Hamilton College receives $750K grant to establish American Indian and indigenous studies program

CLINTON, N.Y. — Hamilton College has received a $750,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish a program in American Indian and indigenous studies (AIIS). The college says it will help it fulfill one of its original missions to provide an immersive and inclusive education in American Indian and indigenous studies and amplify its efforts to build a sustainable partnership and collaboration with the Oneida Indian Nation, Hamilton College announced. The grant funding will support course development, cultural programming, and collaborative research between faculty, students, and members of the Oneida Indian Nation. It will also offer the resources to integrate indigenous knowledge systems, history, and contemporary issues into the college’s curriculum. If approved by the faculty, the AIIS program will become Hamilton’s 59th area of study. “This renewed partnership is grounded in shared history, mutual respect, and a commitment to education and cultural understanding,” Nathan Goodale, Hamilton College’s associate VP for academic affairs said in the announcement. “Hamilton College and the Oneida Indian Nation are uniquely positioned to bring forward narratives that challenge dominant historical frameworks, highlight indigenous perspectives, and inspire thoughtful dialogue about the future of America.” Goodale co-leads the initiative with Brianna Burke, faculty fellow in native and indigenous students and visiting associate professor of environmental studies. Key elements of the initiative include hiring two new faculty members and annual grants for course development to existing faculty along with summer research projects, internships, and annual events in partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation. Programs outside the classroom will begin with an indigenous film festival in 2025, a truth and reconciliation series in 2026, and a resilience and sovereignty speaker series in 2027. The grant will also fund the creation of an AIIS programming coordinator, preferably an Oneida Nation member, to support ongoing collaborations between the college and the Nation. Hamilton College was founded in 1793 as a school for local American Indian and colonial settler children on land originally given by Oneida Indian Chief Shenendoah to Rev. Samuel Kirland. When the then Hamilton-Oneida Academy became Hamilton College in 1812, it became focused solely on settler youth, omitting any commitment to educating indigenous youth, the announcement stated. Dean Ngonidzashe Munemo, who arrived at Hamilton College in 2022, made establishing a program dedicated to American Indian and indigenous studies a priority.