For upcoming course offerings please visit our Upcoming Courses page or the Registrar.
Photo: Singers at the CNAS firesite just north of Whitman Hall on the NMU Campus.
The NMU Center for Native American Studies offers the following academic programs.
► the Native American Studies major
► the Native American Studies minor (generalist)
► the Native American Community Services minor
► the Native American Community Services associate degree - offered in cooperation with the NMU Department of Social Work
► Bay Mills Community College and NMU has teamed up to offer Teaching Certificate in Anishinaabe language and culture; this began in fall 2021 semester.
► a re-designed 16-credit undergraduate certification in Native American Education endorsed by *TEDNA (the first program to be awarded such an endorsement) and
► core courses in the Masters of Educational Administration: American Indian Education Administration and Supervision endorsed by TEDNA and offered in cooperation with the NMU School of Education, Leadership and Public Service.
*TEDNA: Tribal Education Departments National Assembly
Online Courses
The CNAS offers several courses online as asynchronous courses (students work independently) or through the online video platform Zoom with pre-arranged meeting times. Learn more about online learning at NMU's Global Campus.
The online asynchronous NAS courses include:
- NAS 204 Native American Experience
- NAS 315 History of Indian Boarding School Education
- NAS 330 Native Cultures and the Dynamics of the Religious Experience
Online courses that utilize the ZOOM video platform include:
- NAS 101 Anishinaabe Language, Culture, and Community I
- NAS 404 Research and Engagement in NAS
- NAS 485 Native American Education
- NAS 488 Native American Community Engagement
Indigenous Earth Ethic
What also makes NAS courses distinct is the connection to Indigenous ancestral homelands as well as connection to forests, animals, water, and environment. Students concerned about an Indigenous earth ethic may wish to explore these following courses.
- NAS 207 a, b, c Seasonal Exploration Anishinaabe Language
- NAS 240 Sacred Ground: Native Peoples and Mother Earth
- NAS 340 Kinomaage: Earth Shows Us the Way
- NAS 342 Indigenous Environmental Movements
- NAS 440 Awesiinh: Wild Animal Relations
Courses for Educators
Educators already in the classroom and students interested in education would benefit from the following NAS courses (some of which are available for graduate credit)
- NAS 212 Michigan Wisconsin Tribal Relations [meets PA 31 requirement in Wisconsin]
- NAS 315 History of Indian Boarding School Education
- NAS 340 Kinomaage: Earth Shows Us the Way (Kinomaage is the Anishinaabe word for education and teacher)
- NAS 484 Native American Inclusion in the Classroom (offered every other summer)
- NAS 485 Native American Education [meets PA 31 requirement in Wisconsin]
Political Science, Pre-Law, Social Justice
Students interested in political science, pre-law, and social justice would benefit from the following NAS courses.
- NAS 212 Michigan Wisconsin Tribal Relations
- NAS 288 Politics of Indian Gaming
- NAS 310 Tribal Law and Government
- NAS 342 Indigenous Environmental Movements
- NAS 414 First Nations Women
- NAS 488 Native American Community Engagement
Art, Literature, and Media
Students immersed in the fields of art, literature, media, and cultural studies would enjoy the following NAS courses.
- NAS 101 Anishinaabe Language, Culture, and Community I
- NAS 224 Native American Beadwork Styles
- NAS 280 Storytelling by Native American Women
- NAS 320 American Indians: Identity and Media Images
- NAS 330 Native Cultures and the Dynamics of the Religious Experience
- NAS 422 American Indian Humor