Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies
- Department Office: SS 103
- Phone Number: 507-537-6224
- Website: https://www.smsu.edu/academics/programs/indigenousnationsanddakotastudies/index.html
Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies (INDS) promotes knowledge and awareness of native cultures and peoples in the U.S. through an examination of the ways in which traditional native cultures have persisted and adapted over time and how these cultures are expressed in present-day life and affairs. The program will study native cultures in general and with a special emphasis on the Dakota and Lakota people of the region. The interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of INDS will be illustrated by analytical concepts, methodologies, and contributions from disciplines such as sociology, history, religious studies, anthropology, literature, and art. The INDS minor will serve both native and non-native students by broadening their knowledge of traditional and modern native history and culture. Besides work in traditional classes, students in the minor will participate in an immersive practicum involving area native communities.
This course introduces Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies (INDS) with an emphasis on its interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature. An orientation to the complex and diverse cultures of the indigenous peoples of the United States will be provided. The course will examine common images and assumptions pertaining to the Indians. Analytical concepts used in approaching American Indian peoples and concerns will be studied. The course will provide an overview and sampling of contributions from key fields and disciplines (e.g., history, anthropology, sociology, education, etc.). Contemporary issues will be introduced, including decolonization, land allotments, treaty rights, and sacred sites.
This course studies the history and culture of the Indigenous peoples of Minnesota. Origin and migration stories will be examined. Their interactions with each other, Europeans, and other native groups will be focused on, as well as contemporary issues facing the indigenous peoples of the Upper Midwest.
A study of the Dakota people from antiquity to modern times. Primary attention is given to the Dakota people of Minnesota, especially the reservations located near Southwest Minnesota State University.
Designed to provide lower-division students with an opportunity to experience a special or experimental curriculum enrichment course.
This course will introduce spiritual beliefs, values, and world views of indigenous peoples in the United States. The course will specifically examine Dakota and Anishinabe peoples of our region. Students will critically examine the topics of creation and origin, migration stories, the cycle and circle, time and space, the group and the individual, death and dying, value systems, and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Students will have the opportunity to examine their own spirituality, values, and beliefs.
Designed to provide upper-division students with an opportunity to experience a special or experimental curriculum enrichment course.
Arranged Independent Study in Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies
A professional practicum for INDS minors to work within an American indigenous community in a setting related to their minor course of study.