Native & Indigenous Research Symposium

Overview

Howka (hello). The Native Resource Center (NRC) at San Diego State University invites proposals and participation in the 6th Annual Native & Indigenous Research & Arts Symposium (NIRAS), to be held Thursday, March 12, 2026, and Friday, March 13, 2026, at the SDSU Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. NIRAS is a convening that uplifts Native and Indigenous scholarship and creative practice across disciplines. The symposium centers Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies often marginalized in Western academic contexts and embraces a transnational understanding of Indigeneity that disrupts settler-imposed borders and affirms Indigenous experiences worldwide. In honor of the 2022 Native American Music and Dance Conference organized by Dr. Vince Whipple (Lakota/Diné), NIRAS continues to integrate the arts as a core dimension of the program, including visual and performance-based work by local and regional Indigenous artists.

• Call For Presentations
• Sign Up to Volunteer

Important Dates, Presentation Format, and Schedule 

Important Dates:

• Proposal Deadline: Friday, February 27, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. PT
• Notification of Decision: By Monday, March 2, 2026 (end of day)

Presentation Format & Schedule:
In-Person Presentations:

• Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. PT
• Friday, March 13, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. PT

Location: SDSU Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center

Time Allocation: Standard presentation slots are 10 minutes. Presenters are encouraged to attend the symposium for its duration to support peer presenters and engage in discussion.