Native American and Indigenous Studies (BA/BS)

http://nativestudies.uoregon.edu

Kirby Brown, Director
Associate Professor of English and NAIS
104 Alder Building
nas@uoregon.edu

Native American and Indigenous Studies is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon multiple approaches from history, anthropology, law, literature, ethnic studies, and other disciplines to understand Native American history, culture, politics, and contemporary lives. NAIS highlights the unique place of tribes in the state-tribal-federal intergovernmental matrix and the myriad of distinct issues Native peoples of the United States face, from language and cultural protection to environmental issues to economic development and beyond.

Students in NAIS will join a diverse, tightly knit community of scholars who cherish our connections with Native communities and strive to make our work valuable for the project of building up Native nations. UO NAIS affords students extensive grounding in Indigenous history and culture as well as nuanced understanding of tribal sovereignty, Indigenous nationhood, settler colonialism, and the diversity and beauty of contemporary Indigenous lives and experiences.

Such work prepares students for a variety of postsecondary opportunities ranging from government, law, research, and education; to nonprofit and public interest work, environmental and resource management, and business and economic development; to the arts, journalism, communication, new media, and more. In a state with nine federally recognized indigenous nations and with a Native American population 50% higher proportionally than the national average, this knowledge is crucial for future leaders in all fields.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Articulate significance of Indigenous nations as political entities, not just ethnic or racial minorities.
  • Apply gender as a critical analytic element in Indigenous studies in multiple ways.
  • Gain at least partial competence in Indigenous languages.
  • Demonstrate fluency in place-based knowledge in Indigenous studies of Oregon.
  • Apply academic knowledge to issues in tribal communities and contexts.

Undergraduate Studies

Students may earn an undergraduate major in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) housed in the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies (IRES). The primary goal of the NAIS major 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.

Up to 3 courses, or 12 credits, applied to the Native American and Indigenous Studies major may used to satisfy major or minor requirements for other programs. All 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 director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies program (nastudies@uoregon.edu). 

Requirements for the Major: Conventional Track

The conventional track of the Native American and Indigenous Studies major requires 56 credits. At least 28 credits must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon. Up to two courses, or 8 credits, may be counted toward the major from a list of related courses that fall outside the core of NAIS but that focus on other issues closely related to the field (see course list below). Courses must be taken for a grade, and grades must be mid-C or higher to count toward the minor. The conventional track requires one year of Native language classes that may be fulfilled at the University of Oregon or any other accredited institution or tribal partner. See program director for details. The course load is distributed as follows:

ES 256Introduction to Native American Studies4
Additional lower division elective4
One year of Ichishkiin or Chinuk Wawa (or other Indigenous language) (3 quarters/12 credits) 12
Upper Division Courses
Six upper-division electives from approved courses list, one of which must be in NAIS group 3 (literature/media/creative arts)24
ES 321Indigenous Peoples of Oregon4
ES 468Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics Students who elect to pursue a senior research practicum (ES 409) will need to be concurrently enrolled in or have satisfactorily completed this course4
ES 470Native American and Indigenous Feminisms (OR WGS 251: Transnational and Indigenous Feminisms) Students who fulfill this requirement with WGS 251 may do so via a lower division elective; they will still need to fulfill all upper division requirements for the major.4
Total Credits56

Requirements for the Major: Language Track

The language track of the Native American and Indigenous Studies major requires 56 credits. At least 28 credits must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon. Up to two courses, or 8 credits, may be counted toward the major from a list of related courses that fall outside the core of NAIS but that focus on other issues closely related to the field (see course list below). Courses must be taken for a grade, and grades must be mid-C or higher to count toward the minor. The language track requires two years of Indigenous language classes that may be taken at the University of Oregon or any other accredited institution or tribal partner. See program director for details. The course load is distributed as follows:

