American Indian and Indigenous Studies Minor

Program Coordinator/Contact

Mark Freeland, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of American Indian and Indigenous Studies
School of American and Global Studies
West Hall 106, Box 510
605-688-5101

Sharity Bassett, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of American Indian and Indigenous Studies
School of American and Global Studies
West Hall 104, Box 510
605-688-5101

Program Information

The American Indian and Indigenous Studies program prepares critical thinkers for living in an interrelated world with the rigorous engagement of Indigenous intellectual traditions, interdisciplinary theories, methods, and community engagement. The AIIS Minor provides a useful complement to any major by developing a deeper understanding of cultural competency and working across difference. Coursework provides an understanding of American Indian and Indigenous worldviews as lenses to comprehend traditional knowledge and culture.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify and analyze the trajectory of colonization and decolonization among Indigenous peoples in the North American context.
• Apply a theory of Indigenous worldview to effectively demonstrate cultural difference among Indigenous peoples and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
• Critically analyze and evaluate contemporary Indigenous issues working across academic disciplines to further the process of decolonization and Indigenization.

Course Delivery Format

Program courses are taught on campus, online, and in field-based settings.