American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The recent publication of Native American Studies in Higher Education, edited by Duane Champagne and Jay Stauss, marks a milestone in American Indian studies (AIS). Not only does this volume commemorate the formal existence of programs focusing on this broadly (if vaguely) defined field at various academic institutions for more than thirty years; but the fact that there are so many long-standing Native/American Indian studies programs in North America indicates that the academic canon has changed, if only slightly and stubbornly. By the same token, virtually all of the authors who discuss their respective programs in this book describe less than perfect situations, in which institutional obstacles have often remained and questions about the extent and consequences of AIS programs constituting autonomous units or departments within these institutions remain unresolved. However, all the authors agree on specific guiding principles that make American Indian studies programs legitimate endeavors: that such programs must constitute holistic, praxis-oriented pursuits designed to serve and to work collaboratively with indigenous peoples in a way that complements and enhances tribal sovereignty, and that recognizes the legitimacy and value of indigenous knowledge. Native American Studies in Higher Education understandably focuses on those AIS programs that have endured the test of time and “that have developed and deepened their philosophy about American Indian studies and their commitment to students, community, scholarship, and in many cases, traditional knowledge and language.”