Adam Matthew at The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association 2011

I recently attended the third meeting of the annual Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) hosted by the Department of Native American Studies at UC Davis. Founded in 2008, NAISA is an organization dedicated to supporting scholarship in the academic field of Native American and Indigenous studies. This year the conference took place in the Hyatt Regency hotel located in the homelands of the Nisenan peoples. Held over three days in May, the conference featured close to 600 speakers across 140 panels and roundtables and was very well attended by Native American and Indigenous scholars, students, community members, publishers and museum professionals.

Rick Adams opened the conference with a land blessing, singing extracts from fourteen songs in which the natural rejuvenation of the earth and land was used as a metaphor for forgiveness. The songs were sung in Rick’s native tongue, and provided a moving and almost spiritual opening that seemed befitting for this academic meeting.

The programme was packed with engaging and thought provoking papers covering a wide range of diverse subjects on key topics that included: issues of sovereignty, colonization and decolonization, politics and law, indigenous cultures, language preservation, pedagogy and indigenous identity. I attended a diverse selection of stimulating sessions. I learnt about the cultural and religious significance of dance in American Indian culture – dances such as the Ghost Dance, Sun Dance, Scalp Dance and the Begging Dance were the centre of discussion and debate. I was struck by the extent to which dance and ritual are an integral component of American Indian cultures and how dance was used strategically to address issues arising from colonisation; as a tool for negotiation, and a means of retaining cultural identity. Other interesting talking points included the decline in native language knowledge and use and the challenges currently facing attempts at language revival and preservation; the segregation of native nations and their continued struggle for recognition and of the challenges faced by universities to retain American Indian students. As the conference progressed, it became clear to me that the fundamental challenges and issues faced by the colonised, whether they be Australian Aborigines or the Chamorro peoples of Guam, bear striking similarities.

One of the main reasons for my attendance was to develop some ideas for a follow-up to our American West resource. I met with some interesting academics and promising students over the duration of the conference who generously spared their time to talk to me, offering valuable information and feedback. Engaging with scholars is central to the development of our resources and a vital component in our development process.

The conference focused not only on the histories of a wide variety of indigenous cultures but there was also a strong emphasis on the issues facing native peoples today . This aspect of the conference led one to confront, and reflect upon, some crucial issues relating to the long-term effects of colonisation.

I hope to attend NAISA again next year – it was an enjoyable, informative and valuable experience from which I gained a great deal of knowledge.