Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies
Source: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs/critical-native-american-and-indigenous-studies-ab Parent: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs
Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) is an interdisciplinary concentration offered through the American Studies department focused on research, teaching and engagement with the social, cultural, artistic, ancestral, heritage, legal and political aspects of Native American and Indigenous peoples in the historical and contemporary periods.
Degree Type
A.B.
department
Department of American Studies
CIP Code
050202ℹ
The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to categorize educational programs in the U.S. for a variety of reporting purposes. Each program at Brown is assigned a CIP code that best matches its academic curriculum.
Current STEM Eligible CIP Codes
- American Studies
- Anthropology
- Environmental Studies
- Ethnic Studies
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- International and Public Affairs
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies
- Public Health
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Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies
Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) is an interdisciplinary concentration offered through the American Studies department focused on research, teaching and engagement with the social, cultural, artistic, ancestral, heritage, legal and political aspects of Native American and Indigenous peoples in the historical and contemporary periods.
This concentration emphasizes the integrated study of indigeneity within contemporary U.S. borders, also extending across the Americas, to Oceania and to other parts of the world. It builds on Brown University’s strengths and history of engagement with critical theory, studies and pedagogy, and with topics of social justice, inequality, power structures and structural violence. Through courses across four breadth areas (Creative Expressions; History, Politics and Policy Issues; Language and Identity; Systems of Knowledge and Belief: Fundamentals of Indigenous Living, Society and Wellness) and including foundational and capstone courses, concentrators explore topics and research projects focused on further supporting the interests, concerns and needs of Indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere and globally.
This critical approach is also grounded in Indigenous-centered knowledge production, in addition to engagement with topics such as: decolonial scholarship and practices (and the further defining of those terms); Indigenous self-determination and political and social justice; Indigenous activism and sovereignty struggles; the politics of land, dispossession and heritage studies; critiques of racial capitalism and extractive economies; issues of policing, incarceration, criminalization and violence against women; environmental justice and global environmental change; health and economic disparities; structural racism; language loss; cultural and intellectual property rights; and human rights advocacy.
Student Goals
Students in this concentration will:
- Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies is a cross-disciplinary concentration focused on teaching, research, and engagement to increase understanding of the cultural traditions, histories, political experiences, and contemporary experiences and knowledges of Native American and Indigenous peoples.
Department Undergraduate Group (DUG)
Student Leaders: Skyler Recel-Chang, Jeamilett Martinez
Graduating Class
| Class Year | Total Students | Honors Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 |
Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) is an interdisciplinary concentration offered through the American Studies department focused on research, teaching and engagement with the social, cultural, artistic, ancestral, heritage, legal and political aspects of Native American and Indigenous peoples in the historical and contemporary periods. It emphasizes the integrated study of indigeneity within contemporary U.S. borders, also extending across the Americas, to Oceania and to other parts of the world. This concentration builds on Brown University's strengths and history of engagement with critical theory, studies and pedagogy, and with topics of social justice, inequality, power structures and structural violence. Through courses across four breadth areas (Creative Expressions; History, Politics and Policy Issues; Language and Identity; Systems of Knowledge and Belief: Fundamentals of Indigenous Living, Society and Wellness) and including foundational and capstone courses, concentrators explore topics and research projects focused on further supporting the interests, concerns and needs of Indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere and globally.
This critical approach is also grounded in Indigenous-centered knowledge production, in addition to engagement with topics such as: decolonial scholarship and practices (and the further defining of those terms); Indigenous self-determination and political and social justice; Indigenous activism and sovereignty struggles; the politics of land, dispossession and heritage studies; critiques of racial capitalism and extractive economies; issues of policing, incarceration, criminalization and violence against women; environmental justice and global environmental change; health and economic disparities; structural racism; language loss; cultural and intellectual property rights; and human rights advocacy.
Prospective concentrators should visit the Native American and Indigenous Studies website to learn more about the concentration and associated faculty, courses and affiliated staff.
To declare the Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies concentration, visit Advising Sidekick.
Contact Rae Gould (donna_rae_gould@brown.edu) for additional information and advising. Dr. Gould serves as the CNAIS Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for the 2023/24 Academic Year.
What are Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies concentrators doing…
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is typically the first point of contact for prospective concentrators. Once students have declared, they may be assigned a specific concentration advisor from within the department or program.