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:

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:

Distribution Groups