Course Catalog

African American History Since 1865

AFR 364

In-depth examination of African Americans' role in American history, thought, and culture from 1865 to present.

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African Archaeology: Precolonial Urban Culture

AFR 366

In-depth analysis of African civilization from the last 10,000 years up to 1850 via archaeological, documentary, and oral data. Places special study on the evidence relating to dynamics of civilizations in ancient Africa, their foundation, growth, and failure, which spans a period of two million years.

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Family Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

AFR 370

Integrative approach to understanding historical and current issues related to the structure and internal dynamics of diverse American families.

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Islam and World Affairs

AFR 373

Advanced examination of complex trends to construct the roles of Islam as a belief, its institutions, leaders and ordinary believers in contemporary world affairs. Studies different developments, including the rise of (political Islam) fundamentalism, to subsequent changes in the Muslim world, challenges Muslims face, and domestic and international conflicts. Challenges students to reconceptualize and broaden their understanding of the powerful presence of religion in this era of globalization.

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Blacks in Science, Medicine and Public Health

AFR 383

In-depth study of Blacks who have made significant contributions to science and medicine in the U.S. Begins with a critical examination of ancient African scientific contributions. Highlights specific individuals, analyzing their life's path to their respective careers. Also discusses the role of racism and discrimination and their efforts to overcome these.

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Women of Color in Film

AFR 418

An in-depth analysis of the history and representations of women of color in film and the film industry through the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, class, and nationalism.

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Critical Race Theory

AFR 428

Offers an in-depth analysis of how race has been historically utilized, constructed and contested in U.S. institutions.

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Race, Gender, and Media

AFR 460

Readings seminar designed to give students a probing examination of the interface between AHANA Americans and the mass media in the United States.

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Peoples and Cultures of Africa

AFR 466

An in-depth study of the diversity of African people and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. Emphasizes social, political, and economic relations, as well as inequality, art, gender roles, slavery, and slave trade.

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Different Voices Within Contemporary Islamic Discourse

AFR 480

Examines modern Muslim discourse on major contemporary issues such as Shari'a, Jihad, secularism, gender, civil rights, democracy, extremism, religious violence.

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Honors Directed Study

AFR 492

Independent study in which a student, under the supervision of a faculty member, conducts research or creative work that is expected to lead to an undergraduate honors thesis or creative project.

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Special Topics

AFR 494

Covers topics of immediate or special interest to a faculty member and students.

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Individualized Instruction

AFR 499

Provides an opportunity for original study or investigation in the major or field of specialization, on an individual and more autonomous basis.

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Africa and African Diaspora World

AFR 502

Combines lecture, critical discussion of readings, guest speakers, student presentations and individual research projects. Drawing on various sources (written, oral, archaeology), explores themes linking peoples of Africa and African heritage in Africa, the United States, the West Indies and Latin America, and Europe, the processes of cultural transformations in Africa and the evolution of African cultures and survival in the New World. Explores topics including transatlantic slave trade, comparative slavery, African-American and Latin America emigration to Africa, African immigration to the New World and the Pan-African movement. Emphasizes links between blacks in Africa, the West Indies and the United States, the cultural and political influences they had on each other and the legacy that remains in these areas today.

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Reading and Conference

AFR 590

Independent study in which a student meets regularly with a faculty member to discuss assignments. Course may include such assignments as intensive reading in a specialized area, writing a synthesis of literature on a specified topic, or writing a literature review of a topic.

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Research

AFR 592

Independent study in which a student, under the supervision of a faculty member, conducts research that is expected to lead to a specific project such as a thesis or dissertation, report, or publication. Assignments might include data collection, experimental work, data analysis, or preparation of a manuscript.

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Research Methods

AFR 600

Course on research methods in a specific discipline.

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Beginning Navajo I

AIS 101

Designed for non-Navajo speakers to develop basic skills in speaking, reading and writing in the Navajo language. Specifically focuses on pronunciation, sounds, basic vocabulary and simple conversation. First of four levels of the Navajo language.

