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. Indigenous languages and narratives provide a grounding for the development of Indigenous leadership. Coursework provides an understanding of American Indian and Indigenous worldviews as lenses to comprehend traditional knowledge and culture, and a basis with which to view the process of colonization and decolonization of Indigenous peoples and lands.
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates will:
- 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.
- Apply an Indigenous methodological lens towards a research project benefitting Indigenous communities.
- Critically analyze and evaluate contemporary Indigenous issues working across academic disciplines to further the process of decolonization and Indigenization.
- Analyze the cultural and linguistic translations evident in American Indian and Indigenous Studies to develop decolonizing and Indigenizing discourses.
Course Delivery Method
Courses for the American Indian and Indigenous Studies major are delivered in face-to-face and online environments, utilizing lectures, discussions, and applied learning.
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