as.nyu.edu/history
53 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012-1098 • 212-998-8600
Director
Associate Professor Needham (History)
Steering Committee
Associate Professor Anderson (Anthropology)
Assistant Professor Ellis (History)
Associate Professor Goetz (History)
Professor Saldaña (Social and Cultural Analysis)
Associate Professor Saranillio (Social and Cultural Analysis)
New York City is an Indigenous space. Even the original name of this island, Manahahtaan, reflects its Indigeneity—this is a Munsee word describing the hickory trees clustered at its southern tip. Today, New York City has the largest urban population of Native American and Indigenous residents in the United States.
Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS) is an interdisciplinary field that draws on research in many disciplines across the College of Arts and Science, from the humanities to the social and natural sciences. Students minoring in NAIS explore the histories, cultures, and politics of Indigenous populations both within the Americas and beyond by taking courses in a wide array of departments, including but not limited to anthropology, art history, Caribbean and Latin American studies, creative writing, English, environmental studies, global public health, history, music, politics, public policy, and social and cultural analysis.
The five-course Native American and Indigenous studies minor introduces students to the main questions and debates in the field. It broadly educates students while also promoting student and faculty scholarship about the complexity and diversity of the cultures and histories of Indigenous peoples in the Americas and around the world. The minor encourages students to understand and assess the unique relationships between Indigenous people and governments. It asks students to analyze the contributions of Indigenous peoples to global society as well as the difficulties confronting Indigenous peoples and tribal nations. Finally, it provides students with foundational knowledge to assist them in finding innovative solutions to any number of challenges facing Indigenous populations worldwide.