
The internships and scholarships are intended to strengthen Native nations.
Perspectives in Native American Studies
Heid Erdrich ’86 brought prominent Native American alumnae to speak in her class.
Archaeologists Find Indigenous Farming
A new Dartmouth-led study provides evidence of intensive farming by ancestral Native Americans at an archaeological site along the Menominee River in Michigan's Upper Penninsula.
A Lively Lens on Native American Culture
Archaeology course focuses on Native American sports and games as a "lens to learn about past Native American cultures."
Student Voices from Summer Research
Chase Kamikawa '26 and Mahina Damon '26, spent three weeks in AotearoaNew Zealand as research assistants collaborating with several Indigenous-led research centers.
Recognizing Indigenous Rights in Environmental Data
Researchers propose best practices for the governance of Indigenous data.