diff --git a/exoskeleton.js b/exoskeleton.js
index 6343f21..cbf710c 100644
--- a/exoskeleton.js
+++ b/exoskeleton.js
@@ -1438,6 +1438,9 @@ var View = Backbone.View = function(options) {
 
 // Set up all inheritable **Backbone.View** properties and methods.
 _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
+  // In case you want to include jQuery with your app
+  // for *some* views and use native methods for other views.
+  useNative: false,
 
   // The default `tagName` of a View's element is `"div"`.
   tagName: 'div',
@@ -1445,7 +1448,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // jQuery delegate for element lookup, scoped to DOM elements within the
   // current view. This should be preferred to global lookups where possible.
   $: function(selector) {
-    return Backbone.$ ? this.$el.find(selector) : this.findAll(selector);
+    return Backbone.$ && !this.useNative ? this.$el.find(selector) : this.findAll(selector);
   },
 
   // Exoskeleton-related DOM methods.
@@ -1472,7 +1475,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // applicable Backbone.Events listeners.
   remove: function() {
     var parent;
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       this.$el.remove();
     } else if (parent = this.el.parentNode) {
       parent.removeChild(this.el);
@@ -1484,7 +1487,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // Change the view's element (`this.el` property), including event
   // re-delegation.
   setElement: function(element, delegate) {
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       if (this.$el) this.undelegateEvents();
       this.$el = element instanceof Backbone.$ ? element : Backbone.$(element);
       this.el = this.$el[0];
@@ -1523,7 +1526,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
       var match = key.match(delegateEventSplitter);
       var eventName = match[1], selector = match[2];
 
-      if (Backbone.$) {
+      if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
         eventName += '.delegateEvents' + this.cid;
         method = method.bind(this);
         this.$el.on(eventName, (selector ? selector : null), method);
@@ -1538,7 +1541,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // You usually don't need to use this, but may wish to if you have multiple
   // Backbone views attached to the same DOM element.
   undelegateEvents: function() {
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       this.$el.off('.delegateEvents' + this.cid);
     } else {
       utils.undelegate(this);
diff --git a/lib/view.js b/lib/view.js
index bd33bae..3726c84 100644
--- a/lib/view.js
+++ b/lib/view.js
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ var View = Backbone.View = function(options) {
 
 // Set up all inheritable **Backbone.View** properties and methods.
 _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
+  // In case you want to include jQuery with your app
+  // for *some* views and use native methods for other views.
+  useNative: false,
 
   // The default `tagName` of a View's element is `"div"`.
   tagName: 'div',
@@ -41,7 +44,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // jQuery delegate for element lookup, scoped to DOM elements within the
   // current view. This should be preferred to global lookups where possible.
   $: function(selector) {
-    return Backbone.$ ? this.$el.find(selector) : this.findAll(selector);
+    return Backbone.$ && !this.useNative ? this.$el.find(selector) : this.findAll(selector);
   },
 
   // Exoskeleton-related DOM methods.
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // applicable Backbone.Events listeners.
   remove: function() {
     var parent;
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       this.$el.remove();
     } else if (parent = this.el.parentNode) {
       parent.removeChild(this.el);
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // Change the view's element (`this.el` property), including event
   // re-delegation.
   setElement: function(element, delegate) {
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       if (this.$el) this.undelegateEvents();
       this.$el = element instanceof Backbone.$ ? element : Backbone.$(element);
       this.el = this.$el[0];
@@ -119,7 +122,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
       var match = key.match(delegateEventSplitter);
       var eventName = match[1], selector = match[2];
 
-      if (Backbone.$) {
+      if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
         eventName += '.delegateEvents' + this.cid;
         method = method.bind(this);
         this.$el.on(eventName, (selector ? selector : null), method);
@@ -134,7 +137,7 @@ _.extend(View.prototype, Events, {
   // You usually don't need to use this, but may wish to if you have multiple
   // Backbone views attached to the same DOM element.
   undelegateEvents: function() {
-    if (Backbone.$) {
+    if (Backbone.$ && !this.useNative) {
       this.$el.off('.delegateEvents' + this.cid);
     } else {
       utils.undelegate(this);
diff --git a/test/view-no-jq.js b/test/view-no-jq.js
index 1322b67..5bbe7cc 100644
--- a/test/view-no-jq.js
+++ b/test/view-no-jq.js
@@ -371,4 +371,28 @@
     el.parentNode.removeChild(el);
   });
 
+  test("useNative for view-specific native DOM usage", 1, function() {
+    var el = document.createElement("p");
+    el.innerHTML = '<a id="test"></a>';
+    document.body.appendChild(el);
+
+    Backbone.$ = {};
+    var View = Backbone.View.extend({
+      useNative: true
+    });
+
+    ok((function() {
+      try {
+        var view = new View;
+        view.$('p');
+        return true;
+      } catch(e) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    })())
+
+    Backbone.$ = undefined;
+    el.parentNode.removeChild(el);
+  });
+
 })();