ASAIL

Halito che chukma, greetings,

Welcome to the website for the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures (ASAIL). ASAIL is a professional academic organization created to promote the study, criticism, and research of American Indian written and oral literary traditions. An affiliate with the Modern Language Association (MLA), ASAIL sponsors a number of panels

ASAIL President - Jodi Byrd

at the MLA's annual meeting and at the Native American Literature Symposium and also sponsors panels at the American Literature Association (ALA) and the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW) conferences. Our conference participation, along with our journal, Studies in American Indian Literatures, ensures that members have forums to present, publish, and debate innovative research on American Indian literary traditions. I can say with pride that ASAIL's current membership includes leading scholars, writers, and activists committed to the interdisciplinary study and continuance of American Indian and indigenous languages, cultures, and aesthetic traditions.  

Whether you are a first-time visitor to our site or a long-term member of ASAIL, you will find resources here on teaching, researching and writing about American Indian and indigenous literatures. In addition, you will find information about upcoming conferences as well as Calls for Papers and current job offerings around the country. Our Association takes mentorship seriously, and to help graduate students begin their academic careers, we offer conference travel fellowships to offset expenses for students to present their research. Colleagues will find syllabi, language resources, and a community of faculty to aid their own research and teaching expertise. If you aren't already a member, I welcome you to our website and encourage you to join ASAIL!

Jodi Byrd
ASAIL President

Emerging Scholars Professional Development Fellowship

ASAIL announces the ASAIL Emerging Scholars Professional Development Fellowship, which provides travel assistance honoraria $300 (US) for graduate students and advanced undergraduates to attend and present at professional conferences. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Applicants must provide the following information: a cover letter, cv, and acceptance letter confirming acceptance to present at a professional conference on a topic relating to the study of Indigenous literatures and/or languages. Awards will be distributed at the discretion of the ASAIL President and Treasurer based on funding availability. Send applications and queries to the current ASAIL President, Jodi Byrd, at jabyrd@illinois.edu.

Spring 2010 - SAIL now available

Volume 22, Number 1, Spring 2010 edited by Daniel Heath Justice and James Cox The Spring 2010 volume of Studies in American Indian Literatures features articles, poetry, book reviews, and more. Articles "A Necessary Inclusion: Native Literature in Native Studies" - Renate Eigenbrod "The Marriage of Mother and Father: Michif Influences as Expressions of Métis Intellectual Sovereignty in Stories of the Road Allowance People" - Mareike Neuhaus "The Politics of the Camera: Visual Storytelling and Sovereignty in Victor Masayesva's Itam Hakim, Hopiit" - Channette Romero "Alexie's Nutshell: Mousetraps and Interpenetrations of The Business of Fancydancing and Hamlet" - Blake M. Hausman Visit the SAIL page for more information about Volume 22.

Membership

Thank you for your interest in supporting ASAIL. A membership includes participation in ASAIL's electronic discussion groups, voting privileges at the annual business meeting, and a subscription to SAIL: Studies in American Indian Literatures.

Membership rates for calendar year 2010 including subscription to volume 22 (2010) of SAIL:

    * Regular Individual - $50
    * Limited Income - $35
    * Sponsor - $100+
    * Patron - $250+

Please visit the Membership page for additional information.