NAIS 100: Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Native American and Indigenous studies using ethnic studies theories and methods. Students learn the diversity of traditional Native Americans across Turtle Island (i.e., the continent of North America), with a focus on tribes in California and San Diego. Topics include the history of settler colonialism, genocide, manifest destiny, displacement, reservations, and forced assimilation. Students engage with the complex legal and political experiences of Native communities, such as the formation of treaties, tribal governance systems, sovereignty, and international law. Students also examine the revitalization, renaissance, and resurgence of Native American agency, identity, cultural practices, communities, and environmental movements. The course requires students to connect with living Native peoples through community engagement and service learning opportunities.