Academics

A Cardinal Quarter opportunity co-sponsored by the Native American Cultural Center (NACC) and the Haas Center for Public Service, the Indigenous Communities Fellowship is Stanford’s premier opportunity for students to pursue Indigenous service and community reinvestment within tribal and islander communities. This fellowship enables students to partner with a community-based nonprofit, government, or tribal organization of their choice to gain hands-on experience applying their academic pursuits and leadership skills toward the advancement of Indigenous sovereignty and worldviews. Preference is given to applicants whose host organizations are rooted in Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

• Fellowship Details
  • Eligibility: Open to Stanford undergraduate and graduate students
  • Summer Engagement: Fellows work full-time under the supervision of a host organization mentor
  • Fellowship Length: Typically 8–10 weeks during Summer 2025
• Stipend
  • Undergraduate students: $7,000 base stipend
  • Graduate students: $9,000 stipend
  • Additional financial aid and funding supplements available for undergraduates who qualify
• Application Information
  • The application cycle for Summer 2025 is now closed. Please check back in Fall 2025 for updates on the next round of applications and opportunities to get involved.
    • Applications open: TBD
    • Application deadline: TBD
    • Interviews (if applicable): TBD
    • Notification: TBD
• Resources for Applicants
  • This section will house updated materials and tools to support your fellowship planning and advising:
    • Written Guidelines (PDF)
    • Host Organization Planning Resources
    • Advising Appointments
    • FAQ and Application Tips
  • Please check back here for links and documents as the application cycle progresses!
• Questions?
  • Contact Matthew Yellowtail via email for more info or to get started with advising

Launched in 2022, the Summer Indigenous Language Immersion & Study Stipend is a collaborative initiative between the Native American Cultural Center (NACC) and the Native American Studies Program (NAS) within the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE). The program supports Stanford undergraduate and graduate students engaging in Indigenous language learning, revitalization, and community-based language work during the summer.

Recognizing the importance of language preservation and engagement for Indigenous communities, this $5,000 stipend helps students participate in a variety of language-focused opportunities, including formal courses, immersion programs, curriculum development, or project-based learning.

• Stipend Amount: $5,000
• Application Deadline: May 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
• Notification Timeline: Late May to early June 2025
• Access the application here

• Eligibility
  • Currently enrolled Stanford undergraduate or graduate students
  • Engaging with an Indigenous language in a meaningful, structured way during Summer 2025
  • Open configuration options
• Application Requirements
  • Completion of the online application form, found here.
  • Short-answer responses (language, format, community, timeline, etc.)
  • A 1–2 page narrative proposal (PDF upload) addressing:
    • Your goals for the summer language experience
    • The significance of this opportunity to you
    • How it supports your academic or career aspirations
    • Context and details of your summer engagement
• Questions?
  • If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, via email here

The Native American Cultural Center (NACC) is thrilled to announce the 32nd Annual John Milton Oskison Writing Competition! This annual event honors the legacy of John Milton Oskison, the first Native student to graduate from Stanford in 1898. Oskison, a Cherokee from Vinita, Indian Territory, was a professional writer and an advocate for Native rights. To celebrate his contributions, the NACC invites submissions of outstanding research papers that focus on issues or topics impacting Indigenous communities. All undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. Up to four prizes of $250 each will be awarded.

• Submission Details
  • Topics: Papers may cover any academic discipline but must include a substantial focus on issues or topics that impact Indigenous communities.
  • Eligibility: Submissions may be previously written coursework. Scholarly, complete works with proper citations (MLA, APA, or Chicago) are required.
  • Limit: One submission per student.
  • Length
    • Undergraduate: Maximum 15 pages
    • Graduate: Maximum 25 pages
  • We encourage you to take this opportunity to showcase your research, contribute to important conversations, and honor the legacy of John Milton Oskison.
• 2025 Winners
  • Graduate Winners
    • Carson Smith – "Peacemaking Systems: Analyzing Tribal Dispute Resolution Through a Dispute System Design Framework"
    • Leila Tamale – "Poetry as the Metaphorical Canoe: Empowering Diasporic Pasifika Youth through a (Re)Introduction to Poetry"
  • Co-Term
    • Autumn Parrot – "Undermining Sovereignty: The Impact of SAFETEA Section 10211(a) on Environmental Regulation in Oklahoma’s Indian Country"
  • Undergraduate Winner
    • Zola Ortiz – "Only a Memory: The Missing Representation of Native American Women within the American Indian Movement’s Archives and Greater Societal Impact of Memory"
• Questions?
  • Please email us here

Housed in the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE), the Native American Studies (NAS) program introduces students to a broad range of approaches to the study of Native people, history, and culture. Students who major in NAS have the opportunity to do advanced work in a variety of diverse disciplines. 

• Major and Minor options available
• Interdisciplinary course offerings
• Six affiliated Native language courses (Cherokee, Hawaiian, Inupiaq, Lakota, Nahuatl, Quechua, Samoan)
• Opportunities for advanced research and community-engaged learning

Native American Studies Liaison: Demetrius Brown, Class of 2027, is double-majoring in Biophysics and Native American Studies. He comes from Pine Ridge, SD, and chose Native American Studies because it’s important to see the Indigenous perspective in everything. Please reach out to Demetrius via email to schedule a meeting.

Learn more about Native American Studies, please visit here

All Stanford undergraduates are required to complete one year of college-level study or the equivalent in a foreign language. Within the Special Languages Program (SLP) at Stanford are a variety of Indigenous languages that are currently offered to students that fulfill the university language requirement; Navajo, Hawaiian, Inupiaq, Lakota, Samoan, Nahuatl, and Quechua. Past Indigenous language course offerings have included Cherokee, and Yup’ik.

• Additional Information
  • If your traditional language is not offered currently, you can submit a petition to get it added to the course catalog with this Special Language Program Form.
  • For current offerings and more information, visit the Special Languages Program site.
  • For more language opportunities, see the Summer Indigenous Language Immersion & Study Stipend (please link to Language Stipend)

Explore Stanford financial aid as well as outside undergraduate/graduate scholarships.

Resources and Support