Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor
The Native American and Indigenous Studies minor compliments numerous other fields of study and provides access to ways of knowing and living that are part of the heritage and future of this state, and this nation.
Native American and Indigenous Studies
Students may earn an undergraduate minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) housed in the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies (IRES).
The primary goal of the NAIS minor is to provide students extensive grounding in Indigenous history and culture as well as nuanced understandings of tribal sovereignty, Indigenous nationhood, and the diversity and beauty of contemporary Indigenous idenities, lives, and experiences across the Americas and throughout the Pacific. A secondary goal of the program is to encourage student awareness of the ethnic and cultural dimensions and applications of other major fields of study. Students of literature, social sciences, education, urban planning, arts, humanities, law, and international studies—to name only a few—find that related Native American and Indigenous Studies courses greatly enrich their academic programs. This foundation prepares students for diverse career paths including tribal political leadership, education and administration, social services/social work, language revitalization and instruction, environmental policy, natural/cultural resources management, law, cultural heritage preservation, the arts, journalism and new media, and community/economic development.
Courses applied to a minor in Native American and Indigenous studies may be used to satisfy major or minor requirements for other programs.
Specific details and course approvals must be obtained from the Native American and Indigenous Studies program director/adviser (nastudies@uoregon.edu).
Requirements for the Minor
The Native American and Indigenous Studies minor requires 28 credits. At least 16 credits must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon. Up to 4 credits may be counted toward the minor from a list of related courses that fall outside the core of Native American studies but that focus on other issues closely related to the field. Courses must be taken for a grade, and grades must be mid-C or higher to count toward the minor. The course load is distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ES 256 | Introduction to Native American Studies | 4 |
| Additional Courses | 24 | |
16 credits must be in upper-division courses | ||
At least 4 credits focusing on Oregon Indians 1 | ||
At least 4 credits in each of three distribution groups 2 | ||
Up to 4 credits may be taken from a list of related courses approved by a program advisor | ||
| Total Credits | 28 | |
- 1
ES 321 or any courses with NAS4 course attribute code.
- 2
Distribution groups: 1) culture, language, and education; 2) law, policy, governance, and history; 3) literature, media, and the arts.
Distribution Groups
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Culture, Language, and Education | ||
| ANTH 248 | 4 | |
| ANTH 320 | Native North Americans | 4 |
| ANTH 434 | Indigenous Peoples of South America | 4 |
| ANTH 442 | Northwest Coast Archaeology | 4 |
| ANTH 443 | 4 | |
| ANTH 438 | Race and Gender in Latin America | 4 |
| EDST 456 | Decolonization and Education | 4 |
| ICH 101 | First-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| ICH 102 | First-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| ICH 103 | First-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| ICH 201 | Second-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| ICH 202 | Second-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| ICH 203 | Second-Year Ichishki´in | 5 |
| PHIL 451 | Native American Philosophy | 4 |
| Group 2: Law, Policy, Governance, and History | ||
| ENVS 435 | Environmental Justice | 4 |
| ES 258 | Introduction to Pacific Islander Studies | 4 |
| ES 321 | Indigenous Peoples of Oregon | 4 |
| ES 350 | Native Americans and the Environment | 4 |
| ES 456 | History of Native American Education | 4 |
| ES 466 | Native American Ethnohistory | 4 |
| ES 468 | Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics | 4 |
| ES 470 | Native American and Indigenous Feminisms | 4 |
| HIST 469 | American Indian History: [Topic] | 4 |
| HIST 482 | 4 | |
| PS 390 | American Indian Politics | 4 |
| WGS 251 | Transnational and Indigenous Feminisms | 4 |
| WGS 351 | Decolonial Feminisms | 4 |
| Group 3: Literature, Media, and the Arts | ||
| ENG 244 | Introduction to Native American Literature | 4 |
| ENG 361 | Native American Writers | 4 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Related Courses | 4 | |
| Oregon Archaeology (Group 1) | ||
| Pacific Islands Archaeology | ||
| Indigenous Peoples of South America (Group 1) | ||
| Race and Gender in Latin America | ||
| Northwest Coast Archaeology (Group 1) | ||
ANTH 443 | (Group 1) | |
| Peopling of the Americas | ||
HIST 482 | (Group 2) | |