Recent News
Marvin Oliver, renowned artist, advocate, UW graduate, associate curator for the Burke Museum, and professor emeritus of American Indian Studies, passed away on July 17, 2019 surrounded by family.
His work spanned many mediums and is on display throughout the Pacific Northwest, across the United States, and around the world. Though rooted in his Quinault and Isleta-Pueblo heritage, Marvin’s work combined many styles to create Northwest Coast-style works of art that run the gamut from prints to… Read more
Jessica Bissett Perea (Dena’ina) had never heard powwow singing before attending an Indigenous music conference in Toronto in 2008.
She was born north of Anchorage, Alaska, where powwows just started appearing in the last 25 years. At the conference, she was drawn to the singing voice of John-Carlos Perea (Mescalero Apache, Irish, Chicano,… Read more
The American Indian Studies department is excited to announce the hiring of Joe (wahalatsu?) Seymour Jr., a Coast Salish artist who will be bringing his talents of Native art to upcoming classes.
Mr. Seymour is from the Squaxin Island and Pueblo of Acoma tribes, and his art is heavily inspired by Coast Salish styles. He began his journey in the arts in 2003, carving a canoe paddle for the Canoe Journey to Tulalip. Since then, his art style has flourished, expanding with his experiences… Read more
This quarter, new faculty Jessica Bissett-Perea and John-Carlos Perea are co-teaching a new iteration of “Powwow Cultures in Native North America.”
While a powwow course existed in the past, this is the first time it’s an interdisciplinary offering between American Indian Studies and the School of Music. The course will cover historic and contemporary powwow practices through a variety of activities, including participation in the annual First… Read more
These caretakers can help ensure museum collections are handled, and expanded, appropriately. AIS Adjunct Professor Sven Haakanson speaks about his experience as a curator at the Burke Museum and his hopes for more Indigenous curators. You can read the full article in the Arts and… Read more
Washington state is sending a statue of an Indigenous activist it arrested more than 50 times to the Halls of Congress. The statue of Billy Frank Jr. will be the first contemporary depiction of an Indigenous person in National Statuary Hall, since Oklahoma put a statue of movie star Will Rogers there in 1939.
Frank is wearing jeans, a button-down shirt and a bolo tie. His hair is in a ponytail and he’s got a big smile on his face.
You can read… Read more
The timeless power of storytelling lies in the sacred exchange between storyteller and listener—a connection that transcends generations, builds community, and sustains culture. It is through this exchange that we find our deepest truths, our shared histories, and the resilience to move forward. The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington recently celebrated this tradition with the annual Sacred Breath event, a gathering that honored not only the art of… Read more
The Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) at the University of Washington, Seattle, is pleased to announce funding from the Mellon Foundation (Mellon) Humanities in Place Program. Over the next three years, a $1.45 million grant award will fund the expansion of existing AIS symposia, the creation of Indigenous student-centered activities, and place-based Indigenous research at the University of Washington and at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Seattle’s Discovery Park.
On the… Read more
AIS Associate Professor, Jean Dennison, an Osage Nation citizen, wrote an article for Time Magazine: What Killers of the Flower Moon Doesn't Show About Osage Nation's Legacy.
This beautiful piece firmly conveys not just a surviving, but a thriving Osage Nation. As many head to theaters to see the Martin Scorsese's new film adaptation of the book, Professor Dennison's article provides critical… Read more
Have you heard? UW Professors from the College of Arts and Sciences were featured on the new "Ways of Knowing" Podcast. Episode 7 featured Chad Allen who discusses the Indigenous knowledge around earthworks and mounds.
Give it a listen: https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/10/10/ways-of-knowing-episode-7-ch…
From UW News: Chadwick Allen is a professor of English and… Read more