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	E-mail Web site

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	E-mail Web site

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	E-mail Web site

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.