Department of American Studies
Department of American Studies

Minor in Native American Indigenous Studies

Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of six courses (18 credits) for the NAIS minor. Students must complete two required courses and four electives. Students must follow College rules on double counting any minor courses with their majors. No more than one course taken outside of UVA (study abroad or transfer credits) can be counted towards the minor.

Core Courses

  1. One survey course on Native American Indigenous Studies
    • AMST/ANTH 3280, Introduction to Native American Studies
    • AMST 2280, Contemporary Issues in Native North America
  2. One course on Global/Transnational Indigenous Studies Eligible courses include:
    • ANTH 3100, Indigenous Landscapes
    • ANTH 3152, Amazonian Peoples
    • ANTH 3450, Native American Languages
    • ANTH 4590/ARTH 4591, Aboriginal Contemporary Art
    • MDST 4301, Global Indigenous Media
    • SPAN 4500, Literatura Indígena

Elective Courses

The remaining four courses for the minor may be taken from the lists above, or from a list of electives adjusted each semester based upon availability. Eligible courses include:

  • AMST 4403 Transamerican Encounters
  • AMST 4500, Land and Health in Native America
  • AMST/HIUS 3641, American Indian History
  • ANTH 2153, North American Indians
  • ANTH 2160, Culture and the Environment
  • ANTH 2589, Archeology and the Politics of Sustainability
  • ANTH 3154, Indians of the American Southwest
  • ANTH 3175, Native American Art
  • ANTH 3589, Pre-Columbian South America
  • ANTH 3590/ARTH 3595, Indigenous North American Art
  • ANTH 5541, Language Revival in the Eastern Tribes
  • ARTH 2882, Sex, Spirits & Sorcery: Modern Aboriginal Art
  • ENGL 3332/AMST 4401, Literature of the Americas
  • ENGL 3725, Contemporary Ethnic American Fiction
  • EVSC 2200, Plants, People and Culture
  • GDS 3110, Engaged Learning for Global/Local Development
  • GSGS 3111, Global Studies Epistemology, Methodology & Methods
  • GDS 3114, Science, Technology, and Development
  • GSGS 4559, Global Activism for Social Justice
  • HILA 2001, Colonial Latin America, 1500-1824
  • HIUS 3012, War and Empire in Colonial America
  • HIUS 3261, History of the American West
  • MDST/AMST 3407, Racial Borders & American Cinema
  • MDST 4500, Surveillance and US Empire
  • RELG 3360, Conquests and Religions in the Americas
  • SPAN 4500, Afro-Latinidad Across the Americas
  • SPAN 4711, 1492 and the Aftermath

Minor Declaration Form

Generally, we prefer that you consult with the current NAIS director before you declare, to discuss your course history and course registration plans.

To officially declare the NAIS minor with the Registrar, please use the general Minor Declaration Form, and follow the instructions included on this document. 

Contact Information

Kasey Jernigan: Brooks Hall, 310B, kj2wz@virginia.edu
Lisa Cacho: Wilson Hall 125, lmc8mc@virginia.edu