CERTIFICATE IN NATIVE AMERICAN & INDIGENOUS STUDIES
Dr. Janice M. Gould, Coordinator
Women’s and Ethnic Studies
Academic Office Building (AOB) 408
(719) 255-5147
jgould@uccs.edu
The Women’s and Ethnic Studies program (WEST) has a strong emphasis in diversity and social
justice issues, highlighting race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class. An area that we are
developing within the program is Native American and Indigenous Studies, which investigate
not only American Indian issues but the concept of indigenous knowledge worldwide, with
special emphasis on Indian Nations within the United States, First Nations in Canada, and Pacific
Islanders. For WEST majors, minors, and other students wishing to concentrate in this area, we
offer a concentration in Native American & Indigenous Studies and an award of certification of
study.
Completion of the concentration can be beneficial for enhancing future career options and
interests. The minor is marketable to a wide variety of employers and institutions, including
specific American Indian tribes and tribal organizations, Native American communities,
environmental organizations, libraries, archives, and museums, Government organizations (state
and national parks, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Museum of the American Indian), and
graduate programs and professional schools (for example, Anthropology, Art History, Museum
Studies, Environmental Studies, Education, and Law). Participation in the Certificate program
also provides students with opportunities for networking and mentoring.
Minimum Requirement for Completion of the Certificate: 4 courses, for a total of 12
credits
A student should achieve a minimum grade of 3.3 in each course taken toward earning the minor.
A pre-requisite to enrolling is WEST 2010 Introduction to Race and Gender (3 credits) or WEST
2070 Foundations in Native American Studies. To complete the remaining nine (9) credits,
students may choose up to three (3) courses from the “Core Electives” list, or a combination of
two (2) from the “Core Electives” and one (1) from the “Non-core Electives” list (see below).
Core Electives:
 WEST 3300 Methodologies in WEST (Indigenous Ways of Knowing)
 WEST 4120 Indigenous Views on Sustainability: All My Relations
 WEST 4100/GM 4100/AH 3000 Native American Perspectives on Museums
 WEST 4280 Native American Philosophical Thought
Non-core Electives:
 WEST 3100, AH 300 Native American Art
 WEST 3100 Native American Women Poets
 WEST 3270 Native American Communities (SOC 327 Native Communities)
 WEST/ANTH 3420 North American Indians
 WEST/ ENGL 3550 Native American Literature
 WEST / ANTH 3820 Native North American Languages and Cultures
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WEST /ANTH 4400 Indigenous Peoples & Cultures of the Southwest
WEST Seminar—Special Topic (NA women’s poetry; NA feminisms)
Students who wish to enroll for the NAS/Indigenous Certificate should turn in an
application to the WEST Program Coordinator.
To complete the certificate program, students should submit a transcript and a five-page,
typewritten self-statement evaluating her or his enhanced perspective on and understanding of
American Indian worldviews, people, cultures, issues, and traditional knowledge, as a result of
participating in this program of study. Please also explain how the NAS Certificate fits with or
complements future scholarly and/or professional work.
Certification in Native American & Indigenous Studies
Application
Name ________________________________
Student Number_____________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________
Phone _______________________ E-mail __________________________
Major ________________________________Minor ______________________________
NAS Concentration Courses Completed
Required: 12 credits (3 from Intro to Race & Gender)
Course Number
Title
Semester
Grade
2
Completion of Requirements
(To be completed by WEST Program Coordinator)
1. Course requirements met?
________________________________________________________________
2. Transcripts reviewed and attached?
_________________________________________________________
3. Self-statement reviewed and attached?
_______________________________________________________
4. Contact information updated?
______________________________________________________________
Program Coordinator’s Signature
__________________________________________________________________
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