Academic Programs Catalog

College of Arts and Letters

Interdepartmental and Interdisciplinary Programs

Minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies

The Minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, which is administered by the College of Arts and Letters, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor's degree programs at Michigan State University. The minor is designed to help students understand American Indian and Indigenous cultures and identities and the place of Indigenous peoples and knowledge, historically and contemporarily. It draws on interdisciplinary research, teaching, and community engagement to examine these complex concepts and to respond to them thoughtfully. Students who wish to pursue careers or advanced degrees in education, social work, government, public health, law, non-profit management, environmental stewardship, natural resource management, museums, and cultural organizations that serve diverse populations, will find the minor engaging. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student's degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor's degree.

Students who plan to complete the requirements for the Minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies must contact the director of the American Indian Studies Program to plan their program of study.

Requirements for the Minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies

The student must complete a minimum of 15 credits from the following:

1. The following course (3 credits):
AIIS 201 Introduction to American Indian and Indigenous Studies 3
2. Complete at least three courses from at least two different subject codes from the following list of electives (9-11 credits):
AIIS 491 Topics in American Indian and Indigenous Studies 3
ANP 411 North American Indian Ethnography 3
ANP 432 American Indian Women 3
ANP 433 Contemporary American Indian Communities 3
CSUS 400 Topics in Environmental Justice 3
CSUS 464 Environmental and Natural Resources Policy in Michigan 3
ENG 354 Readings in Native American Literature 3
HA 253 Native North American Art 3
HA 254 Latin American Art 3
HST 301 Indigenous-European Encounters in North America 3
HST 309 American Indian History: Precontact to the Present 3
LL 151 First-Year Less Commonly Taught Language I 4
LL 152 First-Year Less Commonly Taught Language II 4
LL 251 Second-Year Less Commonly Taught Language I 4
LL 252 Second-Year Less Commonly Taught Language II 4
PHL 214 Indigenous Philosophy 3
REL 306 Native American Religions 3
REL 456 Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Ontologies, and Governance 3
REL 457 Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics 3
LL 151, LL 152, LL 251, and LL 252 must be an indigenous language section and approved in advance by the program director to ensure appropriate content.
3. Complete one of the following, either a. or b. Prior to enrolling, student must talk with the director of the American Indian Studies Program to propose an option that will work best for the the program of study. (3 credits):
a. A 3-credit internship by enrollment in AIIS 493 American Indian and Indigenous Studies Internship. 
b. A 3-credit independent study by enrollment in AIIS 490 Independent Study.