AIS 101 is the introductory course for the American Indian Studies certificate. If you want to start a major or minor in American Indian Studies or Ethnic Studies, this is a required course that will transfer to your baccalaureate institution. If you are an education major or already an educator, this course meets the requirements of Wisconsin Act 31 for the study of minority group relations on the history, culture, and sovereignty of Wisconsin Indians. If you are working toward the UW Colleges' Associate of Arts and Science degree, this course provides 3 credits of Social Science (SS) and meets your requirements for both an Ethnic Studies (ES) and Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) course. If you are a member of the wider community, this course will foster understanding of American Indian issues and intercultural communication.
UW Colleges Catalog Course Description for AIS 101: Introduction to American Indian Studies - 3 credits. An interdisciplinary introduction to the history, culture, and sovereignty of American Indians through the disciplines of anthropology, business, geography, history, political science, and sociology. This course focuses on Wisconsin Indians, meeting the requirements of Wisconsin Act 31. This course fulfills the UWC requirement for Social Sciences (SS), Ethnic Studies (ES) and Interdisciplinary Studies (IS).
This course focuses primarily on Wisconsin Indian nations and tribes. Throughout the first half of the course, students will be introduced to and discuss the ways different disciplines understand and approach issues important to Native Americans. The second half of the course integrates interdisciplinary knowledge while focusing on contemporary issues in Indian Country.
Students will first learn to communicate using the Desire2Learn course management system. They will be asked to participate in an online discussion and to complete a pre-course assessment. Students will learn to locate resources on American and Wisconsin Indians on the Internet and in the library. All these skills are needed throughout the course.
Students will also read chapters from the course texts, be evaluated on their understanding of the material, and will be asked to apply the key lesson ideas. Information on the early history of Wisconsin Indians, on the history of European arrivals, and on the nations and tribes of Menominee, Mohican Nation Stockbridge-Munsee Band, Brothertown, Oneida, Ho-Chunk, and Potawatomi will also be included.
This course provides a contextual framework for six contemporary issues that require an understanding of Indian identity, location, history, sovereignty, and culture, and a consideration of social responsibility. Each issue is viewed from the perspectives of several disciplines. These issues include treaty rights and spearfishing, gaming, sustainable forestry, cultural tourism and sustainable development, mining, education, language preservation, and mascots. Students will also read about the Ojibwe (or Anishinabe) and learn about each of the Anishinabe Bands in Wisconsin as they study contemporary issues.
Successful completion of this course will enhance students' ability to
By successfully completing this course, students will
Renee Gralewicz
Roger Wall
