Courses
The department of American Indian studies and social sciences provides the foundation for the interdisciplinary baccalaureate in American Indian studies. The programs of the department further support the associate of arts degree with an emphasis in social work. Additional academic areas in the department promote the understanding of social relationships and the functioning of society through a study of past and present cultural development. Students are exposed to various beliefs and values systems throughout the western world.
AIS 101 Contemporary Issues of the American Indian (3) An overview of current and historical issues which have resulted in policies and regulations affecting American Indians and Alaska Natives. The issues include: education, treaties, sovereignty and self-determination, religions, natural resources, legislation, jurisdiction, reservation and/or urban status, federal trust relationship, tribal economics and enterprises, American Indian policy, federal recognition, and current issues both regional and local. Fulfills the Native citizenship requirement.
AIS 110 History of North American Indian Tribes (3) Introductory survey of the origin, evolution, and distribution of Indians throughout North America, location of tribes in historic times, their relationships to one another, and their responses to white penetration of the continent. Emphasis on American Indian leadership and major contributions of American Indian people to American society. Fulfills a history requirement. Fulfills the Native citizenship requirement.
AIS 201 Native and Western Views of Nature (3) Native and Western Views of Nature examines the convergences and divergences between Western and Indigenous North American perceptions, attitudes and practices with respect to the natural world. The course consists of a comparative examination of the institution of modern Western Science and what scholars today recognize as traditional ecological or environmental knowledge (TEK). The course suggests that some viable and reliable knowledge can be gained by serious examination of the practices and methods of knowledge acquisition of native peoples. It also suggests Native peoples may be less at odds with some developments in contemporary Western science, than Western scientists trained a generation or two ago. Prerequisite: BIOL 101 or equivalent.
AIS 310 Introduction to American Indian Studies (3) Introduces students to the American Indian studies (AIS) discipline, but also challenges the standard assumptions and practice the discipline has about research, academic writing, education, and critical thinking. Students will look at a) what has gone on before and is currently happening in AIS; b) what can happen (posing questions and alternatives to standard academic and AIS approaches and practices); and c) what should happen (individual/student responsibility and action). By developing an understanding of the historical context that has produced the modern day AIS discipline, students will be able to develop skills and knowledge in critical thinking and writing that will enable them to address current issues facing the AIS discipline and any American Indian pursuing an academic degree.
AIS 312 American Indian Experience in the 20th Century (3) A sophomore/junior level course providing students with the opportunity to experience history as told by American Indian elders representing diverse geographic regions and tribal traditions. This course provides for an extended study of American Indians in the twentieth century using a “contextualized chronology” approach in which a rigorous analysis of early 20th century government policy and history is paralleled with oral history interviews from the Haskell Indian Nations Oral History Project. Prerequisite: AIS 110.
AIS 320 Environmental Protection in Indian Country (3) Examines the nature and scope of tribal sovereignty and the interplay between tribal sovereignty, environmental protection and tribal culture. Criteria to consider when developing tribal environmental protection programs and key environmental issues facing tribes will be studied throughout the semester. Prerequisite: Junior/senior level standing, acceptance into the American Indian studies baccalaureate program or by permission of instructor. Fulfills Native Citizenship requirement.
AIS 321 Human Behavior in American Indian Communities (3) Course examines human behavior issues within American Indian communities using a social system approach. The course will provide students with a frame of reference for understanding the effect of social, political and cultural dynamics on the behavior of Indigenous people and the overall functioning of social structures within First Nations communities. This course will increase student’s understanding of human behavior and provide a base for effective social work practice. Prerequisite: SW 101, SW 110, or SW 201.
AIS 340 American Indian Poetry (3) Explores the continuity between traditional verse forms and contemporary songs and poetry. Students will become familiar with major contemporary American Indian poets and their themes. Attention will be paid to bi-lingual poets such as R. Young Bear, L. Tapahonso and L. Henson. Continuity of cultural traditions will be looked at in the work of American Indian writers, both in the context of American Indian communities and of mainstream literary publications. The course will include analysis of British poetics and its influence on the hybridized forms of contemporary writers as well as tribal traditions. Prerequisite: ENGL 212.