ES 256Introduction to Native American Studies4
Two years (6 quarters) of Ichishkiin (UO), Chinuk Wawa (LCC), or other Indigenous language24
Upper Division Courses
Four upper-division electives from approved courses list, one of which must be in NAIS group 3 (literature/media/creative arts)16
ES 321Indigenous Peoples of Oregon4
ES 468Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics Students who elect to pursue a senior research practicum (ES 409) will need to be concurrently enrolled in or have satisfactorily completed this course. 4
ES 470Native American and Indigenous Feminisms (OR WGS 251: Transnational and Indigenous Feminisms) Students who fulfill this requirement with WGS 251 may do so via a lower division elective; they will still need to fulfill all upper division requirements for the major.4
Total Credits56

Distribution Groups

Group 1: Culture, Language, and Education
ANTH 248Archaeology of Wild Foods4
ANTH 320Native North Americans4
ANTH 434Indigenous Peoples of South America4
ANTH 442Northwest Coast Archaeology4
ANTH 443North American Archaeology4
ANTH 438Race and Gender in Latin America4
EDST 410Experimental Course: [Topic] (Indigenous Principles of Education)1-5
EDST 456Decolonization and Education4
ES 196Field Studies: [Topic] (w/approval of NAIS director/adviser)1-5
ES 199Special Studies: [Topic]1-5
ES 404Internship: [Topic] (w/approval of NAIS director/adviser)1-12
ES 406Practicum: [Topic]1-12
ICH 101First-Year Ichishki´in5
ICH 102First-Year Ichishki´in5
ICH 103First-Year Ichishki´in5
ICH 201Second-Year Ichishki´in5
ICH 202Second-Year Ichishki´in5
ICH 203Second-Year Ichishki´in5
LING 399Special Studies: [Topic] (Indigenous Languages of Oregon)1-5
LT 199Special Studies: [Topic] (Sahaptin Language; Tolowa and Lushootseed Language; Other Indigenous Language)1-5
PHIL 451Native American Philosophy4
Group 2: Law, Policy, Governance, and History
ENVS 411Environmental Issues: [Topic] (Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples)4
ENVS 435Environmental Justice4
ES 258Introduction to Pacific Islander Studies4
ES 321Indigenous Peoples of Oregon4
ES 350Native Americans and the Environment4
ES 456History of Native American Education4
ES 464Relational Studies of Indigeneity, Race and Culture: [Topic] (Black-Indian Relations; Latinx-Indigenous Relations)4
ES 466Native American Ethnohistory4
ES 468Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics4
ES 470Native American and Indigenous Feminisms4
HC 431HHonors College Social Science Colloquium: [Topic] (w/approval of NAIS director/adviser)4
HC 444HHC US: Difference, Inequality, Agency Colloquium: [Topic] (Race and Ethnicity in the American West; North Paiute History; Search for Cayuse Five; Others w/permission of NAIS director/adviser)4
HIST 211Reacting to the Past (w/approval of NAIS director/adviser)4
HIST 399Special Studies: [Topic] (Pacific Northwest Indians; Others w/approval of NAIS director/adviser)4
HIST 407Seminar: [Topic] (Indian Nations in the United States; Others w/permission of NAIS director/adviser)5
HIST 468The Pacific Northwest (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
HIST 469American Indian History: [Topic]4
HIST 473American Environmental History: [Topic] (Indigenous Environmental History)4
HIST 4824
HIST 483Latin America: [Topic] (Indigenous Peoples of Latin America)4
PS 390American Indian Politics4
WGS 251Transnational and Indigenous Feminisms4
Group 3: Literature, Media, and the Arts
ANTH 410Experimental Course: [Topic] (Native Americans in Film)1-5
ENG 244Introduction to Native American Literature4
ENG 315Women Writers' Cultures: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 316Women Writers' Forms: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 361Native American Writers4
ENG 381MFilm, Media, and Culture (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 468Ethnic Literature: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 469Literature and the Environment: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 479Major Authors: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Writers)4
ENG 485Television Studies (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ENG 488Race and Representation in Film: [Topic] (Native American/Indigenous Focus)4
ES 370Race, Ethnicity, and Cinema: [Topic] (Native Americans and Film)4
J 412Issues in Communication Studies: [Topic] (Indigenous Peoples & the Media)4
TA 472Multicultural Theater: [Topic] (Native American Theater)4