cnair.northwestern.edu/academics/

The Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) minor is designed for students who are eager to engage with the priorities, histories, lifeways, and artistic or cultural practices related to Native American and Indigenous communities. The curriculum—firmly rooted in Indigenous methodologies, ethics, and theoretical perspectives—is based upon the contributions of key NAIS scholars. This interdisciplinary minor requires the completion of six courses that highlight social and natural worlds, creative expression, and global Indigeneity. Through disciplines such as anthropology, environmental studies, global health studies, history, learning sciences, and literature, the NAIS minor fosters a comprehensive understanding of Indigeneity and its political dynamics.

Foundational topics such as sovereignty, self-determination, and resistance are integral components of the coursework. The NAIS minor's emphasis on Indigenous epistemologies not only sharpens investigative, analytical, and critical skills but also fuels intellectual creativity, preparing students for a diverse range of careers in education, health, law, social work, or public policy, while enriching their insight into the complex issues Indigenous communities encounter.

For any questions, the coordinator of the minor can be reached through the contact information available on the NAIS minor webpage.

Program of Study

In this program, students learn to observe, critique, reflect, and express the following:

• Concepts of sovereignty and self-determination; as well as how colonization impacted the individual, community, and political identities and health of Native American and Indigenous people
• Native American and Indigenous theories and methodologies
• Scholarship about how indigenous land, identity, and values inform Native American and Indigenous experiences and expressions
• Major events, social movements, artistic expression, and policies in Native American and Indigenous histories
• The dynamics between urban, rural, and reservation Native American and Indigenous experiences and how those dynamics are communicated through mobility, storytelling and oral traditions
• Native American and Indigenous historical and contemporary experiences within a global context

Courses

In addition to the NAIS courses listed below, there are many more courses—across a wide variety of departments and programs—that can apply to the minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies. See a list of pre-approved courses on the NAIS Courses webpage.

The procedure for declaring the minor can be found on the NAIS minor webpage.