Amelia Katanski

Amelia Katanski is a Professor of English at Kalamazoo College, where she has taught since 2000. She holds a BA from Kalamazoo College, an MA in American Indian Studies from UCLA, and an MA and PhD in English from Tufts University. During the 2023-24 academic year, she is on sabbatical.

Her research focuses on American Indian literary traditions, federal boarding schools' cultural impacts, and the intersection of tribal law with creative productions. She authored Learning to Write 'Indian' (University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), examining the legacy of boarding schools from 1879 to the present. Current work explores tribal law's influence on Indigenous literary practices.

Teaching emphasizes cultural literacy and critical engagement, including service-learning courses like SEMN 135: FYS: Cultivating Community. She advises Farms to K, promoting local food systems on campus. Courses taught span Indigenous literatures, American realism, and literary theory.

Her pedagogical philosophy, informed by Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, prioritizes student agency in analyzing texts and cultures. Personal interests include triathlons, cycling, and outdoor activities with her family.