Donna Akers

Dr. Akers (dakers2@unl.edu) is an enrolled tribal member of the Choctaw Nation and received her Ph.D. in 1997 from The University of California, Riverside. Since then, she has directed the Native American Studies program at California State University, Northridge, and most recently taught for five years at Purdue University. Dr. Aker's book, Living in the Land of Death: The Choctaw People, 1830-1860 (Michigan State University Press, 2004) depicts the story of Choctaw survival, and the evolution of the Choctaw people in Indian Territory in the 19th century. Her second book, entitled Grandma Was an Indian Princess, focuses on the day-to-day lives of five Native women and their instrumental roles in the preservation and evolution of indigenous culture. Dr. Akers teaches courses on Native American history and culture, including Native American Women, The Image of Native Americans in the American Popular Culture, Contemporary Issues in Indian Country, and Comparative Indigenous Cultures.