Minor Requirements in Native American and Indigenous Studies
The minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) is designed for the student who is interested in understanding the identities and experiences, cultural practices, and lifeways of Native American and Indigenous people. It requires six courses from across a variety of departments and includes explorations of creative expression, the social and natural worlds, and indigeneity within a global context. Individual classes may focus on Native literature, traditional ecological knowledge, tribal sovereignty and other topics.
Track your progress through the minor using this form.
The minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) requires six courses from across a variety of departments. Courses reflect the four scholarly directions:
- Creative Expression: Literature, dance, music, art, theater, and ceremony.
- Social Worlds: History, anthropology, journalism, sociology, law, education, policy, and media.
- Natural Worlds: Science, traditional ecological knowledge, environmental psychology, political science, health, and medicine.
- Global Indigeneity: Intercultural, transnational, Latinx studies, and Pacific Islands Studies.
The following course numbers are approved for the minor. To find yearly course offerings and schedules for specific quarters, please consult the Courses page. All courses on the annual schedule count for the NAIS minor. Alternatives and exceptions must be approved by the NAIS minor coordinator.
Minor Requirements (6 Units)
1. Select one foundational course:
- SOC 277 Native Society: Past and Present
- ENG 274 Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Literatures
- HIST 300-CN New Lectures: (Red Power: Indigenous Resistance in the U.S. and Canada, 1887-Present)
2. Select two courses from Creative Expressions or Social Worlds:
Creative Expression
- HIST 102-7 College Seminar - American History (American History: Native Americans in Film and TV)
- ENG 374-0 Studies in Native American and Indigenous Literatures (What is an Indigenous Book OR Protest Indigenous Lit: From Red Power to Standing Rock)
- ANTHRO 390-0 Topics In Anthropology (Indigenous Nations and Anthropology)
- GBL_HLTH 390-0 Special Topics in Global Health (Native American Health Research and Prevention OR Native Nations, Healthcare Systems, and U.S. Policy)
- HISTORY 300-0 New Lectures in History (Native Nations and the US Legal System
-
LRN_SCI 351-0 Topics in Learning Sciences (Design of Just and Sustainable Learning Environments )
3. Select two courses from Natural Worlds or Global Indigeneity:
Natural Worlds
- ENVR_POL 390-0 Special Topics in Environmental Policy and Culture (Land, Identity, and the Sacred: Native American Sacred Site Protection and Religious Rights OR Maple Syrup and Climate Change)
- JOURN 367 Native American Environmental Issues & the Media
- POLI_SCI 395-0 Political Research Seminar (Politics of Environmental Justice)
- RTVF 398-CN Issues in Radio/Television/Film (Global Indigenous Cinema)**
- SPANISH 340-0 Colonial Latin American Literature
**This course can fulfill either the Creative Expressions or Global Indigeneity requirement
4. Select One Advanced Level Elective
One course elective at an advanced level (from any of NAIS’s four scholarly directions), independent study, or capstone project in a contributing department or program (identified above) and approved by the CNAIR curriculum committee.
Other courses
- In addition to the courses listed above, classes taught under ASIAN_AM 276-0, ENGLISH 313-0, ENGLISH 378-0, HISTORY 200-0, HISTORY 393-0, HUM 210-0, JOUR 390-0, LRN_SCI (SESP Learning Sciences), LEGAL_ST 376-0, and others may also be eligible to count towards the minor.
- For more details and an up-to-date listing of courses consult the NAIS Course webpage or contact the director of the minor listed on the NAIS Minor advising webpage.
Advising
Advising & Declaring a NAIS Minor