Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor

https://cola.unh.edu/interdisciplinary-studies/program/minor/native-american-indigenous-studies

As an interdisciplinary minor, Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS) offers a broad understanding of the history, lands, culture, literature, language and artistic expression, science and technology, race and identity, and social organization and political statuses of Native American and Indigenous peoples within and beyond North America. The minor provides an introduction to Indigenous values and a basis for understanding broad Indigenous issues.

NAIS complements a range of majors, including anthropology, English, history, political science, health and human services, music, psychology, biology, botany, natural resources and sustainability. The UNH Education Abroad program offers a variety of opportunities to UNH students to explore the NAIS minor overseas.  

The minor will help students acquire the necessary skills and qualifications for a variety of graduate study and employment opportunities and enhance competitiveness for federal scholarships and programs, such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America or the National Parks Service. Students with NAIS training will be prepared for work with Tribal and Indigenous leaders and officials, public health practitioners and administrators, and/or working with institutions that require employees with cultural and historical sensitivity to Indigenous issues, such as museums or other public institutions. NAIS graduates may also go on to careers with organizations with Indigenous interests in the areas of education, business, arts, government and law, nonprofit and advocacy, and healthcare and science (e.g., the Native American Rights Fund, Native American Arts Council, American Indian Science and Engineering Society).

20 credits (5 courses) are required for the minor. Students must receive a grade of C or better in each course in order for the course to count toward the minor requirements.

Choose one of the following two options to complete the minor requirements.

Option 1
NAIS 400Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies 14
4 elective courses chosen from the list of approved courses below16
Total Credits20
Option 2
NAIS 400Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies 14
3 elective courses chosen from the list of approved electives below 212
1 independent study or credit-bearing internship (HIST 695 or ANTH 700 or other option approved by coordinator)4
Total Credits20
1

Also fulfills World Cultures Discovery requirement

2

2 of these courses can be from a UNH-approved education abroad program (see below)

Approved Electives

AMST 444CPicturing America: The Arts & Social Change4
ANTH 500Peoples and Cultures of the World (A: North America and B: Latin America)4
ANTH 501World Archaeological Cultures (A: North America B: Mesoamerica)4
ANTH 513Ethnographic Methods4
ANTH 514Method and Theory in Archaeology4
ANTH 597Special Topics (on an approved topic)4
ANTH 620Ritual and Religion of Ancient Mesoamerica4
ANTH 785The Anthropology of Dreams and Dreaming4
BIOL 408Plants and Civilization4
ENGL 440AOn Race in Culture and Society4
ENGL 550Introduction to the Literature and Culture of Race4
ENGL 729Special Topics in Composition Studies (on an approved topic)4
ENGL 739American Indian Literature4
HIST 405History of Early America4
HIST 511History of New Hampshire4
HIST 532Modern Latin America4
HIST 595Explorations (on an approved topic)1-4
HIST 600Explorations (on an approved topic)4
HIST 603European Conquest of North America4
HIST 632Latin American History: Topics4
MUSI 515Music in World Cultures4
NR 660Ecology and Biogeography of New Zealand5
NR 795Investigations (on an approved topic)1-4
PSYC 581Child Development4
PSYC 791WSpecial Topics (on an approved topic)4
WS 505Survey in Women's Studies (on an approved topic)4

NAIS UNH-Approved Study Abroad Programs

Thailand-TEAN-Chang Mai; CIEE Khon Kaeo

USAC-Southwest Minzu University (Southwest Universities for Nationalities). Among the courses offered:

  • Buddhism and Culture (ANTH/SOC)
  • Tibetan Culture and Society (ANTH/SOC
  • Guizhou Field Study (ANTH/WLL, 200-level, l credit)

Morocco - IES & CIEE. Courses offered:

  • Gender and Society in North Africa and Beyond
  • North African Cultural Identities
  • Internship/Social Action Seminar
  • Islam In Morocco And North Africa (English-taught)
  • Arab Media and Issues of Politics and Culture

New Zealand - Otago. Courses offered:

  • Maori Studies

Peru - SIT: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization. Courses offered:

  • History of Indigenous Cultures in Peru
  • Indigenous Peoples in Motion: Changes, Resistance, and Globalization
  • Quechua
  • Research Methods and Ethics
  • Independent Study Project

Senegal -CIEE. Courses offered:

  • Contemporary Senegalese Society and Culture
  • Intercultural Communication and Leadership (English)
  • Environment and Development in Senegal and Sub-Saharan Africa (English)
  • Public Health Issues and Challenges in West Africa

Tanzania-CIEE. Courses offered:

  • Kiswahili
  • Field Research Seminar
  • Pre-History, Myths, Legends, and Beliefs of East Africa
  • Contemporary Educational Issues in East Africa
  • Gender and Development
  • History of East Africa
  • Poverty Analysis for Socio-economic Development

Bhutan -API at Royal Thimphu College with internship. Courses offered:

  • Anthropology of the Himalayas
  • Ethnography of Bhutan
  • Anthropology of Identity
  • Anthropology of Gender
  • Kinship and Family
  • ASC201: Anthropology of Globalization
  • ASC301: Anthropology of Development
  • ASC303: Applied Anthropology
  • ASC304: Contemporary Issues in Anthropology
  • ATH101: Ecological Anthropology
  • ATH102: Medical Anthropology
  • ATH203: History and Theory of Anthropology
  • ATH204: Political Anthropology
  • ATH305: Anthropology of Religion and Rituals