This community based research course focuses on some of the major issues Native American Indian tribes and nations face in the 21st century. It provides in-depth, hands-on exposure to native development issues, including: sovereignty, economic development, constitutional reform, leadership, health and social welfare, tribal finances, land and water rights, culture and language, religious freedom, and education. In particular, the course emphasizes problem definition, client relationships, and designing and completing a research project for a tribe, tribal department, or those active in Indian Country. The course is devoted primarily to preparation and presentation of a comprehensive research paper based on work with a tribal community. In addition to faculty presentations on topics such as field research methods and problem definition, students will make presentations on their work in progress and ultimate findings.
Also offered by the Graduate School of Education as A-102, the Faculty of Arts and Science as EMR-121, and the Graduate School of Design as SES 5427. For students interested in additional courses on Native America please also see DEV-501M “Native Americans in the 21st Century: Nation Building I” (Joseph Kalt and Angela Riley) and SUP-625 “Land Loss, Reclamation, and Stewardship in Contemporary Native America” (Eric Henson, Philip Deloria, Daniel D’Oca).