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Dear Colleagues, 

With much gratitude, we welcome an entry about the The New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice (NJCIJ) by the director, Precious Benally, and the Native American and Indigenous Studies co-directors, Mark Clatterbuck (Religion), Chris Matthews, and Maisa Taha (Anthropology).

We have a lively week in CHSS. See you all at the AI Distinguished Speaker event, the NJCIJ Welcoming Ceremony and other events listed under "This Week in CHSS."

Best regards,

Fatma

Founded in Spring 2025, the New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice brings a new voice to our campus and to ongoing advocacy work in the state supporting NJ's tribal communities. The Center was established as part of a grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning program. It builds on several years of teaching, research, and relationship building by CHSS faculty in Anthropology, History, and Religion who direct the Native American and Indigenous Studies academic program. This piece will explain why we need a Center for Indigenous Justice at Montclair State and how we seek to complement and advance the mission of CHSS. 

Among the accomplishments of work related to the Center and the NAIS program is the University Land Acknowledgement Statement. Colleagues who drafted this statement and shepherded it through the University Senate emphasized the need for the statement to be both a recognition of NJ’s Indigenous communities and heritage but also a call to action to identify and counteract the legacies of dispossession and erasure that continue to harm Native people. 

The NAIS program was the first action to be implemented and it is designed to educate students about Native American history, culture, and knowledge systems as well as provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to work with and learn from tribal leaders in tribal spaces. Students in NAIS classes have volunteered to support food sovereignty efforts at Munsee Three Sisters Farm in Newton; studied and created an environmental justice digital archive for the Ringwood Mines Superfund site that poisoned a Ramapough community; documented Ramapough cemeteries and cultural heritage sites in West Milford and Mahwah; and supported the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Pow Wow and Big House ceremony in Bridgeton. In every case, students learn from tribal leaders who share knowledge about their communities, realizing the goal of Indigenous self-representation, while also serving these communities in ways that actualize the Indigenous values of respect and reciprocity.

Now in its third year, the NAIS program also runs an annual NAIS summer field school. With CHSS support and Mellon Funding, NAIS co-directors organize and lead this 4-week program in which Montclair students from any major participate in an intensive experiential learning project. Typically each week of the field school is devoted to a specific topic for which students are trained to conduct research and to understand the larger implications of the work for tribal communities. For example, each year students visited the Ringwood Mines superfund site to learn from tribal elder Wayne Mann who shared troubling stories about health consequences of toxic exposure in his community as well as the repeated failed attempts to resolve the crisis by Ford Motor (the polluter) and the EPA. Students are motivated by this experience to dive into the tedious but vital work of digitizing a collection of documents compiled by Edison Wetlands Association, the principal nonprofit advocacy organization for the tribe. This experience provides students direct, hands-on understanding of what tribal sovereignty and environmental justice look like and how they, as fellow citizens, can help.

Building on the impactful work of the NAIS program and Field School, the NJ Center for Indigenous Justice expands the capacity of Montclair State University to be an advocate for tribal communities as they fend off politically and racially motivated attacks against their sovereignty. It is also the first and only university-based project in New Jersey developed to transform public understanding of Native people and to do so in partnership with Indigenous communities across the state. The center will deepen interdisciplinary NAIS research, support student initiatives, and create a digital repository of tribal knowledge using the Mukurtu CMS to preserve oral histories, environmental justice archives, research databases, and language learning materials for use by tribal members, faculty, and students.

The center also brings a new fulltime staff member to our college. Precious Benally is an Indigenous (Diné) professional with more than a decade of experience in tribal law, policy and community engagement. She has worked with tribal governments, justice system practitioners, and federal agencies to design innovative solutions addressing governance, economic development, juvenile justice and social services. She brings a leadership style grounded in listening and partnership. As she has said, “My lived experience as an indigenous woman and my work supporting Native nation-building efforts have shown me the transformative power of community—and that’s exactly what drives the Center’s work. Our mission is simple but profound: To walk in partnership with Tribal communities to re-Indigenize New Jersey, while giving students meaningful, holistic learning experiences and transforming how the University lives up to its responsibility to society.”

We are so pleased to invite you to join us to celebrate at the Center’s Grand Welcoming event on Wednesday, October 8, 2-4 pm on the Student Center Quad. After a few remarks from tribal and university leaders, the Red Blanket Singers of NJ’s Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation will perform traditional Indigenous dance and music. Please also feel free to stop by Dickson 411 to welcome Precious to the campus community.

Thank you,



Precious Benally (NJCIJ Director), Mark Clatterbuck, Chris Matthews, and Maisa Taha (NAIS program co-directors)

This Week in CHSS

Italian American Heritage Flag Raising

The Coccia Institute for the Italian Experience in America will host the inaugural Italian American Heritage Month Flag Raising at Montclair State University. Join us for a celebration of Italian American culture as we recognize the contributions of Italian American students, faculty, and staff to our campus community.

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 7, 1 -3 p.m.

Location: Student Center Flagpole, reception to follow in Student Center

What Are Languages Worth?

Investigating the use and value of multilingualism in the Labor Market with Dr. Tobias Schroedler from the University of Duisburg, Germany.

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Location: Feliciano School of Business, Room 324

CHSS New Student Mix & Mingle!

Join CHSS faculty, advisors and staff to meet and welcome CHSS first-year students. RSVP here

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 8, 3:30-5 p.m.

Location: Dickson Hall Front Lawn (rain location, Cohen Lounge)

An Evening of Silent Comedy Shorts with Live Music by Ben Model

Ben Model is a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and the Library of Congress. All are welcome! Sponsored by the English Department

Date & Time: Thursday, October 9, 5 - 6:30 p.m.

Location: Red Hawk Nest, Student Center 126

Power of Latinas Conference: Your Rights, Your Voice, Your Future

This full-day event will bring together Latina voices in health & wellness, business, politics, and education. Senator Teresa Ruiz, the New Jersey Legislature Majority Leader, will deliver the keynote. If faculty members are interested in bringing their classes for a portion of the event, please contact Lady Jimenez Torres.

Date & Time: Friday, October 10, 9 a.m. - 5p.m.

Location: University Hall Conference Center

Visiones de Cuba: Storytelling, Dance and Photography

Join us for an evening that brings Cuba to campus! Experience a powerful photography exhibition capturing life on the island, hear inspiring stories from our Cuban community — interviewed by Montclair students — and enjoy Cuban dance classes and delicious food. Learn, dance, and celebrate Cuban culture with us!

Date & Time: Friday, October 10, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Cole Hall Balcony, Cole Hall 324



At Your Service

CHSS Resource Guide

This guide is designed to support our faculty, instructors, and staff by providing quick access to the tools, policies, and information you need to carry out your work effectively. Inside, you’ll find resources on office operations, administrative processes, technology support, and campus services all in one place. Whether you’re new or a tenured colleague, this guide will help you throughout the academic year. If you have a question and cannot find the answer in this guide, or don’t know who to contact, start with the Administrative Services Team.

Apply to Join The PROPEL Project

As part of Montclair’s commitment to managerial professional growth and development, the University is excited to announce that applications are open for The PROPEL Project. The program focuses on funding active participation in professional conferences, complemented by coaching support to help employees maximize their conference experiences for career and professional growth. Please visit The PROPEL Project website.

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