Academics at CNAIR
Posoh, Boozhoo, Yá'át'ééh, ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ,
We are glad you are here. Whether virtual or in person (soon!) we look forward to meeting you. On this page you will find information and links to academic opportunities for graduate students, undergraduate students, and the NAIS Minor.
Fall 2025 Courses
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| ENG 374 | Studies in Native American and Indigenous Literatures | Mariajose Rodriguez Pliego | MoWe 3:30-4:50pm | The hemisphere we sometimes call the Americas has Indigenous names that supersede this title, namely Abiayala and Turtle Island. This course learns from literature by Indigenous authors who remap the lands we inhabit, whether by tracing hemispheric Indigenous connections, interrogating borders, or blurring boundaries between human and non-human worlds. We will consider José Martí's late nineteenth-century articulation of "Our America" alongside the circulation of the Guna word "Abiayala" among Indigenous activists and "Turtle Island" as the name that Native American creation stories give to our continent. Our discussions will trace connections between the storytelling traditions of Native American and Indigenous authors across Abiayala/Turtle Island. This course will provide an illustrative and non-exhaustive sample of writings by Indigenous authors from what today we call Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, and Chile. Following calls by Indigenous authors to understand colonialism's five-hundred-year history, will move between sixteenth-century manuscripts and contemporary literature. | Parkes Hall 213 |
| LRN SCI 351/451 | Indigenous Methods in Research | Forrest Bruce | TuTh 3:30-4;50pm | This introductory course will explore the foundations of Indigenous methodologies. The course will grounded in several core texts that orient students to the history of and development of Indigenous methodologies in research. As part of this work students will examine the legacies of research in Indigenous communities and how Indigenous methodologies offer important paradigms in the development of research. Further students will explore the ethics of knowledge production and its contributions to Indigenous communities - and all communities. Across the course student will develop an understanding of the core dimensions and principles of Indigenous methodologies and have the opportunity to consider the design of research agendas and methods from these principles. | Annenberg Hall 345 |
| SOC 277 | Native Society: Past and Present | Beth Redbird | MoWe 3:30-4:50pm | This course provides an overview of the culture and history of Native groups and how these histories influence modern Native America and explores the current economic and social experiences of Indians and tribes. The goals of this course emphasize students being able to explain the challenges faced by Native populations in the U.S., with a focus on how contemporary Indian Law and policy has created modern Native inequality, and describe how Native populations have countered and transcended these challenges. We also work to understand the history of Native populations in the U.S., with an emphasis on power and inequality, and examine how this history shapes contemporary relations and social and political issues. Students will also begin to understand the contributions Native society has made to the U.S. and the world, with an emphasis on the modern lived experience of Indigenous peoples. | |
| Gen Mus 175 | Selected Topics in Music Literature for Non-majors: Native American Music | Brandi Berry Benson | TuTh 9:30-10:50am | This course provides an overview of the culture and history of Native groups and how these histories influence modern Native America and explores the current economic and social experiences of Indians and tribes. The goals of this course emphasize students being able to explain the challenges faced by Native populations in the U.S., with a focus on how contemporary Indian Law and policy has created modern Native inequality, and describe how Native populations have countered and transcended these challenges. We also work to understand the history of Native populations in the U.S., with an emphasis on power and inequality, and examine how this history shapes contemporary relations and social and political issues. Students will also begin to understand the contributions Native society has made to the U.S. and the world, with an emphasis on the modern lived experience of Indigenous peoples. | Lutkin Hall |
| GBL HLTH 390 | Indigenous Foodways: Cultivating Mind, Body and Soul | Jessica Walks First | Mo 10am-12:50pm | Explore the profound connection between Indigenous food, culture, and well-being in this illuminating course. Delve into the cultural relevancy of foods, tracing their origins and understanding their foundational role in Indigenous origin stories. You'll discover how food serves as medicine for the mind, body, and soul, and learn to approach cooking from a place of spirit and love. This course also examines the vital food sovereignty movement, exploring the environmental impacts on traditional foodways and their far-reaching effects on Indigenous cultures. Develop a holistic understanding and relationship with food, from seed to soil to plate, and uncover the rich heritage embedded within Indigenous culinary traditions. Taught by Executive Chef Jessica Walks First (Menominee), Illinois' first professionally trained Indigenous chef, and owner of Ketapanen Kitchen, this class will include interactive lectures, discussions, and active cooking in a teaching kitchen on campus. Class Materials: Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine by Loretta Barrett Oden (9780806190785) -- https://www.oupress.com/9780806190785/corn-dance/ |
Native American and Indigenous Studies
Undergraduate NAIS Minor
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.
The minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) requires courses from across a variety of departments. Courses reflect the four scholarly directions of Creative Expression (art, dance, literature, music, and theater), Social Worlds (anthropology, global health studies, history, journalism, learning sciences, political science, and sociology), Natural Worlds (environmental policy and culture, psychology, and STEM), and Global Indigeneity (African studies, Latinx studies, and Pacific Islands studies).