Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown University

08/31/2026

Virtual event reminder!

Tomorrow, September 1, Linford Fisher will join JCB Director Karin Wulf for a discussion of Indigenous slavery as part of our series The Revolution Is News.

Join us at 4 p.m. EDT. Registration is open at jcblibrary.org!

08/26/2026

Huge congratulations to NAISI Assistant Director Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason on a monumental achievement! 📚

Last week, Wunneanatsu traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 26th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival—one of the nation's premier literary events bringing together bestselling authors and thousands of readers.

Her debut picture book, "Grandmother Moon," is one of 56 youth titles from across the nation to earn a prestigious spot on the 2026 “Great Reads from Great Places” list, representing Connecticut as its official Youth title for the festival’s Roadmap to Reading.

We couldn't be prouder to see Wunneanatsu celebrated on this national stage! ✨

07/28/2026

Last week, NAISI had the privilege of attending the Tomaquag Museum's 23rd Annual Honoring and Cultural Celebration—a particularly special event for our team, as two of our own were recognized for their outstanding work.

🏆 Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason (NAISI Assistant Director) received the Princess Red Wing Arts & Culture Award. This honor celebrates the legacy of Narragansett/Wampanoag artist, storyteller, activist, writer, knowledge keeper, and original voice of the Tomaquag Museum, Princess Red Wing, while recognizing the vital contributions of today’s culture bearers.

🏆 endawnis Spears (Swearer Center Practitioner in Residence for Tribal Engagement) was awarded the Eleanor Dove Entrepreneur Award. Honoring Eleanor Dove’s legacy as an entrepreneur and founder of Dovecrest Indian Restaurant, this award recognizes leaders who share Indigenous culture through their businesses.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees, and kudos to the Tomaquag Museum for hosting such a powerful celebration of culture, community, and achievement. Wunneanatsu and endawnis, we can’t thank you enough for all the work you do—both at Brown and beyond!

07/17/2026

Please join NAISI in welcoming our new Faculty Director, Dr. Lukas Rieppel!

Rieppel is a historian of science, capitalism, and museums. With a technical background in molecular evolution and ecology, his research explores how large-scale social institutions like capitalism and imperialism shape what is known about Earth and its many inhabitants.

His current research centers on the deep history of Lakotan treaty lands. In addition to documenting the role played by the Earth sciences in colonizing the Missouri watershed, he is working with collaborators in the Pine Ridge Reservation to design an exhibit that re-interprets prehistoric fossils from Lakotan treaty lands. This exhibit will focus on the lands, philosophies, and citizens of a tribal nation whose ongoing presence is central to a fuller understanding of the fossilized bones of animals currently on display all over the world, the site where they had been for millions of years, and their journey to imperial museums of natural history.

In a brief statement, Lukas told us what he’s looking forward to as Faculty Director:

“I am delighted to join the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative as interim faculty director. I especially look forward to connecting more deeply with the students, faculty, staff, and community partners who sustain this important work. As a non-Native scholar whose research focuses largely on the North American West, I am also eager to learn more about the histories and cultures of Tribal Nations in the Northeast. Above all, I am committed to supporting the Initiative and strengthening its presence across the Brown community.”

To learn more about Rieppel’s work, visit his personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/lukasrieppel/

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NAISI would also like to extend our deepest, most heartfelt thanks to Dr. Bathsheba Demuth for serving as interim Faculty Director from 2024-2026. A strong advocate and partner, her leadership and support have been invaluable to NAISI’s growth over the past two years. She will spend the next year on sabbatical and research leave. Thank you, Bathsheba!

07/01/2026

06/29/2026

Postdoc opportunity! 📣 IBES seeks candidates for the distinguished Voss Postdoctoral Fellowship in any field relevant to environmental research. Appointments start July 2027 with an expected term of two years.

Learn more and submit step-one proposals by September 1, 2026: https://ibes.brown.edu/opportunities/postdoctoral-researchers

06/25/2026

Check out the News from Brown article featuring recent graduate and former Native Heritage Series co-coordinator, David Felipe!

Felipe, a first-generation Zapotec & Mexican student, earned his bachelor’s degree in May, graduating with concentrations in international and public affairs and ethnic studies. Across both fields, he focused on education, immigration and Indigenous communities, particularly those connected to Oaxaca, the region in southern Mexico that’s home to his family’s Zapoteco heritage.

As an Edward Guiliano ’72 Global Fellow, Felipe supplied the only elementary school in Mixtán, Mexico, with academic materials for one year. The Brown Class of 2026 graduate will return to Mexico this fall as a recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Award.

Read the article, "David Felipe: Empowering communities through access to education, mentorship," at the link below:
https://www.brown.edu/news/2026-06-24/david-felipe-fulbright-education-mexico

Photo: News from Brown

06/21/2026

Today we welcome the Summer Solstice—the longest day of the year, and the start of astronomical summer. ☀️

For many Indigenous peoples, the Solstice marks a time of renewal, gratitude, and reconnection. However you’re honoring this transition, NAISI wishes you a day rooted in joy, community, and abundant sunshine.

06/16/2026

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎉

During Commencement and Reunion Weekend, NAISI honored graduating students at the annual Native American at Brown Alumni (NABA) Dinner. This highly anticipated event brings together past and present Native graduates, their families, and community members to celebrate their many achievements.

Sunday brought a cleansing rain as community members gathered to celebrate NAISI’s third cohort of Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS) concentrators. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible, and to the family, mentors, and community members who have supported our graduates throughout their journeys.

To our graduates: We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see the impacts you’ll continue to make. Thank you for being in community with us.

Check out some of our favorite moments from this incredible weekend! 🐻🎓

05/18/2026

Please join us in celebrating NAISI Assistant Director Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, whose debut picture book, "Grandmother Moon," was selected for the 2026 Library of Congress National Book Festival!

One of the nation’s largest literary events, the National Book Festival brings together some of the most recognized writers in the country, alongside a small number of selected works that represent communities and stories from across the U.S., drawing tens of thousands of readers each year. One youth and one adult title from each state and territory is chosen for the “Great Reads from Great Places” list, with "Grandmother Moon" representing Connecticut in 2026.

Congratulations, Wunnea—we're so proud of you! 🎉❤️