Academic Program

Amer­i­can Indian Stud­ies (AIS) at the Uni­ver­sity of Wisconsin-Madison focuses on the his­tory, cul­ture, lan­guages, and expe­ri­ences of Native peo­ples in the United States. Estab­lished in 1972, AIS links Amer­i­can Indian stu­dents, the Uni­ver­sity, and Indian Tribes. Amer­i­can Indian Stud­ies offers aca­d­e­mic and insti­tu­tional sup­port to Indian stu­dents while they study at UW–Madi­son. AIS gives stu­dents oppor­tu­ni­ties to develop close rela­tion­ships with schol­ars in their major field through class­work, com­mu­nity out­reach, and social activ­i­ties. Amer­i­can Indian Stud­ies spon­sors an annual tra­di­tional sto­ry­telling event, aca­d­e­mic con­fer­ences, and men­tor­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties. From courses in over ten major depart­ments, to com­mu­nity and tribal out­reach, to the Annual Evenings of Amer­i­can Indian Sto­ry­telling, Amer­i­can Indian Stud­ies is among the most active and respected cen­ters of its kind in the nation. Our fac­ulty have numer­ous awards, pub­li­ca­tions, and grants to their credit, and our stu­dents have become tribal judges, attor­neys, teach­ers, and social work­ers in Wis­con­sin and beyond.