Indigenous programs
At the New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice (NJCIJ) and the Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Program at Montclair State University, we walk in partnership with New Jersey's three state-recognized Tribes to re-Indigenize New Jersey while transforming how our students learn and see their place in community. Our work lives at a powerful intersection: confronting the erasure of Indigenous peoples while offering Montclair students a unique opportunity to join in justice-driven, community-engaged education where classroom learning meets real-world purpose.
Students in our courses, Summer Field School, and capstone experiences work hand-in-hand with Indigenous knowledge keepers on projects that matter: environmental justice, language revitalization, cultural heritage preservation, and food sovereignty. Our NAIS graduates leave Montclair with more than a diploma. They leave with relationships, field-tested skills, and a sense of purpose and community that stays with them as they enter the next chapter of their lives. Your gift fuels this dual mission directly:
- NAIS Summer Field School — a 4-week immersive program where students earn credit while contributing to Tribal-led projects at the Munsee Three Sisters Farm, the Ramapough Mountain Cemetery, and beyond, gaining hands-on experience in community-engaged research
- Indigenous Student Mentorship and Recruitment — building the infrastructure to welcome, support, and retain Native students at Montclair, including outreach to Tribal communities and sustained mentoring through the NJCIJ Director
- Vivian Milligan Digital Collection — student-led work preserving thousands of documents from the Ramapough Tribe's fight for environmental justice at the Ringwood Superfund Site
- Language Revitalization — student-designed learning materials, signage, and audio resources supporting the reawakening of Munsee, Unami, and Nanticoke in partnership with Tribal language keepers
- NAIS Courses, Events, and an Annual Symposium — bringing Indigenous scholars, artists, and knowledge keepers to campus, uplifting indigenous voices and enriching the intellectual life of the entire University.
