A Different Path Forward: The Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMass

In New England, interactions between Native peoples and some public institutions have taken divergent paths over the past three decades. State legislatures and the many academic institutions that call the region home have developed different approaches to working with Native peoples. Public colleges and universities, given their ongoing development and support of initiatives engaging Native communities and their connections with state governments, can and should play a role in moving this conversation forward. This article illustrates a model for beginning and sustaining such a conversation through the Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) of the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston). The INENAS mission is to develop collaborative relationships, projects and programs with the indigenous peoples of the region. The institute is working with tribes to help them access federal, state and private funds for social, cultural and economic development. In this way, INENAS hopes to help Native peoples build tribal government and community capacity. This increased capacity will allow tribes to become more self-sufficient and more effective advocates for the needs and goals of their communities, and to work more skillfully with state legislatures.