Native American and Indigenous Studies
Welcome!
The minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about the Indigenous nations, peoples, cultures, and communities of the U.S. – Mexico borderlands and beyond. Drawing upon Indigenous perspectives, courses from multiple disciplines focus on important issues such as cultural diversity, nation-building, resistance to settler colonialism, Indigenous activism, gender relations, literature, art, and popular culture. Students enrolled in the minor will take NAIS 2300 Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies, and NAIS 4301: Capstone in NAIS, in addition to a range of courses taught by dynamic faculty in the College. Students are encouraged to think about community engagement, the intersection of critical theory and real-world practice, as well as career opportunities with Native nations and organizations. The minor is open to all students, regardless of major, who want to learn more about the rich and vibrant histories and contemporary challenges facing Indigenous peoples today.
Please contact Dr. Jeffrey P. Shepherd (jpshepherd@utep.edu) with questions.
The UTEP Land Acknowledgement Statement
As members of the University of Texas at El Paso community, we acknowledge that we are meeting on unceded Indigenous land. We would like to recognize and pay our respects to the Indigenous people with long ties to the immediate region: the Lipan, Mescalero, and Chiricahua Apache; Piro; Manso; Suma; Jumano; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo; Piro/Manso/Tiwa Indian Tribe of the Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe; and Tortugas Pueblo. We also acknowledge the nations whose territories include present day Texas: the Carrizo & Comecrudo, Miakan-Garza Band, Caddo, Tonkawa, Comanche, Alabama-Coushatta, Kickapoo, and the peoples of Chihuahua and northern Mexico from whom many of our students descend, such as the Rarámuri, Tepehuan, Wixarrika and Nahuatlaca peoples. Finally, we recognize all of the Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories here in the Paso del Norte region. The University of Texas at El Paso honors your history and cultures and we seek greater awareness of the many ways in which your legacy can guide us in fruitful partnerships and mutually fulfilling relationships.