Land Acknowledgement
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The 杏吧专区 main campus sits on occupied Seliš (Say-lish) and Q’lispe (Ka-lis-puh), territory. What we now call Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley sits on territory that the Salish and Pend d’Oraille were forcibly removed from, especially with the Hellgate Treaty of 1865. The resilience of the Confederated Salish-Kootenai tribes should be celebrated, as the descendants of those forcibly removed still remain here. They are students, professors, and friends. We are guests on the land, and thank the tribes for all of their contributions to our community, culture, and environment both past and present.
We acknowledge as well, the Ksanka (Ksan-guh), Pikuni (Pih-koo-nee), Aspáalooke (up-SAW-low-guh), Nakota (Nah-KOH-tuh), Dakota (Dah-KOH-tuh), Anishinaabe(Ah-nih-shi-NAH-beh), Tsis tsis’tas (Tse-TSES-tas), Numa (Noo-mah), A’ahnenin (Ah-ah-neh-nin), Nêhiyaw-Askiy (Neh-hee-yaw Ah-skee), Nimiipuu (Née-mee-pooh), and Schitsu’umsh (s-CHEET-sue-umsh) tribes and bands who also cared for this land and/or the land around us.
These tribes are more commonly known as the Kootenai (Koo-ten-nee), Blackfeet, Crow, Assiniboine, Sioux, Little Shell Chippewa, Northern Cheyenne, Shoshone Bannock, Eastern Bannock, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Nez Perce, and Couer d’Alene tribes. We acknowledge that we live on stolen land and benefit from settler colonialism.
Beyond acknowledgement, the WGSS program is committed to action. We will continuously learn more about the culture of Native Montanans. We will advocate for decolonization in higher education and help in the work to prevent identity-based harm and violence. As WGSS students and faculty, we will be engaged and respectful allies.
What is Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies?
The 杏吧专区's Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department (WGSS) encourages the production, discussion, and dissemination of knowledge about the experiences, oppressions, and achievements of women and all sexualities in Montana, the United States, and the world. By fostering an awareness of cultural and international diversity, as well as of the circulations of power mediated by race, class, age, and ability, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies encourage students to think critically and to envision justice for all peoples.
What can I do with a Women鈥檚, Gender, and Sexuality Studies degree?
Graduates from the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program don’t just go out and get jobs, they go out and change the world! Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies graduates acquire a solid foundation in the humanities and social science with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. They are articulate, imaginative, analytical, persuasive and creative. They have learned to think critically and can envision justice for all people. They are the kind of people employers today want to hire!
Graduates of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies go on to be:
- Directors of Non-Profit Organizations
- Clergy
- Historians
- Artists
- Activists
- Advocates
- Attorneys
- Politicians
- Law Makers
- Business Managers
- Educators
- Journalists
- Social Workers
- Civil Servants
- Entrepreneurs
- Counselors
- Organizers
What are Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies students doing now?
Every year, WGSS students work together in a capstone class to create a final project to culminate their degree. These projects vary but are designed to serve the community and inform community members. Past projects include:
- The Queer Science Fair (2024)
- Held on the Oval, this science fair was a gathering of local businesses, support networks, and independent queer researchers. Its goal was to inform the community of ongoing local queer research and care resources.
- The "Art as Resistance" Zine (2025)
- Foregrounding the idea of art as resistance, WGSS students gathered and curated various topic-specific zines and distributed them to the community through a launch event held at Free Cycles. The zine prioritized BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices and contained a variety of written and visual works. A launch event was held at Free Cycles and featured several drag performances.
For more details, please visit the student-run !