Indigenous Humanities Lab
The Indigenous Humanities Lab at the HRC serves as a collaborative hub for advancing Indigenous scholarship, pedagogy, and community engagement at Virginia Commonwealth University and beyond. The lab brings together faculty, students, and community members to explore Indigenous histories, cultures, and knowledge systems through both local and global perspectives.
The Indigenous Humanities Lab centers Indigenous voices and methodologies while fostering interdisciplinary research that bridges academic scholarship with community-based knowledge. We examine how Indigenous peoples have shaped and continue to influence the cultural, political, and intellectual landscapes of their regions, with particular attention to both Virginia's Indigenous communities and global Indigenous experiences.
Open to all members of the VCU community and beyond, the lab welcomes participation from faculty, students, staff, and community members committed to advancing Indigenous humanities scholarship and fostering respectful cross-cultural dialogue. We look forward to welcoming you!
(Image credit: Water Carriers, Pamunkey Gourd by Ethan Brown)
Meet the Team
Sarah Montoya, Ph.D.
Co-director
Sarah Montoya is a queer Mexican American settler working at the intersection of Settler Colonial Studies, Critical Infrastructure and Information Studies, and Feminist Technology Studies. She earned a PhD in Gender Studies from UCLA where she gained experience as a curator, researcher, site designer, and programmer on digital projects exploring race, space, and the law. From 2023-2025, Sarah served as a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail where she created materials for tribal outreach and directed material resources towards tribal-led educational and cultural programming.
Contact: montoyas2@vcu.edu
Christina Davis, M.Ed., B.I.S.
Co-director
Christina Davis is an Advisor and Instructor in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program within University College. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Anthropology and Religious Studies, as well as a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership from VCU. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education, with a focus on Curriculum, Culture, and Change, with her research centering on Indigenous Pedagogy and Methodology. Christina’s university work has included chairing the Educational Subcommittee for VCU’s Land Acknowledgement Task Force, participating on the VCU Health Partnership with Tribal Nations Project Planning team, and serving on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Virginia Indigenous Nations in Higher Education committee. Additionally, she advises the United Native Voices Student Organization and is a committed advocate for promoting accurate cultural and educational programming.
Contact: daviscl7@vcu.edu
Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D.
Co-director
Cristina Stanciu is an immigrant scholar of Indigenous and Multiethnic Literatures of the United States. Her career so far has been driven by a desire to recover and recirculate Indigenous histories, understand multi-ethnic voices, texts, and archives across time and space, and to think deeply about institutions of knowledge production and dissemination (archives, print culture, spaces of education, and the academy, more broadly).
Contact: cstanciu@vcu.edu
IHL Bookclub: Ned Blackhawk's The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History
The HRC Indigenous Humanities Lab invites VCU students and community members to join VCU alumni Jessica Vigil and current student Lily Jenkerson to read and discuss Blackhawk's The Rediscovery of America. Bookclub conversations lead up to Ned Blackhawk’s lecture at VCU on October 30th from 12–2 p.m. Participants will receive a free copy of the book and are expected to attend the lecture.
Please see the meeting and reading schedule below:
Session 1: Friday, September 25 from 4:00-5:30 pm | Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 5
Session 2: Friday, October 9 from 1pm-2pm | Chapter 6, Chapter 7
Session 3: Friday, October 23 from 1pm-2pm | Chapter 10, Chapter 12
Please email musgraveec@vcu.edu for more information.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance Speaker Series
The HRC Indigenous Humanities Lab is proud to offer a speaker series on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance from experts in the field. Geared towards tribal administrators and representatives, this programming offers an overview, resources, and examples of Indigenous information management in action.
Session 1: Friday, August 14th from 12pm-1pm | Recording coming soon!
Session 2: Tuesday, September 1st from 1pm-2pm | Recording coming soon!
Upcoming Meetings
Please see the Fall 2026 schedule for IHL meetings below:
- Thursday, August 27, 4-6 pm, in person at the Humanities Research Center
- Friday, September 18, 1-2 pm on Zoom
- Friday, October 23, 1-2 pm on Zoom
- Friday, November 13, 1-2 pm on Zoom
- Monday, December 7, 4-6 in person at the Humanities Research Center
Please email musgraveec@vcu.edu or montoyas2@vcu.edu for more information.
Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor
Housed in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the minor in Native American and Indigenous studies provides an overview of the study of Native American and Indigenous histories, cultures and contemporary issues from perspectives of different disciplines in the humanities and the sciences. It is meant to be accessible to all majors at VCU and designed to be flexible and serve the interests of individual students. The minor consists of a total of 18 credit hours, with a minimum of nine credit hours at the 300 level or higher. Learn more at the VCU Bulletin.
News
VCU offering new minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies
Debuting Fall 2026 in the College of Humanities and Sciences, the cirriculum reflects growing ties to Virginia's tribal nations.
Mellon Foundation grant will support launch of Indigenous Humanities Lab at VCU
Through a partnership of the Humanities Research Center and the College of Humanities and Sciences, Cristina Stanciu and Catherine Ingrassia are expanding the university’s focus on Native programs.
