American Indian Studies, B.A.

Program of Study

The Major in American Indian Studies provides a critical academic field of study, intellectual engagement with, and place-based understanding of American Indian epistemologies. This includes the formation of tribal sovereignty, the culture and identity of Tribal nations, communities, and peoples as distinct political and cultural groups in the Americas. Students will gain both knowledge about and experience working with American Indians. Students will attain a critical understanding of the distinct legal and political status of American Indians.

Graduates will be prepared to work with a politically distinct segment of the population in a variety of fields, such as healthcare, education, business, nonprofit public service organizations, and government. The capstone courses for the Major provide a rigorous option for students to demonstrate their applied knowledge through experiential learning and community engagement.

Mission Statement

The mission of the American Indian Studies Department is to provide students an understanding of the diverse history, government-to-government relationship, community, culture, and social needs of American Indians in California and the U.S., toward the goal of working effectively with and for tribal communities as they exercise tribal sovereignty. This integrated approach will include a research-, community- and place-based program of study.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies will be able to:

Describe the legal and historical foundations of American Indian political identity through an analysis of tribal sovereignty.
Apply American Indian epistemologies and other forms of knowledge to evaluate contemporary issues in American Indian communities.
Recognize and evaluate the historical, cultural, social, economic and political contributions of American Indian leaders, writers, artists, and activists.
Identify stereotypes about American Indian peoples and explain their historical production and contemporary manifestation.
Apply research skills through community engagement and experiential learning environment to communicate knowledge about American Indian sovereignty.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete all required courses with a 3.0 GPA and a grade “C” (2.0) or better.

General Education (43 Units)

General Education Requirements

Preparation for the Major (21 Units)

Lower-Division Required Courses (9 Units)

AIS 101 - Introduction to American Indian Studies Units: 3
AIS 115 - American Indians, Colonialism, and Critical Thinking Units: 3
AIS 150 - Introduction to Federal Indian Law and Policy Units: 3

Lower-Division Elective Courses (12 Units)

Select from the following courses:

AIS 110 - Decolonizing California: California Indian Resistance, Resurgence and Resilience Units: 3
AIS 120 - Decolonizing the Diet: Intro to Native Foods, Systems and Plants Units: 3
AIS 125 - Decolonizing the Narrative: American Indian and Indigenous Film and Filmmakers Units: 3
AIS 130 - Environmental Justice, Racism, and Settler Colonialism Units: 3
AIS 160 - Climate Change and Indigenous People Units: 3
AIS 220 - American Indian Religion Units: 3
AIS 225 - American Indians and Sports Units: 3
AIS 230 - American Indian Art and Contemporary Issues Units: 3
AIS 235 - American Indian Youth Literature: A Critical Perspective Units: 3
AIS 240 - American Indians and Environmental Issues Units: 3
AIS 250 - California Indian Culture and History Units: 3
AIS 260 - American Indians and Rock & Roll Units: 3
AIS 265 - American Indian Women Writers Units: 3
AIS 270 - American Indian Digital Humanities Units: 3
AIS 280 - American Indian Culture and Language Preservation and Revitalization Units: 3
AIS 290 - American Indian Education: Equity and Social Justice Units: 3

Major Requirements (42 Units)

Upper-Division Core Requirements (18 Units)

AIS 348 - American Indian Communities Units: 3
AIS 350 - Imagining Indians: American Indians, Mass Media, Film and Society Units: 3
AIS 370 - American Indian Women and Activism Units: 3
AIS 410 - United States History through Indigenous Lenses: Pre-Contact to the Present Units: 3
AIS 450 - Decolonization in Practice Units: 3
AIS 468 - American Indian Political and Economic Development Units: 3

Upper-Division Electives (24 Units)

Select from the following courses:

AIS 315 - Criminal Justice in Indian Country Units: 3
AIS 360 - American Indian Water Rights Units: 3
AIS 380 - Topics in American Indian Studies Units: 3
AIS 390 - Independent Study in American Indian Themes Units: 3
AIS 400 - Contemporary American Indian Health and Wellness Units: 3
AIS 420 - American Indian Leadership: Sustaining Indigenous Knowledge Units: 3
AIS 440 - American Indian Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Practice Units: 3
AIS 470 - Tribal Economics Units: 3
AIS 490 - American Indian Studies: Research, Methods, and Applications Units: 3
AIS 498 - Internship in an American Indian Community Units: 3

Breadth Requirement (3 Units)

Additional course in Upper Division Social and Behavioral Sciences (UD4 designated) outside the major. This requirement can also count as the UD4 requirement in Upper Division General Education, but it must be taken in a Social and Behavioral Science or Interdisciplinary program other than American Indian Studies. Any course carrying the UD4 designation outside of American Indian Studies can be used to fulfill this requirement. If students choose to satisfy their UDGE UD4 with a course outside the major, the breadth requirement will become 3 free elective units.

Minimum Total (120 Units)

Students must take a sufficient number of elective units to bring the total to a minimum of 120