UB launches SUNY’s first Indigenous studies major

The Department of Indigenous Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences continues to build upon the momentum of its initial Mellon Foundation grant funding, obtained in 2020. With the addition of a minor in Indigenous studies in 2022, and the official launch of the new Department of Indigenous Studies in 2023, Indigenous studies at UB has reached another milestone with the implementation of a new major this fall.

“We’re the only university in the SUNY system to have a major, and the creation of the bachelor’s degree will provide undergraduate students an opportunity to earn a degree in this growing field through experiential learning and an enriching educational experience,” says department chair Mishuana Goeman (Tonawanda Band of Seneca descendant).

The bachelor’s program offers three key areas of study: examining Indigenous nations issues globally; addressing environmental concerns related to land; and specializing in Haudenosaunee languages, cultures and governance.

The Indigenous studies program is a multidisciplinary field that centers on the knowledge, experiences and aspirations of Indigenous peoples worldwide. The program equips students with interdisciplinary skills to critically analyze contemporary challenges facing Indigenous communities while exploring the historical, political and cultural aspects of Indigenous nations.

With a focus on research methodologies and the impacts of colonization, the curriculum prepares students to engage with Indigenous issues and the effects of colonization effectively.

According to Goeman, recruiting Indigenous students throughout the Great Lakes region is also a focus of the new program, with a home-hub model. Through this innovative concept, the department creates social science- and humanities-centered learning and research opportunities, educational programs and outreach in service to Indigenous communities in ways that increase public understanding and inspire public education about the history, contributions, knowledge, traditions and contemporary realities of Indigenous people.

“This regional placement of an Indigenous studies program will attract many from Indigenous communities in the area, especially in the American Indian sector, which is one of the most under-served communities in higher education,” Goeman says.

The Indigenous studies program will provide students with a set of interdisciplinary tools to think rigorously about prominent issues currently confronting Indigenous communities while also examining the historic political, social and cultural elements of Indigenous nations.

Goeman says that students with a successful completion of the undergraduate degree will be ready for a wide variety of careers including those in Indigenous nations and organizations.

“Indigenous nations are in desperate need of people that can work in their governance offices, their environmental programs, their waste disposal, and their health care. It gives Indigenous nations a chance to hire people who already come from those communities and have an educated workforce. It gives students in Indigenous studies who are non-Indigenous a better understanding in those places that have a lot of employment opportunities.”

Goeman says that the career opportunities for undergraduate students completing degrees in the Department of Indigenous Studies are extensive.

They include opportunities in tribal governments, counseling, health, natural resource management, and education administration, state and federal government positions that address Native American law, education, archiving, museums and information management, and advocacy as well as American Indian commissions and all entities involving in Indigenous matters.

The number of baccalaureate and graduate degrees conferred to Native American students nationwide remains very low. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education), the fractional percentage of degrees conferred to American Indian/Alaska Native students in 2016-17 was 0.5% for BA/BS degrees, 0.5% for MA/MS degrees, and 0.5% for PhD degrees.

And while there is a focus on attracting more Indigenous students, it’s important to note that the major is open to everyone.

“This isn’t just a degree program for Indigenous peoples,” says Goeman. “It’s really for everybody. Cultural sensitivity is really, really important. And if you think about how nearly 80 percent of biodiversity is located on Indigenous lands in the world, this degree also provides an opportunity in a global perspective for those who want to do environmental studies or who want to look at climate change and do any of that kind of work, as well.”

In addition to the bachelor’s degree, Goeman and the Department of Indigenous Studies are developing new offerings that will make the department one of the most comprehensive on the East Coast.

“Given the gravity of climate change, our emphasis on environmental issues will be especially attractive to students from all backgrounds at the national and international level,” Goeman says. “And it's not just our students who will benefit – it’s Indigenous nations, communities and businesses that will also benefit from having a better understanding of Indigenous practices, sovereignty and ways of knowing.”