Welcome to the website for Native American Student Services at Brown University. Here you will find a variety of resources and information for current students and prospective students, parents, and alumni. We hope that this web site will raise awareness about the diversity of our campus community and increase the visibility of issues impacting Native Americans at Brown and beyond. We hold open meetings once a week and encourage you to attend; all are welcome. We encourage you to visit this web site often and welcome your feedback. Please contact us at NativesAtBrown@gmail.com.

All Ivy Native Council Conference and 9th Annual Spring Thaw Pow Wow

Brown University will host the All Ivy Native Council Conference from April 16th – 18th, 2010. The All Ivy Native Council (AINC) is a student organization comprised of Native American representatives from all of the Ivy League schools.  The Conference, hosted by an Ivy College every Spring, is dedicated to raising awareness about Native American issues in our collegiate and local communities. It also serves as an opportunity for Native American students and alumni in the Ivy League to network and support each other across their diverse campuses. 

A this year’s conference, we hope to bring scholars and distinguished guests to infuse dialogue in the Brown community and our fellow Native American Ivy League scholars with our theme “Natives Near and Far: A Congruent Evolution - Growth, Progress, and Adaptation”.  

Some of the topics and discussions we hope to have during the Conference include – 

• Keynote presentation by Dr. Ferlin Clark, President of Dine College, Navajo Nation, Arizona
• Presentation by new American-Indian Studies faculty at Brown University
• Panel discussion by Native American alumni on ‘Life After College’
• Inter-racial marriage in the Native American community
• Domestic violence
• State-tribal relationships and history of New England tribes
• Presentations by graduate schools and companies recruiting Native American students

The contemporary pow wow is a tribal or inter-tribal gathering of Native American and non-Native peoples to sing, dance, eat, see old friends and hopefully make new ones, while honouring Native cultures. The term “pow wow” is from the Algonquian word “pau waus” which means “spiritual leader.”  Early explorers to the Northeast mistook the word to stand for the entire gathering of people rather than just the leader who had drawn them there.

Brown University’s Annual Spring Thaw PowWow began in 2002, started by the Native Americans at Brown (NAB), a student led organization. Every year this group serves as the pow wow committee and begins the hard work of organizing and fundraising for the event long before it happens. The PowWow is the culminating, celebratory event of the year-long Native heritage series (please check out the Events page to see what’s coming up), and draws hundreds of dancers, drummers and vendors from around Indian Country.

The pow wow is free and open to the public! All are welcome!

The All Ivy Native Council Conference requires registration and a fee of $20. The registration material is forthcoming.

Interesting Links
Because NAB is dedicated to increasing knowledge and discussion about Native issues, we have included some links for reading about hot topics in Native communities and academia.
Which Thanksgiving?
"Censored News"