Alaska Native Studies Minor - Course Descriptions

Requirements:

AKNS 201 Alaska Native Perspectives

Introduction to Alaska Native Perspectives on kinship, time, philosophy, symbolism, spirituality, communication, justice, oral traditions, storytelling, material culture, and the relationship to the environment. Students will become familiar with the diversity of Alaska Native peoples, languages and worldviews and how these influence contemporary and global issues.

AKNS 492 Cultural Knowledge of Native Elders

Provides students exposure to and interaction with prominent Alaska Native tradition bearers in order to ascertain knowledge of the traditional values, culture, and world views which compromise the heritage of Alaska Native people. Students will gather information on traditional values, governance and leadership by eliciting accounts of the elders' experiences, and by comparing Native and "Western" culture, understand the significance of cultural differences in worldview, heritage and communication.

Language Focus Requirements



AKNS A101B, Elementary Tlingit Lang I

AKNS A101C, Elementary (Selected) Alaska Native Lang I

Introductory course in an Alaska language for beginners with no, or little, prior knowledge of the specific language.


AKNS A102A Elementary Central Yup'ik Lang II

AKNS A102B Elementary Tlingit Language II

AKNS A102C Elementary (Selected) Alaska Native Lang II

Continuation of introductory course to a selected Alaska Native language for students with some prior knowledge of the specific language.

Policy Focus

AKNS A290 Selected Topics in Alaska Native Studies

A topic of contemporary or continuing interest in Alaska Native Studies, treated at an introductory level.

AKNS/PS 346 Alaska Native Politics

Introduction to historical relationships among federal,territorial, state and local laws and policies as they affect Alaska Natives and Native/non-Native relations. Includes contemporary issues and comparative case studies. This course meets the requirements for State of Alaska teacher recertification.

AKNS/PS 411 Tribes, Nations, and Peoples

Analyzes and evaluates the history of expansion,invasion, contemporary questions and issues that confront Indigenous
tribes, nations and peoples including their political, social
economic and cultural activities. Investigates corresponding
relations with non-indigenous governments and private
entities as well as international developments concerning
indigenous human rights.

AKNS 490 Advanced Topics in Alaska Native Studies

A topic of contemporary or continuing interest in Alaska Native
studies treated at an upper level.

Approved Elective Courses

An introduction to reading and writing the Central Yup'ik language for students with Native or near-Native oral proficiency in the language. Students will be introduced to alphabet and phonetic
classification, dialects, and a history of the Central Yup'ik writing
system. Enhances cross-cultural perspectives

AKNS A109B Tlingit Orthography

Introduction to reading and writing Tlingit for students with
oral proficiency in the Tlingit language. Students will be introduced to alphabet and phonetic classification, dialects and a history of the Tlingit writing system. Enhances cross-cultural perspectives.

AKNS A109C Alaska Native Language Orthography

Introduction to reading and writing an Alaska Native Language for students with oral proficiency in the Alaska Native language. Students will be introduced to alphabet and phonetic classification, dialects and a history of the Alaska Native language writing system. Enhances cross-cultural perspectives.

AKNS A146 Introduction to Alaska Native Dance

Beginning course in Alaska Native dance techniques involving movement, sounds/vocal, music and storytelling. Historical, cultural and aesthetic context of dances stressed throughout class.

AKNS A215 Music of Alaska Natives 
                  and Indigenous Peoples of Northern Regions

Explores the music of Alaska Natives and Indigenous Peoples of Northern regions by group, including influences from Euro-American music.

AKNS 420 Alaska Native Education

Examination of educational policies as they relate to Native Americans with an emphasis on these policies' historical implementation in Alaska and the contemporary issues which have arisen as a result of those efforts.

 

AKNS 495 Internship in Alaska Native Studies

An opportunity for students to apply the subject matter of Alaska Native Studies to the practical life of their community. Internships are available in a variety of governmental, non-profit and profit settings.

 

ANTH 200 Natives of Alaska

Introduction to culture and history of Alaska Natives. Includes environmental settings, linguistic subdivisions, traditional sociocultural organization and subsistence patterns, contact with non-Native groups, and contemporary issues.

 

ANTH 427 Ethno-History of Alaska Natives

Examines major changes in Alaska Native societies from contact through 1940 including initial contacts, disease, trade, warfare, education, missionization, economic development and political mobilization.

 

ANTH 435 Northwest Coast Cultures

An intensive appraisal of the last four million years of human evolution. Emphasizes evolutionary theory and the analysis and interpretation of fossil hominids.

 

ANTH 436 Aleut Adaptations

Intensive study of traditional and post-contact Aleut culture. Includes origins, prehistory, biological and cultural adaptations. Also considers contemporary Aleut social, economic, and political status.

 

 

ENGL 444 Topics in Native Literature

Studies of particular topics in Native American Literature.

 

ENGL 445 Alaska Native Literatures

Survey of traditional, historical stories and contemporary texts written by Alaska Natives.

 

 

HIST 341 History of Alaska

Introduction to the background of Alaska and its relationship to America and the world. Including anthropological aspects of Native groups, land bridge theory, Russian discovery, occupation and management, orthodoxy, purchase, American organization and development, gold rushes, congressional definition and federalism, Native claims history, statehood, oil and the disposition of Alaska lands.

 

JUST 355 Rural Justice

Multidisciplinary study of “bush justice” in rural Alaska and in other Artic settings including Greenland and Canada.