The Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) at UNC Pembroke is inviting proposals for papers, panels and poster presentations addressing the study of Native Americans in the Southeastern United States cultural area. Topics may include academic or creative works on archaeology, education, history, socio-cultural issues, religion, literature, oral traditions, art, identity, sovereignty, health, food sovereignty, tribal governance, economic development, language revitalization, cultural resource management, environmental justice, and other matters. Creative works may include any written, visual, musical, video, digital or other creative production that connects to Indigenous Southeast peoples’ experiences, histories or concerns. Proposals are welcome from all persons working or doing research in the field. Only complete proposals will receive full consideration. Individuals may submit only one proposal.

AIS is also offering student travel grants of up to $1,000 to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students to defray the cost of traveling to present their research at the conference. Travel awards funds may be used for registration, travel expenses, per diem, and lodging (3 days, 2 nights).

The deadline to submit a proposal and student travel grant application is December 1, 2024.

About the Southeast Native Studies Conference

The 20th annual Southeast Native Studies Conference (SNSC) will be held at UNC Pembroke March 20-21, 2025. The Conference provides a forum for discussion of the cultures, histories, and contemporary experiences of Native Americans in the Southeast United States. It serves as a critical venue for scholars, students, community members, and all persons interested in American Indian/Native American Studies in the region. Held annually since 2005, the SNSC is the only national conference dedicated solely to the unique histories and cultures of Southeastern Native Americans. For more information about the conference, visit www.uncp.edu/ais/snsc.

About the University of North Carolina at Pembroke

UNC Pembroke, with its unique designation as “North Carolina’s Historically American Indian University”, Department of American Indian Studies (AIS), Museum of the Southeast American Indian (MSAI), the Curt Sr. and Catherine Locklear American Indian Heritage Center, and Southeast American Indian Studies (SAIS), all make UNCP an ideal setting for the Southeast Native Studies Conference. Established in 1887 to train Lumbee Indian teachers, UNCP confers more undergraduate degrees to Indians than any institution east of the Mississippi River and is in the top 10 nationally. Between 1887 and 1952, the institution’s student body was all-Native American. During that time, between 1939 and 1953, the institution was the only state-supported four-year college for American Indians in the United States. Today, 13 percent of the student body is Native American, representing Native communities throughout North Carolina and beyond.

Guidelines for Submitting Presentation Proposal

1. Prepare an abstract of not more than 250 words in English. A research abstract should contain the study’s purpose, methodology, results and/or conclusions (or may focus on any stage of the study). A creative abstract may be informative, descriptive, or critical and contain a thesis, background and/or conclusion. Papers, panels, or posters should be of original work not previously presented at any venue.
2. Choose an individual paper, a panel presentation or poster presentation format.
   
   1. Individual abstracts must contain a presenter name, title, affiliation, and an abstract.
   2. Panel proposals must contain a title of the panel, presenter names and affiliations, titles of individual presentations, and a brief précis for all individual presentations; a person designated as chair, and an abstract for the panel as a whole.
   3. Poster proposals must contain the presenter’s name, title, affiliation and an abstract. The presenter is required to be present during specified poster session hours for informal questions and discussions about their research with meeting attendees. Posters will be on display throughout the duration of the conference. Posters will be attached to a bulletin board that measures 36” (vertical) by 48” (horizontal). Easels, poster boards (36” x 48”) and pushpins will be provided. Posters must be printed prior to the event. General poster guidelines are:
      
      1. Materials: Paper-based (with matte finish or coated paper) or foam board (including tri-folds)
      2. Minimum Information to include Title, Name, Phone, Email, University, Location, and Type of Poster, Research, or Project
3. Submit your proposal as instructed above. You will receive a confirmation email after your submission is received.
4. A faculty committee will conduct a blind review of all proposals. All accepted presenters are required to register and attend the conference.
5. All accepted presenters using a PowerPoint or other digital media must submit a copy of their presentation to the conference organizers prior to the day of their presentation for backup.

Archiving of Conference Presentations

The Department of American Indian Studies plans to create an archive of SNSC presentations in collaboration with UNC Pembroke’s Southeast American Indian Studies. Presenters at the conference may be asked for permission to have their presentations videotaped, or to donate digital or hard copies of their conference papers and posters, to become part of this permanent, public archive of SAIS.

Student Travel Grants

Learn more about student travel grants.

Submit Presentation Proposal and Travel Grant Application

The deadline to submit a proposal and student travel grant application is December 1, 2024.

• Submit presentation proposal and travel grant application here:  www.uncp.edu/ais/snsc.

Additional Information

Contact Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs, Chair of American Indian Studies, at mary.jacobs@uncp.edu or 910.521.6266 or visit www.uncp.edu/ais/snsc.