Southeast American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke

10/12/2026

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day!

10/07/2026

OKAY, BRAVENATION… WE CAN’T KEEP A SECRET ANYMORE. 🤫👀

You asked. You guessed. You investigated. 😂
And now… the wait is officially OVER!

We’re celebrating 10 YEARS of BraveNation Powwow & Gathering at UNC Pembroke by making it BIGGER than ever!

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER… BNPG IS TWO DAYS!

📅 Save the Dates: Friday and Saturday March 19–20, 2027

That’s right. TWO DAYS.
Two days of dancing.
Two days of culture.
Two days of community.
Two days of BraveNation. 🪶❤️

We told y’all somebody was gonna spill the beans… and we finally did. 😂

Save the date. Tell your friends. Clear your calendar.
This is one you’re not going to want to miss!

BraveNation Powwow & Gathering — 10 years strong and now TWO DAYS LONG! 🎉

10/07/2026

Graduate students—your next big opportunity is here! 🎓✨ Cobell Fellowship applications are now open. Take the next step in your academic journey and join a community dedicated to Indigenous excellence. Apply today and invest in your future!

10/06/2026

Dr. Lawrence Locklear (SAIS Director) attended Virginia Tech’s Indigenous Studies Symposium on October 5 in Blacksburg, VA. He engaged with faculty, staff, scholars, and citizens of Virginia’s tribal nations and visited Wa:oki Indigenous Community Center. Dr. Locklear also served on a panel on Indigeneity and Southern identity. Other panelists included Dr. Harley Locklear (Lumbee) (Virginia Tech), Emily Wilkins (Monacan) (Virginia Tech), and Dr. Paul Worley (Appalachian State). His presentation, titled “Lumbee and Uniquely Southern: We claim y’all too!”, argued that “Indigenous and Southern identities need not be seen as competing. For Lumbee people, it is possible to be both Indigenous and Southern.” Dr. Locklear closed the presentation with the following, “When I say Lumbees claim y’all too, I do not mean that everything about the South belongs to us, nor that the histories of Indigenous, Black, and white Southerners are identical. The experiences, power dynamics, and consequences of colonization, racism, dispossession, and slavery have differed. Nevertheless, our histories are interconnected, and Lumbee people are integral to the South. We have helped shape its history, foodways, communities, politics, institutions, and relationship to land. In turn, the South has shaped us.”

10/02/2026

10/01/2026

Visit our website for a complete list of scholarship opportunities, along with resources designed to guide you every step of the way.

Your next opportunity starts now. We have 12 scholarships available to help support your higher education journey.

Explore scholarships and apply: https://heyor.ca/LOLg0i

If you have questions our Scholarship FAQs don't cover, reach us directly at [email protected].

Now is the time to apply and take the next step toward your future!

10/01/2026

Dr. Lawrence Locklear (SAIS Director) was honored to welcome the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to UNC Pembroke for an important Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training on October 1.

This first ICWA training hosted at UNCP brought together tribal leaders, social workers, educators, attorneys, families, advocates, and community members to strengthen knowledge, relationships, and practices that support Indian children and their connections to family, community, culture, and tribal identity.

The gathering was especially meaningful given UNCP’s longstanding relationship with the Lumbee people and the university’s history of serving American Indian communities.

We are grateful to the Lumbee Tribe, the UNCP College of Education, and everyone who helped make this training possible. We look forward to continuing to build partnerships and create opportunities that support ICWA implementation and the well-being and future of Indian children.

09/26/2026

Come by and visit SAIS, the American Indian Heritage Center at UNC Pembroke, and UNC Pembroke Undergraduate Admissions this weekend during the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina’s Dance of the Harvest Moon Powwow. Can’t wait to see you!

06/05/2026

Congratulations to the Catawba Nation and Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris on their recognition by the state of North Carolina!

05/15/2026

Join the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina on Saturday, May 16, 2026, for a historic day of celebration honoring federal recognition!

Held at UNC Pembroke, the celebration begins at 9 a.m. and continues through 9 p.m. with a full day of food, festivities, a mini-powwow, and gospel singing.

This joyous occasion marks a powerful moment in Lumbee history, culture, and community. Everyone is invited to come together in celebration of this historic achievement and to share in a day filled with pride, unity, and tradition.

We look forward to celebrating with you!