Working in Conjunction with Postgraduate Scholars
Princeton University is offering undergraduate students an opportunity to delve into Indigenous Studies through collaborative research projects with graduate students, faculty, and local Indigenous communities.
Undergraduate students can participate in faculty-led community-engaged scholarship projects, such as the Derian Summer 2025 Internship in Community-Engaged Scholarship, which focused on Indigenous language activism. This internship saw undergraduates working closely with faculty mentors and graduate researchers, alongside community members from Lunaape (Lenape) Nations, to conduct land-based language revitalization, archival research, and cultural heritage documentation.
Collaboration extends beyond internships. Undergraduates can join research groups or labs affiliated with Indigenous studies faculty mentors, where they collaborate with graduate students on ongoing projects, including archival, linguistic, and cultural research relevant to Native communities.
Princeton's Office of Undergraduate Research and community engagement programs also provide opportunities for undergraduates to secure positions supporting Indigenous research, often in collaboration with graduate students and faculty advisors.
For those interested in Indigenous Studies, the Princeton American Indian and Indigenous Studies Working Group (PAIISWG) is a valuable resource. Comprising graduate students in various disciplines, PAIISWG organizes symposia, workshops, and language camps that bring together students and scholars from different levels to work on Native language revitalization and cultural preservation efforts within Princeton’s academic and community partnerships.
PAIISWG is also working on building a listserv to share findings, publicize events, and receive feedback on work. The group is planning a conference with contemporary Indigenous Studies scholars from across North America.
Although graduate students and undergraduates are typically segregated on Princeton's campus, these structured internships and community collaborative projects foster close working relationships. Undergraduates typically support faculty and graduate student research by contributing to archival data collection, language documentation, or community fieldwork, while gaining mentorship and research experience in Indigenous Studies.
It's worth noting that Princeton University focuses on undergraduate teaching more than many other leading research institutions, providing an ideal environment for undergraduates to engage in such collaborative research. Despite this, there is currently no official certificate program in Indigenous Studies at Princeton.
For those seeking guidance on academic paths, the author, a Social Sciences Correspondent, has written articles detailing their experiences in Geosciences and the benefits of joining PAIISWG. They have also introduced PAIISWG members to campus resources like Kanopy.
In conclusion, Princeton University is committed to community-engaged scholarship in Indigenous Studies, particularly focused on language revitalization and heritage preservation with local Indigenous communities such as the Munsee-Delaware Nation. Undergraduates interested in joining such initiatives should look for faculty-led internships, research partnerships, and departmental programs that explicitly include Indigenous Studies research streams, where graduate students often act as mentors or co-researchers.
- Undergraduate students at Princeton University can enhance their junior paper by engaging in Indigenous Studies research projects, where they develop their research skills through independent work alongside faculty, graduate students, and local Indigenous communities.
- Participation in education-and-self-development programs like the Derian Summer 2025 Internship offers personal-growth opportunities for undergraduates, as they collaborate on cultural heritage documentation and language revitalization.
- By utilizing learning resources such as PAIISWG and faculty-led internships, undergraduate students at Princeton University can acquire research experience in Indigenous Studies, fostering their growth not only academically but also at a personal level.
