Dr. Crum was the author of the seminal text on Western Shoshone history, The Road on Which We Came (University of Utah Press, 1994), as well as numerous and diverse articles and book chapters on Native American histories in Nevada, California, Utah, and throughout the West. He was also celebrated for his scholarship on Native activism and Native leadership in higher education. Some of his articles were the first publications about the history of a specific Native Nation, particularly by a Native scholar. Dr. Crum was honored across the fields of Western history, Native history, and Native education. Among the honors he received were “Distinguished Indian Educator of the Year” (1995) from the California Conference on American Indian Education, the Editors’ Choice Award for the best article in the Utah Historical Quarterly (1992), the Nevada Humanities Award (2002) from the Nevada Humanities Committee, and a Fulbright US Scholar Award for study in Japan (2013).
Dr. Crum was known for his encyclopedic memory, and his detailed records of Native people, particularly their presence and leadership in higher education. Among his archives was a record of all mentions of Native people in the California Aggie. Once he knew a person’s tribal affiliation or interests, he would regularly offer archival finds pertaining to his/her/their background.
Dr. Crum is greatly missed. His knowledge of the field of Western Native American History and Native leadership in higher education was unparalleled. His students and colleagues commit to honoring his memory through continued ethical historiography with, by, and for Native Nations
Welcome!
In the Native American Studies Department, we conceive and practice the humanities and social sciences as integrated enterprises for fostering creativity in diversity, social justice and cultural democracy. We have a commitment to scholarly rigor, theoretical clarity, and critical/creative pedagogy, and we recognize our responsibility to the Native American and indigenous communities to whom we are accountable.
As a student in Native American Studies, you may choose to study indigenous issues from a variety of (inter)disciplinary perspectives, temporal frames, and geographical dimensions. The common thread of these diverse approaches, however, is the recognition of the hemispheric unity of the indigenous people of the Americas.
Our undergraduate and graduate programs offer a formal comparative, interdisciplinary, and hemispheric approach to the study of indigenous cultures of the Americas. This approach includes faculty specialized in a variety of disciplines including art, literature, religion, linguistics, history, anthropology, political science, ethnomusicology, performance and dance studies, and women and gender studies.
UC Davis Land Acknowledgement Statement:
UC Davis pays homage to the indigenous people and land on which the Davis campus is located. Following consultation with members of the Patwin native community, the campus is pleased to provide the following "Land Acknowledgement Statement" that can be used in oral or written form at events as deemed appropriate. The campus encourages those who are interested to use the following language, without edit:
We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.
Read more about the UCD land acknowledgement statement: https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/land-acknowledgement-statement
NAS GSA weebly: http://davisnasgrads.weebly.com/
Native American Student Union (NASU) website
Jack D. Forbes (Powhatan-Renape, Delaware-Lenape), 1934-2011