The Future of American Indian Studies

American Indian studies celebrates forty years at a conference in conjunction with a campuswide effort to recognize the development of interdisciplinary studies programs in the second half of the twentieth century. Interdisciplinary programs (IDPs) are a major aspect of the progress of academics in the United States. The author's point at the conference examining the potential future for American Indian studies is his ardent reminder of America's great accomplishment. Today, Americans have a non-European academy in the United States that accompanies the European model. As people contemplate the future of American Indian studies in the twenty-first century, they must renew and strengthen their understanding and appreciation for the enormous accomplishment they have formed in the American academy: a non-European academy. The author points out that Americans must continue to support and benefit from the intellectualism of IDPs as well as enjoy the inclusion of all of their communities in the life of the campus. They must remember and promote their interdisciplinary studies approach as an American development that continues their legacy as the educational effort of all people.