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UMM Home >
Interdisciplinary Studies >
American Indian Studies >
Faculty
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Faculty in American Indian Studies
American Indian Studies is an interdisciplinary program, taught by instructors from across the UMM faculty with a strong
passion for the topic, including:
Wilbert Ahern
Professor of History
Office: 118 Camden
Phone: (320) 589-6188
Research interests:
Indian boarding schools
Assimilation issues
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E-mail Web site
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Becca Gercken
Assistant Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Miami
Office: 204 Humanities
Phone: (320) 589-6259
Areas of expertise:
American Indian literature and film
Federal Indian Policy
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E-mail Web site
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Current Areas of Inquiry: I study representations of American Indian identity, not only those produced by American Indian writers and
filmmakers, but also those produced by the dominant culture and those contained within Federal Indian
Policy. Thus my work includes literature, film, television, and government documents.
Current Project: I am currently working with a Northern Cheyenne ledger book produced in the late 19th century. The ledger,
which contains scenes of Northern Cheyenne warriors in conflict with white settlers, the cavalry, and other
Indians tribes, has been defaced and altered by unknown persons. My work focuses on a visual-rhetorical
analysis of the original history and the changes made to it.
What I like best about teaching at Morris is that I can have students every semester for 4 years and
see
them grow intellectually and personally. It is also important to me that I teach at a school with so many Indian students.
Julie Pelletier
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Degree: Ph.D., Michigan State University
Awards: Alumni Association Teaching Award
Office: 116B Imholte Hall
Phone: (320) 589-6214
Areas of expertise:
indigenous cultures
identity
research ethics and methods
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E-mail Web site
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Current areas of inquiry: My research involves questions of identity and I have conducted fieldwork
with the Ojibwa in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan since 1995 as well as more recently in Aotearoa/New
Zealand with the indigenous Maori. My current work focuses on identity and Indian gaming; I have also
published in the area of decolonizing pedagogy.
I chose UMM for two reasons. First, I believe in the value of a liberal arts education and am happy
to
participate in that effort at UMM. The second reason has to do with the unique history of UMM as a former
Indian boarding school. The history led to the institution of an Indian tuition waiver, a commitment that
UMM continues to meet to the largest minority group on campus. It is deeply satisfying to teach in such a
diverse setting, with students who bring to the classroom a desire to learn about anthropology and about
American Indian cultures.
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