UMD Department of American Indian Studies

Aaniin-giinawaa!👋

We are absolutely thrilled to share this CAHSS feature celebrating the incredible research team—including our very own Department Head, Dr. Jill Doerfler—behind creating a digital edition of Muzzeniegun, or The Literary Voyager. 📖✨

This project represents vital work for our field, making a significant work of early Indigenous literature publicly accessible.

Read the full article on the CAHSS website to learn more about the team's incredible work:
🔗 https://cahss.d.umn.edu/articles/doerfler-litmag-grant

Grant will digitize significant work of early Indigenous literature | College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences | University of Minnesota Duluth The Muzzeniegun, or The Literary Voyageur, was published from 1826 to 1827. It was collaboratively created by the Ojibwe poet Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, her siblings, and her settler husband and includes poetry, biographies, Ojibwe stories, and anthropological information. The project will create a....

Boozhoo! 👋

Our very own Assistant Professor, Dr. Jonnelle Walker, was featured in a UMD News article highlighting the Azhe-Manidoo Mino-Ishkodeng Zhagawaamikong-Neyaashi: Returning the Spirit of Good Fire to Minnesota Point* project! 🔥

In the feature, Dr. Walker discusses how the vital cultural and environmental stewardship practices central to this project connect directly to what she teaches in the classroom, both in her undergraduate American Indian Studies courses and her graduate courses in the Master of Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship (MTRES) program.

This incredible initiative is a joint collaboration bridging many communities and organizations. The project brings together the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the City of Duluth, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Point 50, the Park Point Community Club, Good Sky Guidance, Dovetail Partners, Ethical Embers, the University of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Check out the fully updated story here to see how "Good Fire" is returning to the landscape:
🔗 https://d.umn.edu/news/Minnesota-Point

Sparking a larger story For the first time in more than 180 years, fire — Ishkode in Ojibwe — will return to Minnesota Point.

Congratulations 🎉 to all of our Class of 2026 AIS, TAG, MTAG, and MTRES students who received recognition of their hard work at Commencement this afternoon! It was great seeing you!

Best to all of you in your endeavors!

Congratulations 🎉 to our AIS, TAG, MTAG, and MTRES students who are graduating tomorrow! We had our 2026 Department Graduation Reception today and got to have many of our students and faculty all together in the same room!

For those of you who won't be attending the 2026 Commencement activities tomorrow, come celebrate at the 2nd Annual Honor the Youth Powwow at Lincoln Park Middle School! The Dept. of American Indian Studies will be tabling, so stop by and visit with Drs. Jill Doerfler and Jonnelle Walker while you're there! ✨

Signal boosting!

The Indigenous students at Lincoln Park Middle School have helped put together the 2nd Annual Honor the Youth Powwow. Saturday, May 9th, all are welcome! See the poster for full details!

Boozhoo! 👋

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, David O'Connor, one of our awesome adjunct faculty members, will be a guest on the Maadagindan monthly book club to discuss Anton Trueur's Where Wolves Don't Die.

David taught for us this past Fall semester in our Master of Tribal Administration & Governance program, where he taught human resources for Tribal nations. David's expertise was greatly appreciated by our MTAG students and by his fellow program faculty.

So if you can, check out David on Maadagindan this Wednesday!

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/maadagindan/where-wolves-dont-die/

Join us for a fun and important conversation with Bad River tribal member, David O'Connor to discuss Anton Treuer's book, Where Wolves Don’t Die. O’Connors work at the Department of Public Instruction is critical to our collective mission in discussing the health of the Great Lakes and exercising treaty rights.

One question we get a lot is how can I support if I can’t attend? More than any other answer is buy the books and support the publishers. You can also request the titles at your library, or give books a review where you can. Looking forward to kicking this season off with DAVID O'CONNOR, educators, librarians, community leaders and caregivers. Registration is free and open now! https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/maadagindan/

Boozhoo!👋

We are excited to announce that our very own Dr. Jonnelle Walker will be presenting a special seminar next week in collaboration with UMN Duluth Earth and Environmental Sciences!

Her seminar, "Misaabekong: The Hillside That Oozed Out of a Rift System," explores the very geography we inhabit here in Misaabekong/Duluth.

🗓 When: Friday, Feb. 20th @ 4:00 PM
📍 Where: 070 Montague Hall

We hope to see you there!