CALL FOR PROPOSALS!!
American Indian Studies Association
25th Annual Conference
February 1-2, 2024
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Indigenous Wellbeing
Our last two conferences have focused on Indigenous survivance and resilience with specific attention to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by our conference on reconciliation, reparations, and relationality. For the 25th conference, we examine the health and wellness of our communities, nations, lands, nature, animals, and people. Indigenous wellbeing is the holistic, sustainable, restorative, and interrelated ways that Indigenous people and the environment and other beings thrive and continue in the present and future. It is diversely expressed through the cultural and political sovereignty of Indigenous communities and gauges wellness through place and by decentering human selves and re-centering traditional values as a framework. We know Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and cultural practices attend to our peoples’ wellbeing and Shkaakaamikwe (Ojibwe), Unci Maka (D/Lakota), Nahasdzáán shimá (Diné) (our earth mother). American Indian Studies scholars continue to examine the significance of wellbeing in diverse ways from perspectives across Indigenous communities. We would like to return to sharing our understandings and knowledge of wellbeing given what we learned from the pandemic and the political and ideological hurdles that continue to drive for Indigenous erasure. We return to a discussion on relationality in the context of Indigenous wellbeing.
Indigenous wellbeing focused topic areas can include: economics, education, food sovereignty, language, literature, environment, cultural practice, resilience practices, policy, urban issues, community development, gender, non-profit work, sexuality/sexualities, issues specific to place, futurity, mental health (and social, emotional, physical.... health), advocacy and direct-action work, mutual aid, and nation/world building.
The AISA board welcomes a variety of submissions, including individual papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, films or creative performance, and thinking out loud sessions. The “Thinking out loud” session is intended for works or ideas in progress. See the submission form below for a description of each format. We welcome proposals from colleagues working in colleges, universities, Tribal colleges and universities, community and grassroots organizations, non-profit organizations, tribal governments, elders, community members, undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty.
Submit your proposal using this link:
https://form.jotform.com/231355480287156
Deadline: September 1, 2023
Questions? Email: Tiffany S. Lee, AISA President
tslee@unm.edu
Session Types:
- Individual paper – A single paper submission. In paper sessions, authors present abbreviated versions of their papers. Four to five authors are grouped together to each present their papers, followed by audience discussion.
- Panel – Submitted by organizer. A complete panel (3-5 panelists) should include a panel description, panel title, names of panelists, titles and abstracts for each paper and include a chair.
- Roundtable – An organized discussion with a moderator (or audience) posing questions to the 3-5 discussants.
- Thinking Out Loud – Work or ideas in progress. This is an informal presentation around a table to share your ideas for future research, new research in progress, or to talk through your ideas with interested colleagues. Each table will have three to five researchers clustered around related topics, along with interested audience members at the table who participate in the discussion.
- Workshop – A workshop provides hands-on learning opportunities. Workshops should be interactive and allow time for audience members to practice and/or discuss concepts/ideas presented.
- Film or Creative Performance – Presentation of a film or demonstration of a creative artistic performance.