Harvard University Native American Program

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Mission

Our Mission is to bring together Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students and interested individuals from the Harvard community for the purpose of advancing the well-being of indigenous peoples through self-determination, academic achievement, and community service.

Brief History of HUNAP

The education of Native Americans is woven into the long history of Harvard University. The Charter of 1650, by which Harvard University continues to be governed, pledges the University to “the education of English and Indian youth.” From 1655 to 1698, the "Indian College" stood in Harvard Yard, on the site currently occupied by Matthews Hall. Despite the University’s pledge in its Charter to actively facilitate the education of American Indian youth, it was not until 1970 that a program was established to specifically address Native American issues. In early 1970, the American Indian Program (AIP) emerged on campus. That year, the Harvard University Graduate School of Education received federal funds for a program to train American Indian leaders and HGSE enrolled 11 Native Americans to its master’s degree program—the greatest number of Indian students to attend Harvard since the mid-1600s. The AIP was housed on the HGSE campus in historical Read House.

In 1990, the AIP was reorganized by the Provost as the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP). In 1998, HUNAP was designated an interfaculty initiative of Harvard University. As an interfaculty initiative, HUNAP’s goals focus on interfaculty scholarship and teaching, Native outreach, and student recruitment and support. Consistent with the Harvard administration’s effort to align all interfaculty initiatives with appropriate faculties, HUNAP was moved administratively and physically to the Harvard Kennedy School in September 2002.

In 2007, the program moved to its current location at 14 Story St, 4th floor, Suite 4, and now reports directly to the Offices of the President and the Provost. Over the last decade, the teaching and research efforts have continued to expand with Native faculty and support for new research programs. Our outreach continues to expand as well, now encompassing the over 1,000 Native Harvard alumni. The new office space incorporates student carrels and a resource library on a variety of topics concerning Native issues. Students have access to the telephone, computers, printer, and fax machine during regular business hours of 9:00am - 5:00pm.

Harvard Charter of 1650

The Harvard University Charter of 1650, which is still the governing document of Harvard today, calls for "the education of English and Indian youth", making it the first University to offer an education to Native Americans. Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck of the Wampanoag Tribe, Class of 1665, was the first Native American to graduate from Harvard.

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