Welcome!

Haáwka! Páxam! Súlulyexem!

Land Acknowledgment


The resilient and continued presence of the Payómkawichum/Luiseño, the Kuméyaay /lpai/Diegueño, the Kuupangaxwichem/Cupeño, and the Ívillyuatem/Cahuilla Nations compels Palomar College to take sustainable, respectful action to engage the land and its First People with justice and compassion as fellow human beings. Palomar College acknowledges it benefits from the unceded ancestral lands of these sovereign Nations and commits to promoting indigenous knowledge systems and practices in its educational mission. Palomar College pledges to foster a successful learning environment that supports Indigenous students and engages the needs and concerns of the Nations who continue to occupy this land.


Late-start classes are still available for Spring 2024! Enroll today.

ATTENTION There are NEW Ethnic Studies Requirements for CSU Transfer Students!  Contact your counselor, or Professor Seth San Juan in the American Indian Studies Department for more details!

Find open classes on Class Schedule now!

Click here to log-in and register online!


American Indian Studies Certificate

Spirit of the Story -basket weraving intwined with a circuit board.

The Certificate in American Indian Studies provides cultural knowledge and insight recognized by prospective employers such as state, federal, and tribal government agencies. Earning an AIS Certificate affords increased employment opportunities in such fields as archaeology, art, museums, education, social services, and resource management.

The AIS certificate gets you a great jump start to transfer requirements for CSU and UC.


Social Justice Studies: American Indian Studies and American Studies – AA-T Transfer Major (18 units or more)

The Associate in Arts in Social Justice Studies-American Indian Studies for Transfer degree is designed to prepare students for a seamless transfer into the CSU system to pursue a baccalaureate degree in American Indian Studies. This degree will provide students with an opportunity to examine the historical and contemporary experiences of American Indian tribes and their peoples residing in the United States. Students experience an interdisciplinary approach that combines culture, sociology, politics, and the arts. Courses engage in a rigorous study of race and racism, class, gender, sexuality, religious conquest. Students will be able to compare and contrast American Indian economic, political and religious institutions used to adapt to specific geographical regions throughout the United States before and after non-Indian contact and recognize the diverse physical and cultural adaptive strategies created by tribes to retain their political and cultural sovereignty.


California – Native American Research Center for Health Program (CA-NARCH)

California Native AMerican Research Center for Health Program. Designed for American Indian/Alaska Native Students.  Please contact Professor Seth San Juan 760-744-1150 x2426 or email ssanjuan@palomar.edu

> IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS <

We, the American Indian Studies faculty and staff, acknowledge the insidiousness of anti-Blackness throughout all our Tribal nations in addition to communities across America – north, south, east and west.  As Native people, we are committed to holding ourselves, our relatives, and our communities accountable when we perpetuate anti-Blackness.  We dedicate ourselves to the work of decolonization and anti-racism for all, as we continue to maintain and invigorate Indigenous Nationhood. 

Thank you for visiting our department website!
Please contact us and let us know how we may be of assistance.
(760) 744-1150, ext. 2426
Email: AIS@palomar.edu

Last modified on April 12, 2024