Full-Circle Approach
The American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP) utilizes a full-circle approach to education. We believe in the recruitment, retention and reintroduction of our students into their respective communities. Our full-time student support specialist and administrative staff are available year-round to help our students accomplish their goals.
When you come to Cornell, you can rely on us and our established connections throughout the university to help you with your transition. We take the time to guide you through Cornell's rigorous academic programs. Additionally, we provide you and your peers with the tools necessary to balance your academic and extracurricular activities. AIISP prides itself on having one of the highest North American Indigenous student graduation rates in the nation. From hiring quality tutors to sourcing important scholarships, we are here to support you.
Through the full-circle approach, we enable you to fully experience what a Cornell education has to offer. We encourage our students to join student organizations for networking and professional development opportunities. We also encourage our students to participate in AIISP’s academic and cultural events, such as taking American Indian and Indigenous Studies (AIIS) courses or living in Akwe:kon, the first residential program house in the nation founded to celebrate North American Indigenous cultures.
Programs & Events
We have organized, hosted, or co-sponsored an array of events such as presentations, conferences and symposia that have proven to be precedent-setting in the field of American Indian and Indigenous Studies (AIIS). Our events have uniquely positioned us as leaders in the field by promoting Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies through the voices of Indigenous activists, artists, scientists and other invited scholars.
We acknowledge the importance of having a strong sense of community on campus in order for our students to be successful at Cornell. Thus every year we host a variety of extracurricular activities that enrich your college experience.
Indigenous Convocation and Welcome Back
Indigenous Convocation and Welcome Back takes place at the start of each academic year, serving as a signature event for the AIISP community. The gathering welcomes students, faculty, staff, family, and friends to Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ geh with a keynote address, remarks from AIIS faculty, and opportunities to reconnect with peers and colleagues. The event provides a time to share food, situate ourselves in place, and affirm our community and commitments for the year ahead.
Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony
Each May AIISP hosts our Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony. This formal event is an opportunity to recognize our graduating Indigenous seniors, as well as all graduating students who have completed degrees in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. During the ceremony we deliver awards to multiple students recognizing academic, leadership, and research accomplishments from the past year.
Late Night Breakfast
Late Night Breakfast is a beloved annual tradition. During Finals Week each term AIISP staff prepare a full breakfast spread at Akwe:kon for our students to feast on in the evening. Preparing them for a late night of studying. It's the ultimate stress buster during one of the most academically demanding times of the year!
On November 19, 2024, the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program and Cornell Dining hosted Ǫgwahǫwéhneha:ˀ Gyǫhéhgǫh—'Food of the Original People.' Credit: Cornell Dining
Frequently asked questions
Looking for internships and scholarships?
AIISP provides tools for student academic success such as sponsoring tutors (Native American Peer Mentoring Program (NAIMP)) to support students' understanding of course material. Apply to be a NAIMP Volunteer Peer Mentor here!
We help students find and apply for internal and external internships, fellowships and other career-related opportunities that give students a competitive advantage for a future in today's economy.
AIISP organizes events to give students access to the world’s cutting-edge Indigenous scholars, community-based experts and cultural knowledge holders. Each term we organize, host, and co-sponsor presentations, conferences and symposia in a range of fields exemplifying current work being explored in the field of American Indian and Indigenous Studies.
We help current students apply for prestigious academic opportunities, such as: ILR Fellowships, national student representative positions (eg. AISES student representative, National Congress of the American Indian, and others), and the McNair Scholars Program among others.
- Peter Thais (St. Regis Mohawk Tribe) - U.S. National Student Representative for the AISES region 6
- Watch Yanenowi Logan (Seneca Nation) deliver an address to the National Congress of American Indians as the co-Presdent of the NCAI Youth Commission, February 2023
- Watch Cornell's McNair Program video featuring recipient Fred Blaisdell '16 (Oneida Nation of the Thames) at minute 1:25.
AIISP assists students with time-management strategies that support academic studies, leisure time and student participation in one or more of the 1,200 student organizations and sports activities on campus. We encourage students to engage with the four Indigenous-related student-led organizations advised by AIISP: the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Native American Indigenous Students At Cornell (NAISAC), the Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) and the Indigenous Graduate Student Association (IGSA).
AIISP staff have an open door policy that welcomes students to come in and share their good news or to seek academic and personal guidance related to:
- College transition
- Coursework
- Family
- Health
- Other
Find us on the fourth floor of Caldwell Hall on the Ag Quad!