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Introduction to American Indian Studies

AIS 180

Introduces the study of American Indian justice issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Primary topics include sovereignty, law, and culture.

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Intermediate Navajo I

AIS 201

Designed for those who have some comprehension of the Navajo language, and have a beginner's level speaking ability. Continuation of Beginning Navajo; aimed to develop skills in speaking, reading, and writing in Navajo by focusing on pronunciation, vocabulary, conversational studies, and verb conjugation. Third of four levels of the Navajo language.

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American Indian Sovereignty and the Courts

AIS 280

Examines the sovereign status of American Indians and legal relationships between the tribes and the U.S. government.

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Special Topics

AIS 294

Covers topics of immediate or special interest to a faculty member and students.

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Issues in Urban Indian Country

AIS 360

In-depth examination of the historical, social, economic, and political implications of indigenous migrations to urban areas. Over 50% of Native people are living in cities. What are they doing? Why are they there? Are they still under the federal trust relationship? Evaluates the social, political, and economic structures built by American Indians living in the urban environment.

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American Indian Languages and Cultures

AIS 370

Emphasizes understanding of Indian language families and the relationship of oral traditions to culture.

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Contemporary Issues of American Indian Nations

AIS 380

Surveys legal, socioeconomic, political, and educational state of contemporary reservation and urban Indians.

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Entrepreneurship for American Indian Sustainability

AIS 385

Concentrates on developing a product or service idea, creating an entrepreneurial model and plan to implement the product or service in the context of an AI sustainable venture (profit and nonprofit). Begins with a review of established AI context with additional focus on tribal economic development throughout the course. The innovation process executed during the semester and the resulting product/service ideas and choices. Students are also encouraged to embark on new venture ideas as well. Students are then introduced to all aspects of venture (profit and non-profit) and entrepreneurial model creation, including strategy, product/service development planning, marketing, operations, alliances, management, finance and investment. In parallel, teams continue refinement and, where possible, further prototyping of the idea they chose from the previous semester and/or creation of new high-impact, high-potential ideas.

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American Indian Studies Research Methods

AIS 420

Surveys diverse research methods, including statistical, historical, interpretative, and narrative approaches.

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Cultural Professionalism

AIS 440

Emphasizes professional and leadership skills to prepare students for academic and career endeavors after undergraduate degree completion. Explores indigenous perspectives on communication, research, professional and leadership skills. Research focuses on addressing the needs of Arizona Indian Nations and Tribes and culminates in a research paper, in-class presentation and community development poster presentation. Showcases research posters in a research symposium in which guests vote on the most innovative and practical poster proposal.

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Indigenous Food Systems and Sovereignty

AIS 450

Allows students to understand the differences between Indigenous food systems, food justice and food sovereignty from an American Indian studies and Indigenous perspective. Explores the interconnections between Indigenous knowledge, food, food systems, ecology and culture. Examines how U.S. colonialism has affected American Indian foods, food systems and health and explores the ways Indigenous peoples and nations are reviving traditional foods and food systems or developing new markets, policies and opportunities for Indigenous food sovereignty.

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Tribal Governance

AIS 470

Critical and historical examination of Indigenous governance and leadership. Includes a survey of historical policy developments and political change that laid the foundation for contemporary Indian government and an assessment of the effectiveness of modern tribal administrations and decision-making bodies. Explores the diverse approaches to tribal governance, community-based political strategy and local interpretations and assertions of sovereignty and self-governance. Project work facilitates focused student learning on the challenges and opportunities in government for a specific Indian nation. Case work and consultation with practitioners in Indian government complement textbook reading in law, history and policy.

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Internship

AIS 484

Structured practical experience following a contract or plan, supervised by faculty and practitioners.

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Honors Thesis

AIS 493

Supervised research or creative activity focused on preparation and completion of an undergraduate honors thesis or creative project.

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Pro-Seminar

AIS 498

Small-group study and research for advanced students within their majors.

