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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

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Native American Studies

Up one level:

Undergraduate Programs in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity

Director: Teresa LaFromboise

Native American Studies provides an intensive approach to understanding the historical and contemporary experiences of Native American people. Attention is paid not only to the special relationship between tribes and the federal government, but to issues across national boundaries, including tribal nations within Canada, and North, Central, and South America. In using the term "Native American," the NAS faculty recognize the heterogeneous nature of this population. Native Americans include the Alaska Native population, which comprises Aleuts, Eskimo, and other Native American people residing in Alaska.

The purpose of the Native American Studies major and minor is to introduce students to approaches in the academic study of Native American people, history, and culture. Students who major in Native American Studies have the opportunity of doing advanced work in related fields, including literature, sociology, education, and law. In addition to specialized course work on Native American issues, students also are expected to concentrate in a traditional discipline such as anthropology, history, or psychology to ensure a well rounded educational experience. The area of concentration and related course work should be selected in consultation with a faculty adviser in Native American Studies. All courses in the program promote the discussion of how academic knowledge about Native Americans relates to the historical and contemporary experiences of Native American people and communities.

REQUIREMENTS

Native American Studies majors must take the 15-unit CSRE core curriculum, including two introductory core courses and a senior seminar taken in Autumn Quarter of the senior year. One single-group, core course that focuses on a non-Native American group may be counted toward the 15-unit core requirement.

Majors complete an additional 45 units of course work that satisfy three categories of their thematic concentration: Native American focus, comparative focus, and a methodology/research course. A total of 60 units of coursework are required for the major.

Students who wish to minor in Native American Studies must complete two core introductory courses and four additional courses related to the thematic concentration. A total of 30 units of approved course work is required for the minor.

Students in Native American Studies may find the following courses useful in fulfilling course requirements in the major or minor.

Core Courses—

ANTHRO 88. Theories of Race and Ethnicity (5 units)

COMPLIT 142/ENGLISH 172E. Literature of the Americas (5 units)

CSRE 179G/DRAMA 179G. Indigenous Identity in Diaspora: People of Color Art Practice in North America (5 units)

CSRE 196C/ENGLISH 172D/PSYCH 155. Introduction to Race and Ethnicity (5 units)

CSRE 200X. CSRE Senior Seminar (WIM; 5 units)

EDUC 177. Education of Immigrant Students: Psychological Perspectives (4 units)

EDUC 245. Understanding Racial and Ethnic Identity Development (3-5 units)

POLISCI 137R/EDUC 261X. Justice at Home and Abroad: Civil Rights in the 21st Century (5 units)

Thematic courses for Majors and Minors—

NATIVEAM 18SI. Alaska Native Culture: Combating Stereotypes and the Anti-Native Sentiment for Centuries (2 units)

NATIVEAM 109A/CSRE 109A. Federal Indian Law (5 units)

NATIVEAM 116/CSRE 116. Language, Culture, and Education in Native North America (5 units)

NATIVEAM 117S/CSRE 117S. History of California Indians (5 units)

Cognate Courses—

ANTHRO 16. Native Americans in the 21st Century: Encounters, Identity, and Sovereignty in Contemporary America (5 units)

EDUC 193N. Peer Counseling in the Native American Community (1 unit)

EDUC 233A. Adolescent Development and Mentoring in the Urban Context (3 units)

ENGLISH 43A/143A. American Indian Mythology, Legend, and Lore (3 units)

MUSIC 37N. Ki ho'alu: The New Renaissance of a Hawaiian Musical Tradition (3 units)

SOC 45Q. Understanding Race and Ethnicity in American Society (5 units)

SOC 138. American Indians in Comparative Historical Perspective (5 units)

SOC 139. American Indians in Contemporary Society (5 units)

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