University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Bio

Professor Morris' areas of expertise are indigenous peoples in the international legal and political arena, public law, civil liberties, and race/gender and the law. He has been active in the development of international legal standards for the defense of the rights of indigenous peoples for over twenty-five years. In the area of indigenous peoples' rights, he teaches "Indigenous Peoples' Politics," "Indigenous Political Systems," and "Advanced Indigenous Politics." As a graduate of Harvard Law School, he also teaches a variety of law-related courses for the department, including "Race, Gender, Law and Public Policy," "Contemporary Issues in Civil Liberties," "Judicial Politics," and a freshmen seminar, "Law 101." Morris serves as the pre-law advisor for the department, and is one of two pre-law advisors for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Professor Morris directs the Fourth World Center (FWC) for the Study of Indigenous Law and Politics at CU-Denver. The FWC provides resources, research and other opportunities for the examination of the condition of indigenous peoples in a global context. In 2010, Morris and the FWC supervised the participation of ten indigenous students at the 9th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York. http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/95123249.html

Professor Morris has been permanently designated a President's Teaching Scholar (the highest peer-awarded teaching/scholarly recognition from the University of Colorado). He has also been the recipient of the Rosa Parks Civil Rights Award, Native American Educator of the Year Award, and the Martin Luther King Peace Award.

Select Publications

“Vine Deloria, Jr. and the Development of a Decolonizing Critique of Indigenous Peoples in International Relations.” Chapter Six in Native Voices: American Indian Identity and Resistance, Richard A. Grounds, George E. Tinker, David Wilkins, eds., (Lawrence:University of Kansas Press).

“In Support of the Right of Self-Determination for Indigenous Peoples Under International Law,” 29 German Yearbook of International Law 277, University of Kiel, West Germany.

Lecture: “Researching Indigenous Peoples’ Issues at the United Nations and in International Law.” 103rd Meeting of the American Association of Law Librarians, Denver, CO, invited lecture, July 13, 2010

Courses Taught

• PSC 3034: Race, Gender, Law and Public Policy
• PSC 4144: Indigenous Political Systems
• PSC 4146/5145: Indigenous Peoples' Politics
• PSC 4837: Contemporary Issues in Civil Liberties