[course]: Environmental Issues on Indigenous Homelands; NW Native Peoples and the Flora of the Pacific NW
still looking for a course for your ‘perspectives’ requirements? See two great courses with space still available for winter quarter from American Indian Studies:
AIS 475A: Environmental Issues on Indigenous Homelands
5 credits, I&S
TuTh 3:30 – 5:20
Instructor: Clarita Lefthand-Begay
This class will consist of an interdisciplinary analysis of the environmental problems plaguing Indigenous communities in North America. The overarching goals of this course will include an examination of the policies relevant to protecting communities from environmental pollutants occurring on the homelands of Indigenous peoples, the health implications of exposure to contaminated ecosystems, and case studies that illustrate strategies for how indigenous communities are working to address these issues. It will also aim to build critical awareness about environmental problems and explore the intersection between pollutants, human health, ecosystem services and community action. Students will be encouraged to work together to communicate environmental problems discussed in class.
AIS 475B: Northwest Native Peoples and the Flora of the Pacific Northwest
5 credits, NW/I&S
TuTh 3:30 – 5:20
Instructor: Cynthia Updegrave
Using lectures, case studies,and field trips, the course focuses on native plants, and their ethnobotanical uses, in the context of developing familiarity with the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest, Winter is traditionally the time for being in the longhouse, story, and the making and repair of important items in this region. In addition, the course will investigate how Native People have managed ecosystems for plant resources, and the profound disruption in indigenous management regimes post-settlement, including the health implications of the loss of indigenous food resources and the resulting loss of biodiversity for ecosystems. We will connect our learning to wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, (Intellectual House) on campus, the region’s annual Tribal Canoe Journeys, and a canoe carving project to explore the many ways cultural renewal is contributing to well-being.