American Indian Workshop
The American Indian Workshop (AIW) was founded in 1980 and has since then become the most important European scholarly platform for researchers concerned with topics related to the Native Peoples of North America, involving scholars from all over the world.
The American Indian Workshop was initiated in 1980 at the Amsterdam Meeting of the European Association for American Studies (EAAS) where Wilcomb Washburn, Harry Allen and Jacqueline Fear-Segal had organized an "American Indian Workshop" bringing together scholars in the field of American Indian Studies from various countries and disciplines. The participants of this first workshop were Gordon Brotherston, Naila Clerici, Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Christian Feest, Gerhard Hoffmann, Elise Marienstras, Elemire Zolla, and Wilcomb Wasburn (Chairman). The European participants to this workshop decided to meet annually from then on - apart from the EAAS Meetings - as the American Indian Workshop. Christian Feest volunteered to take over the organization of the AIW Meetings and the AIW Newsletter.
The goal of the AIW is to provide a platform for established academics and young scholars to share their expertise and experiences as well as to benefit from one another's critical engagement. The meetings - hosted each year by a European scholarly institution - are now regarded as one the most important ones in Native American Studies worldwide. The domain of Native American Studies is enriched by scholars from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, anthropology, ethnology, art history, gender studies, museology, ethnomusicology, religion, law, linguistics, political science, cultural studies, philosophy, Canadian and American Studies, Native American Studies, Inuit Studies, performance studies, communication and media studies. The AIW has become the most innovative venue in Europe for all involved with the scholarly pursuit of this theme as well as being the place where Native American scholars and performers are honored and find a welcome reception.
The official AIW Webpage and mailing list was set up by Renate Bartl, for which she is officially responsible since 2011, as well as for all general items, finances, and the handling of requests. Markus Lindner and Heidrun Moertl are managing the official AIW Facebook site.
Due to the rapidly growing membership and interest in the AIW, the members attending the 2011 business meeting decided to nominate people for the AIW committee, allowing those with mandates to make decisions and act on behalf of the group. The committee is composed of a number of standing members and the alternating organizers of the past, current and previous AIW Meetings (see: AIW Committee and Mandates).
American Indian Workshop Meetings
The AIW meets annually in a European city.
Responsible for the organisation of the annual AIW Meetings are the local organizers, who also choose the general topic of the meeting.
American Indian Workshop Meetings since 1980: AIW Meetings
Finances and Funding
The AIW is a non-profit organization. Due to the fact that there are no membership fees, the AIW cannot fund any participation at the annual AIW Meetings. Every participant has to pay for his/her own expenses.
The AIW has a small amount of donated money available to pay for smaller expenses (e.g. costs of the AIW webpage).
The money is on a bank account:
| Owner | Renate Bartl |
| Bank | UniCredit HypoVereinsbank, 80311 Munich, Germany |
| IBAN | DE50700202700010062215 |
| BIC | HYVEDEMMXXX |
| Amount | 110.00 EUR |