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American Indian Studies Paradigms

AIS 501

American Indian Studies emerged as an academic discipline in the late 1960s in part because of increasing dissatisfaction among Indians about the works of historians, anthropologists, and other scholars that was very often marred by methodological and conceptual flaws. Course provides an overview of ways of 'doing' Indian studies from an American Indian Studies paradigm(s) through a critical examination of some of the most significant works emanating from this growing body of literature. Critiques paradigms that selected scholars have employed in the researching and writing of their topics. Seminar format allows students to take the lead in discussing each week's readings. Covers a range of scholarship dealing with American Indian issues; explores the development of American Indian Studies as an academic discipline; probes paradigms that Indigenous scholars have developed; and considers how those paradigms differ from those used by other disciplines.

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Contemporary Issues of American Indian Nations

AIS 503

Provides an overview of the current status of American Indian Nations with regard to sovereignty, policy, politics, economy, and society. An exploration of current issues illustrates the unique challenges and innovative solutions put forth by Indian communities.

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Contemporary Visual Arts of American Indians

AIS 505

Focuses on a critical analysis of art, film, and media as they intersect with shaping the image and sustaining the culture of American Indians in North America. Examines the persistent and inappropriate stereotypes of American Indians as portrayed in film and media, including explanations for the persistence of negative stereotypes drawing on various aspects of critical race theory including power, politics, and race. Also introduces the scope and diversity of American Indian art and artists and highlights how native artists portray their views and culture through contemporary image making and representations. Stresses the interplay of art with sovereignty, identity, and politics. Emphasizes the powerful and significant connection between contemporary American Indian art and the persistence of indigenous cultures.

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Indigenous Knowledges in Education

AIS 507

Provides an overview of the literature on indigenous knowledge systems as they tie into education as broadly defined. Specifically focuses on indigenous knowledge systems and how it encapsulates relationships (between people and each other, humans and their environment, and humans and written and oral learning); responsibility; reciprocity; and respect. Covers both historical understandings of indigenous knowledge systems and the ways that these knowledge systems are currently being taken up by tribal peoples.

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American Indian and Indigenous Rights

AIS 509

Examines the rights of American Indian peoples with an emphasis on asserting indigenous rights in national as well as international forums. Challenges students to address issues related, but limited to: treaty rights, land rights, water rights, self-determination, rights to a distinct culture, religion, language, spiritual practices, customs, ceremonies, nationhood, autonomy, to seek redress and justice, rights to education, rights to protect from destruction and violence, rights to economic development, rights to protect lands from military, ecological, cultural, and environmental threats, and other rights that may effect the lives of American Indian people.

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Indigenous Genders and Sexualities

AIS 511

Examines the diverse understandings of gender and sexuality within Indigenous cultures, exploring how colonialism has impacted Indigenous gender systems, as well as the ways Indigenous communities are reclaiming and revitalizing traditional gender and sexual identities. Students engage with the histories, experiences and contemporary movements of Two-Spirit, non-binary and LGBTQ+ Indigenous peoples, while analyzing how gender and sexuality are intertwined with broader issues of Indigenous sovereignty, culture and resistance. Emphasizes decolonial perspectives on gender and sexuality and includes critical discussions of gender fluidity, the role of traditional knowledge in shaping gender roles, and the ways Indigenous communities challenge Western frameworks of gender and sexuality. Through case studies, literature and media, explores the resilience and resistance of Indigenous people in reclaiming gender identities.

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Indigenous Migration and Urbanization

AIS 513

Explores the experiences and challenges of Indigenous peoples in the context of migration and urbanization, focusing on the movement of Indigenous individuals and communities from rural and traditional lands to urban areas. Examines the socio-economic, cultural and political factors that drive Indigenous migration and how urbanization impacts Indigenous identities, cultures and community life. Explores how Indigenous peoples adapt to urban environments, maintain cultural practices and navigate issues such as housing, employment, discrimination and governance in cities. Also highlights the resilience of Indigenous communities in preserving cultural heritage, creating urban Indigenous spaces and asserting their rights in both rural and urban settings.

