Professor Dr. Joely Proudfit has been tenured three times in the California State University system. In fall 2008, she joined the faculty at CSU San Marcos as Program Coordinator for Native Studies. She now serves as Professor and Department Chair of the newly established American Indian Studies Department. Dr. Proudfit is also the Director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) at CSUSM. She is also the founder and Executive Director of the California’s American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival, which is annually presented by the CICSC every November.

As the Director of the American Indian Studies Department, she will play a leadership role in the development of American Indian Studies minor and major.

www.joelyproudfitphd.com

Dr. Proudfit holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science with emphasis in public policy and American Indian studies from Northern Arizona University and a B.A. in political science with emphasis in public law from California State University Long Beach.

Dr. Proudfit previously served as a tenured Associate Professor of Public Administration and the Director of the Tribal Government, Management and Leadership Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and the Department Chair of American Indian Studies Department at San Francisco State University. She also was only the second person in the 38-year-old program to earn tenure.

In addition to her academic positions, she was the first special advisor to the Honorable Cruz M. Bustamante, lieutenant governor of California, for California Indian Sovereign Nations in 2002. Additionally, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Proudfit to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.

Dr. Proudfit is a Political Scientist who takes an interdisciplinary approach to her wide variety of research interests which include: Tribal Sovereignty, Federal Indian Policy, Tribal Leadership and Governance, California Indian Political and Contemporary Issues, American Indian Education, Mass Media, Tribal Telecommunications and Social Justice Issues.

She has presented her research at numerous conferences and media forums. She has published numerous essays and articles, including:

“The Current Dialogue About Diversity is Welcome, But Woefully Incomplete” in Variety Magazine.

“Native American Gaming in California” in the Congressional Quarterly Press.

“RIP: Jim Crow: Fighting Racism through Higher Education Policy, Curriculum, and Cultural Interventions” in the book Internecine Warfare: White Privilege and American Indians in Colleges and Universities.

“In the Trenches: A Critical Look at the Isolation of American India Political Practices in a Non-empirial Social Sciences” in the book Idigenizing the Academy : Transforming Scholarship and Empowering Communities.

Dr. Proudfit is the series editor and contributor of the recently published book On Indian Ground: A Return to Indigenous Knowledge—Generating Hope, Leadership and Sovereignty through Education published by Information Age Published. She is also the author of the forthcoming book Beyond the American Indian Stereotype: There’s More to Me Than What You See published by Praeger/Greenwood Press.

AIS 101 – Introduction to American Indian Studies

AIS 348 – American Indian Communities

AIS 350 – Imagining Indians: American Indians, Media, Film and Society

AIS 370 – American Indian Women and Activism

AIS 390 – Independent Study in American Indian Themes

AIS 468 – American Indian Political and Economic Development

Joely Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Tongva), Ph.D. holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science with emphasis in public policy and American Indian studies from Northern Arizona University and a B.A. in political science with emphasis in public law from California State University Long Beach. As the first member of her family to complete a high school diploma, she serves as a role model for Native youth and encourages self-determination through knowledge and education. In fall 2008, she joined the faculty at CSU San Marcos as Program Coordinator for Native Studies. She now serves as Professor and Department Chair of the newly established American Indian Studies Department. Dr. Proudfit is also the Director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) at CSUSM. Proudfit previously served as a tenured associate professor of public administration and the director of the Tribal Government, Management and Leadership Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and the department chair of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University. In addition to her academic positions, she was the first special advisor to the Honorable Cruz M. Bustamante, lieutenant governor of California, for California Indian Sovereign Nations in 2002. Dr. Proudfit is also the founder and Executive Director of the California’s American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival. Dr. Proudfit and Chris Eyre (Director/Producer) recently formed The Native Networkers, an alliance to promote American Indian representation throughout the film industry.

She has presented her research at numerous conferences and media forums, and published numerous essays and articles including: "In the Trenches: A Critical Look at the Isolation of American Indian Political Practices in a Non-Empirical Social Science" in the book Indigenizing the Academy, "Native American Gaming in California" in the book Native Americans (part of the American Political History Series published by the Congressional Quarterly Press) and "From Activism to Academics: The Evolution of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State 1968-2001" in the Indigenous Nations Studies Journal. She is the lead author and researcher on the 2012, 2014 and 2016 ground breaking annual reports on the State of American Indian and Alaskan Native Education in California. These reports have received national attention, acclaim and citation. Dr. Proudfit along with Dr. Warner are the series editors of a ten (10) book contract with Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC.   The books address American Indian education through the lens of ten different regions throughout the U.S. The first book will be out in 2016 and focuses on California. On Indian Ground-: A Return to Indigenous Knowledge—Generating Hope, Leadership and Sovereignty through Education. Dr. Proudfit is also working on the forthcoming book titled Beyond the American Indian Stereotype: There’s More to Me Than What You See.  This text will provide faculty with perspectives and activities to create positive conversations around diversity.

Dr. Proudfit is the owner of Naqmayam Communications, an independent, full-service, California Indian-owned and -operated public relations agency. Naqmayam Communications, aka NaqCom, promotes socially conscious marketing and consumer and cultural education. Dr. Proudfit also served as the lead and only AIAN consultant for the 2010 Census for the LA Region AIAN outreach campaign.

Proudfit served as a highly visible campaign spokesperson, participating in numerous television ads for both the Proposition 1A – California Constitutional Amendment, Indian Self-Reliance Initiative; and the Proposition 5 – Indian Self-Reliance Initiative. Dr. Proudfit is the recipient of numerous accolades for her work and community service such as: the 2013 Recipient, American Indian Educator of the Year, 36th Annual California Conference on American Indian Education, the California Teachers Association (CTA)'s Salute to Friends of Education Award, the Opportunities Unlimited 2002 Award in recognition of dedication and leadership by Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano and the CTA, and the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service.

Dr. Proudfit is also the recipient of two national grants-- The W.M. Keck’s Foundation’s award to create the American Indian Digital Media Project and The National Endowment for the Humanities award Bridging the Gap to create a model American Indian Studies Program. Additionally, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Proudfit in February 2016 to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.