Welcome!
We invite M.A. and Ph.D. applications from students interested in contributing to a more compassionate, critically conscious, and socially just society in which Indigenous knowledges, histories, and cultures of the Americas are recognized and honored. Our unique interdisciplinary approach includes attention to Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas as well as global frameworks for Indigenous rights. With deep respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and being, we strive put our scholarship in service to communities to address issues that concern Native American and Indigenous peoples.
Our graduate program is multidisciplinary, allowing you the freedom to explore Native American Studies from a variety of perspectives. The research interests of our faculty are wide-ranging and reflect the richness of the lives and histories of Native peoples of the Americas. If you are considering applying to our program, please read through faculty webpages and publications to learn more about our passions and projects. In our courses and in the interdisciplinary training of our students, we address race/ethnicity, history, class, gender, sexuality, religion, language, culture, ethics, political economy, community-engagement, social mobilization, and more!
Beyond the careful mentoring offered by our faculty, we have several programs to enrich graduate study and experience. The Native American Language Center serves California communities in language revitalization and is a vibrant hub for graduate students as they embark on study of an Indigenous language. The Yocha Dehe Endowed Chair in California Indian Studies regularly hosts presentations by California Native leaders and community members, and supports research and collaborations in California Indian Studies. The C.N. Gorman Museum sponsors events and exhibitions of contemporary Native American artists. The Indigenous Research Center for the Americas fosters partnerships with Indigenous communities throughout the Americas to address issues of land access and cultural and human rights. Last but not least, the NAS Graduate Student Association is a vibrant organization that hosts an annual conference or knowledge gathering and many events throughout the year.
The UC Davis campus is located in the traditional homeland of the Patwin (Southern Wintun) people. The Sacramento and central Sierra foothill region is the traditional homeland of the Nisenan and Northern Sierra Miwok. To the west are the lands of the Wappo, Lake Miwok, and numerous Pomo groups, in the San Francisco Bay area are the lands of the Coast Miwok and the diverse nations known as Ohlone or Costanoan. Nearby urban areas are home to Native peoples from throughout North, Central, and South America. Cultural gatherings, powwows, educational events, tribally-led land restoration projects, Native American performances, and art exhibits can be found both on campus as well as in nearby metropolitan and rural areas.
UC Davis supports tuition and student fees for all eligible students who qualify for the Native American Opportunity Plan who do not have other funding for graduate studies. For more details, please see the official UCOP webpage. UC Davis has a strong network of staff dedicated to helping first-generation and any students through the challenges of advanced study. They hold countless mentoring workshops and events to support graduate students to achieve their professional, educational, and career goals.
Please reach out to any members of the faculty with questions about their work and how your own research interests might align with theirs. Contact Program Coordinator Monica Shiel for information about admissions. Dr. Josephine Moreno in Graduate Studies can provide more information about how UC Davis supports graduate diversity and campus Principles of Community.
Liza Grandia
Professor and Chair