This “Community-Engaged Scholarship in Indian Country” symposium is designed to examine the ways in which Native scholar-activists, American Indian communities, and non-Native scholars might work together on shared research projects.  Since its inception, non-Native historians, often members of the American Society for Ethnohistory, have had only a limited engagement with the cultural preservation efforts of indigenous communities.  Nevertheless, indigenous scholar-activists often consider ways to apply cutting-edge research into forms that might benefit their people.  We believe that it is time for scholars, both Native and non-Native, to more directly and explicitly explore how they might work together on projects that might benefit indigenous communities. 

This symposium focuses on two central questions. First, we are calling for presentations that offer a working definition of Community-Engaged Scholarship (CES), from both tribal and academic perspectives.  Second, we are searching for presentations that offer models of meaningful and sustainable partnerships between indigenous communities and academic institutions, particularly ones that are designed to live beyond a single tribal citizen or scholar’s initiative.

Our goal is to draw attention to innovative programs in both Indian country and academia, with an eye for inspiring new directions in Community-Engaged Scholarship. We are particularly interested in tribally-led projects dealing with political sovereignty, linguistic and cultural revitalization, and food sovereignty.   Finally, we are open to non-traditional forms of research and scholarship, such as oral interviews, graphic design and other approaches that might better suit the needs of Native communities.

Please send a 300 word abstract to the committee responsible for organizing this symposium by December 15, 2016: Stephen Warren, University of Iowa (stephen-warren@uiowa.edu), Brian Hosmer, University of Tulsa (Brian-Hosmer@utulsa.edu), Benjamin Barnes, Second Chief, Shawnee Tribe (ben.barnes@gmail.com); George Ironstrack, Assistant Director and Program Director, Education and Outreach Office, Myaamia Center (ironstgm@MiamiOH.edu); Keith Thor Carlson, University of Saskatchewan (keith.carlson@usask.ca); John P. Bowes, Eastern Kentucky University (John.Bowes@eku.edu). Successful applicants will be notified by February 1, 2017.  Presenters will then be required to submit an 8-10 page working draft of their essay by April 5, 2017, two weeks prior to the symposium.