This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.valdosta.edu.

Dr. F. E. Knowles, Jr., Advisor
1024 Nevins Hall

The Native American and Indigenous Studies minor is committed to an interdisciplinary approach in the study of Native American and Indigenous cultures and their contributions to the global community. The program serves students of Native American and Indigenous descent as well as members of the larger University community. Course offerings include anthropology, art history, history, philosophy, religion, literature, and languages, providing the basis for a greater understanding of Native American and Indigenous cultures. The unique interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students to approach the study of Native American and Indigenous communities in a broad fashion. Additionally, the program will incorporate indigenous voices through student interaction with Native American and Indigenous communities in the Southeast via outreach programs, lectures, and events fostering student-community experiences.

Selected Educational Outcomes

Coursework in Native American and Indigenous Studies will enable students to:

  1. experience and analyze central issues and topics involving the Native American and Indigenous past.
  2. explain and interpret Native American and Indigenous value systems.
  3. explore contemporary relationships between Native American, Indigenous, and other American cultures.
  4. write critically and logically and create independent research, synthesizing a variety of source materials.

Requirements for the Minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies

PHIL/REL/NAIS 3610Native American Thought and Cultures3
Select any 4 of the following:12
Culture
Magic, Religion, and Witchcraft
Indians of North America
Post Colonization Issues in Indigenous Cultures
Native American Women
Alternative Religions of the World
History
Colonial South
Native American History to 1850
Native American History Since 1850
Native People in the American Southeast
The Hollywood Indian: Native Americans in Film
U. S. Spanish Borderlands
Law and Contemporary Issues
Contemporary Native American Experience
Native Americans and Criminal Justice
Federal Indian Law
NAIS 4500Special Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies3
Total Hours18

Note: The grade earned in each course in a minor must be a “C” or better.

Certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies

This certificate will be granted to the graduate or undergraduate student who completes 12 hours of study within the minor program but does not complete the necessary 15 hours or other requirements for the minor.

These hours cannot be counted toward required graduate hours unless the curriculum for the course is adapted by the professor to satisfy the additional rigors of graduate study.