Course Catalog: 2015-16

The Five College Certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies provides stu­dents with the opportunity to acquire a knowledge and understanding of the development, growth, and interactions of the indigenous peoples and nations of the Western Hemisphere. The program emphasizes the many long histories of Native American Indians as well as their contemporary lives and situations. A holistic and comparative interdisciplinary approach underlies the Certificate Program’s requirements, enabling students to become familiar with the diver­sity of indigenous lifeways, including cultural forms, institutions, political economies, and modes of self-expression. In addition to this broader perspec­tive, the program places some emphasis on the Native peoples of the Northeast to that Five College students can become acquainted with the history, culture and presence of indigenous peoples in this region.

Requirements: At least seven courses are required for completion of the Five Col­lege Certificate in Native American Indigenous Studies: a foundation course plus six additional courses, with no more than three of the seven courses from a single discipline. A student’s program must be approved by the program advi­sor from her or his campus.

1. Foundation courses. Offered at various levels, foundation courses pro­vide an opportunity to hear Native perspectives and are taught from a philosophical perspective that reflects Native Studies theories, pedago­gies and methodologies.
2. At least six additional courses from a list of courses currently approved by the Five College NAIS Committee as counting toward the certificate. For a list of these courses consult: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/natam. (Courses not on this list may be approved for inclusion by cam­pus program advisors in consultation with the Committee.)
3. Grades. Students must receive a grade of B or higher in all 7 courses to receive a Certificate.

For 2015-16, the Amherst faculty advisor will be Professor Lisa Brooks of the Amherst College Departments of American Studies and English.