AIS 341 American Indian Narratives (3) Explores the continuity between traditional oral narratives and literary prose including novels, short fiction, essays and memoirs. Themes such as twins, geographic sites, renewal, healing and elements of nature will be followed through a variety of histories and genres, including film. Attention will be paid to the author-function as its shifts from members of an oral tradition to specific writers of contemporary texts. Prerequisite: ENGL 212.
AIS 342 American Indian Music (3) Survey of the development of American Indian music from Pre-Columbian through contemporary times. Prerequisite: AIS 310 and permission of instructor.
AIS 343 American Indian Film (3) Film has become an important medium for literature in the Twentieth Century. This course surveys images of American Indians and Alaska Natives in film. Critical analysis of social roles of Indian characters will be included as well as literary critique of plot, character development, setting, and imagery. Techniques of the film director will also be considered in shaping the impact of each film. Prerequisites: ENGL 210 or ENGL 212.
AIS 344 Literature in Translation (3) This course allows for cross-disciplinary study of linguistics, literature and issues revolving around translation. This course surveys work from the four largest of the linguistic phyla: Algic, Iroguoian, Na-Dene and Siouan. This course meets a Language / Culture / Cultural Preservation distribution requirement for the American Indian Studies Baccalaureate.
AIS 345 Introduction to Tribal Archives (3) This course is an introduction to archives and the profession of archiving materials and artifacts. Included also are a study of the history of archive collections, a study of the proper handling, display, and description of artifacts, and how to properly store and transport artifacts. The class will specifically address the needs of tribal cultural archives consisting of records, photographs, oral histories, maps, recordings and physical artifacts. Emphasis is placed on the need to house artifacts in a local community with greater tribal control over research and study.
AIS 350 Foundations of Indigenous Philosophy (3) Introduces the philosophies of specific Meso-American and North American indigenous peoples. The relationship of the land and culture and its connection to indigenous worldviews will be explored. Specific cultures of the Huron, Iroquois, Maya and the mound builders will be examined. Prerequisites: HIST 110 or HIST 112 or HIST or HIST 222 or completion of a third English course. Fulfills Native citizenship requirement, part b.
AIS 410/411 American Indian Literature Seminar (3) A class in a selected American Indian literary topic, genre, time period, or author(s). The topic changes each semester. The course can be repeated as AIS 411 for additional credit. Each student will develop and present a substantial research project within the forum of the seminar. Prerequisite: senior standing in the AIS program. Fulfills the symposium seminar AIS requirement.
AIS 421 Community Health Social Work with Indigenous Peoples (3) This course offers a broad and in-depth examination of critical, social, cultural and political variables important to improving the health of First Nations Peoples and their communities. These variables are presented within macro, mezzo, and micro frameworks and are linked to strengthening traditional culture, empowering the community, and contending with historical and contemporary oppression. A major goal of the course will be (1) to assist students to be become familiar with how various critical variables affect the well being of First Nations and (2) how to employ various radically progressive social work approaches to decolonize and empower First Nations communities.
AIS 422 Culturally Responsive Teaching for first Nation Learners (3) This course will examine the contemporary educational and social issues facing First Nations communities. Through readings, discussions, guest lectures, videos, internet chats, individual and group research, students will discuss a range of issues including educational reform, community organizing, healthcare, alcohol/substance abuse, the breakdown of traditional families, and culturally responsive teaching and learning for the Seventh Generation. Students will examine the role education has played as an instrument of oppression and how Indigenous people have restructures educational systems to reclaim their cultural identities and to empower themselves politically. A wide range of “critical thinking” topics will be presented including culturally responsive teaching and learning, cultural identity-based education, intergenerational/holistic curriculum development, falsification of scholarship, genocide/colonization/resistance, how people get power, community organizing/publishing, and multiracial students.