Native American Studies Minor

Ethnic & Gender Studies Program
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Office:  241 Fenton Hall

[phone]

Dr. Jeanette McVicker, Program Coordinator

Email: [e-mail]
Dr. Jennifer Hildebrand, Director of Curriculum & Special Programming
[phone]
Email:  [e-mail]

Website: https://www.fredonia.edu/academics/colleges-schools/college-liberal-arts-sciences/ethnic-gender-studies

As a minor within the interdisciplinary Ethnic & Gender Studies (EGS) program, students will focus on Native issues, culture and history within a social justice framework. Native American Studies highlights the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political contributions and status of Native American peoples across the Americas. Students are particularly encouraged to consider the significance of Native Americans' prior presence on these lands. Native American Studies emphasizes the importance of exploring and interpreting historical and contemporary events from Native American perspectives that consider the many nations’ unique history and experiences. 

Native American Studies is for everyone! Students completing a minor in Native American Studies will be strongly encouraged to engage with discussions and debates about how their academic knowledge relates to the lived experiences of Native American people and communities. Native American Studies coursework challenges students to think critically and to write persuasively and thoughtfully, pushing them to seek innovative solutions to problems which they understand to be multifaceted. Students in the program will be well-prepared for careers in human services, museum curatorship, library science, teaching, policy and land management, journalism, law, health, literature, film and the arts,  and many other fields.

 

Minor Requirements

The Native American Studies minor requires a minimum of 21 credit hours: up to 6 credit hours of transfer credit may be applied, with coordinator approval. No more than 6 credit hours may overlap a student’s major. Students may use courses taken retroactively after consultation with the coordinator. At least six credit hours, beyond the capstone, should be taken at the upper level (300/400). 

 

Some courses require prerequisites.  Click on any hyperlinked course for additional information. 

Core courses:

ETHN 202	Foundations of Social Justice	3
ETHN 205	Native American Studies	3
ETHN 491	Social Change Capstone	3
Total Credit Hours:		9

Electives:

	Courses taken by advisement with ESG coordinator	12
Total Credit Hours:		12

6 credits must be at the upper level 

Recommended Electives Include:

ARTH 280	Survey of Pre-Columbian Art: Mesoamerica	3
BUAD 321	Management and Organizational Behavior	3
COMM 373	Gender and Communication	3
COMM 465	Intercultural Communication	3
ENGL 274	Social Justice & The Written Word	3
ENGL 296	American Identities	3
ESCI 105	Global Environmental Issues	3
ETHN 234	Music, Society, and Crisis	3
ETHN 242	American Indian Literature	3
ETHN 282	Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America	3
ETHN 304	Latina Literature and Cultural Studies	3
ETHN 313	Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination	3
ETHN 356	Native American History	3
ETHN 357	Indians and Europeans in Early America	3
ETHN 358	Contemporary Issues in Native American History	3
ETHN 359	Ethnicity and Race	3
HIST 288	The Atlantic World, 1500-1820	3
HIST 343	Civil Rights Movement	3
HIST 352	Environmental History of North America	3
MUS 233	Musics of the World	3
POLI 371	Civil Rights and Liberties	3
PSY 370	Cross-Cultural Psychology	3
SOC 275	Social Inequalities	3
SOC 306	Sex and Gender	3
SOCW 249	Social Welfare History	3
SOCW 355	Diversity, Oppression, and Human Rights	3
SPMG 230	Sport in Diverse Societies	3
WGST 210	LGBTQ Literature & American History	3
WGST 302	Sex and Gender	3
WGST 345	Women, Health and Society	3

Students are encouraged to explore relevant Study Abroad courses and/or Internships to meet the elective requirements; discuss this option with the coordinator prior to registration.

Please note: students in any EGS minors are encouraged to register for the appropriate prefix (ETHN or WGST) when choosing cross listed courses from below as electives.  Such courses can only be taken one for credit.   

• ENGL 242 / ETHN 242
• ENGL 304 / ETHN 304 / WGST 304
• ENGL 314 / WGST 314
• ETHN 282 / HIST 282
• ETHN 356 / HIST 356
• ETHN 357 / HIST 357
• ETHN 358 / HIST 358
• ETHN 359 / HIST 359 / WGST 359 
• ETHN 234 / MUS 234 / WGST 234
• ETHN 313 / PSY 313 / PSY 313
• SOC 306 / WGST 302
• SOC 345 / WGST 345 

 

Total Credit Hours: 21