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The Work and Legacy of Vine Deloria, Jr

AIS 515

Vine Deloria, Jr, Standing Rock Sioux (1933-2005) has often been referred to as 'Uncle Vine' for his role in the intellectual development of innumerable scholars, as well as legal and political figures, all of whom have striven along side Deloria at making the world a better and more just place for indigenous communities. As such, Deloria has also been labeled 'the Dean of American Indian Studies' because of his work at shaping the intellectual and political agenda, which began in 1969 with the seminal publication of Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto and continued posthumously with works on the medicine man traditions throughout North America and a reflection on Carl Gustav Jung's analyses of american indian customs and beliefs. this seminar, the first of its kind, takes a comprehensive look at Deloria's philosophical and legalistic legacy by examining his major works and analyzing, in addition to critiquing, the ideas and opinions that shaped his intellectual career.

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Customary Tribal Law and Governance

AIS 517

Examines traditional governance systems, institutions, and cultures of American Indians, with emphasis on customary law, justice, and government.

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Burial Rights, Repatriation, and Sacred Places Matters

AIS 519

Probes U.S. laws and policies, court cases, and Indian struggles for dignity, burial rights, repatriation, and religious freedom from the late 1800s to the present. Examines developments in the United Nations and international arena pertaining to Indigenous human rights, religious freedom, repatriation, and sacred places protection. U.S. policies, laws, practices, court decisions, land developers, pot hunters, and archaeologists have restricted the human rights of American Indians in term of burial rights and religious freedom. Congress has enacted cultural resource and environmental protection laws, religious freedom, and reburial laws that aim to regulate the use and abuse of cultural resources and Indian rights.

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American Indian Leadership and Resistance

AIS 521

Examines the modern leadership struggles in American Indian communities with a foundation of traditional concepts of leadership. Topics include leadership qualities and systems pre-contact, federal-tribal relations, state-tribal relations, tribal politics, internal disputes, activism, mobilization, cultural continuity, social change, community leadership, political/elected leadership, diplomacy, political agendas, and other topics related to American Indian leadership and resistance.

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Indigenous Community Planning and Development

AIS 523

Focuses on the principles and practices of Indigenous community planning and development, exploring how Indigenous peoples design and implement sustainable, culturally grounded approaches to building and managing their communities. Examines the unique social, political and environmental factors influencing Indigenous planning processes and how traditional knowledge and values are integrated into modern development strategies. Students learn about the role of self-determination and sovereignty in shaping community development, the challenges posed by colonial legacies and the opportunities for creating thriving, resilient Indigenous communities. Topics include land use planning, housing, economic development, infrastructure and environmental stewardship, with a focus on case studies of successful Indigenous-led planning initiatives.

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Critical Indigenous Research Methodologies

AIS 525

Examines research, its methods and methodologies through an indigenous framework. Presents different methods, their connections to various research questions, and thoughts of ways to analyze extant educational data. Additionally, examines traditional methodologies, methodological clashes, and the insertion of critical indigenous research methodologies into the framing of the conversation. Offers an historical overview of research in indigenous communities.

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Current Issues in Indigenous Education

AIS 533

Examines current issues facing indigenous student academic achievements and their path to higher education in the United States. Focuses on how structural and systematic dynamics influence indigenous education. Exposes students to literature and engages in discussions that allow them to analyze how policy, practice and lived-experiences shape indigenous education.

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Reading and Conference

AIS 590

Independent study in which a student meets regularly with a faculty member to discuss assignments. Course may include such assignments as intensive reading in a specialized area, writing a synthesis of literature on a specified topic, or writing a literature review of a topic.

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Special Topics

AIS 598

Topical courses not offered in regular course rotation--e.g., new courses not in the catalog, courses by visiting faculty, courses on timely topics, highly specialized courses responding to unique student demand.

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American Sign Language I

ASL 101

Basic receptive/expressive conversational skills; basic grammar and syntax rules. Orientation to deafness and deaf culture.

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