Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

2023 Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration held at the Wood Center Ballroom and Lower Level Lounge showcasing the Inu-Yupiaq Dance Group, a Weaving Workshop and Native Olympic Games demonstrations

College of Indigenous Studies
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development
907-474-6528 or toll-free 1-866-478-2721 

B.A., Alaska Native Studies

This unique program immerses students into elements of Alaska Native cultures and communities while developing skills to engage in Alaska Native issues. 

The Alaska Native Studies program explores how Alaska Native people exercise agency for the benefit of Alaska Native communities now and in the future. Alaska Native Studies courses address key issues in the Alaskan social, political and historical context that build and strengthen understanding of culture, identity and traditional knowledge. Alaska Native Studies students will broaden their awareness of Alaska Native knowledge, language revitalization, cultural sustainability and expression, wellness, and leadership through elective courses. 

Students can earn a minor or bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native Studies at the Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks, Alaska, or via distance from their home communities.

Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native studies, including an overview of the program, career opportunities and more.

Minimum Requirements for Alaska Native Studies Bachelor's Degree: 120 credits

B.A., Rural Development

Rural development is an interdisciplinary field that teaches the history, theory and skills needed for human, social and economic development in rural communities. Rural development degree programs are designed to educate a new generation of community leaders for rural Alaska. The B.A. degree can be earned either on the Troth Yeddha' Campus in Fairbanks or through distance delivery. 

Students in the rural development program gain a broad understanding of Alaska’s relationship to the global economy and an appreciation for sustainable development strategies. Students also learn specific tools essential for community leadership, including business plan and grant proposal writing, community visioning and planning processes, community-based research techniques, integrated Indigenous and community-based resource management, computer business applications, project management, and evaluation techniques. Graduates typically take positions with tribal and municipal governments, fisheries, tourism and other private businesses, Native corporations, regional health corporations or nonprofits and state/federal agencies.

Within the B.A. degree program, students will select and develop a concentration in one of five areas:

  • The human and social development concentration is for students interested in social services, social justice, community wellness and cultural sustainability. Graduates may find employment with tribal governments, health consortia, clinics and schools.
  • The tribal and municipal governance concentration is for students interested in tribal governance and rural municipal and borough government (home rule). Students develop an understanding of the history and constitutional basis for tribal governance, various home rule governance structures, basics of federal Indian law, principles and practices of self-determination, and the mandates of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. They develop skills in planning, budgeting and human resources management. Students can pursue a special interest, such as management of health programs, tribal governance programs or Alaska Native corporations, and tailor the concentration to these specifications through the choice of related courses and electives. Graduates may find employment with tribal and municipal governments and organizations, ANCSA corporations, and state and federal agencies.
  • The integrated resource management concentration is designed for students interested in sustainable land use, subsistence, cultural resources and co-management, and climate change adaptation planning. Students learn about traditional ecological knowledge, principles of natural resources management and policy, adaptive management, conservation and ecotourism, and skills for effective public/private/tribal collaboration in resource management. Graduates may find employment with ANCSA corporations, regional and tribal entities, or state and federal agencies.
  • The business, entrepreneurship and economic development concentration is for students interested in creating sustainable economies in rural and indigenous communities, with a focus on small business development. Students learn to develop business and marketing plans, economic development planning, and basic principles of financial and human resources management for rural enterprises. Graduates find employment in ANCSA corporations, regional development organizations, economic development agencies and as local entrepreneurs.
  • The multidisciplinary concentration is intended for students who wish to combine two or more rural development concentrations or combine a rural development concentration with another discipline. Students will work closely with their advisors to select the appropriate courses for the concentration.

​Minimum Requirements for Rural Development Bachelor's Degree: 120 credits

Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in rural development, including an overview of the program, career opportunities and more.​

M.A., Rural Development

The Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development M.A. program is designed to educate leaders who understand the dynamic relationship of rural Alaska with the global economy and who have professional skills in areas of leadership, business development, administration and conflict management. Graduates typically take positions with tribal and municipal governments, fisheries, tourism, Native corporations, regional health corporations or non-profits, state/federal agencies, or other private businesses.

Graduate degree students gain a broader theoretical understanding of development processes in Alaska and the circumpolar North. Graduate students complete a thesis or applied community development project, and have opportunities for international study and research.

Students can earn the M.A. degree either on the Troth Yeddha' Campus in Fairbanks or through distance delivery. Special application requirements and deadlines apply for distance M.A. degree programs. For more information contact the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development toll-free 1-866-478-2721.

Minimum Requirements for Rural Development Master's Degree: 30 credits

Graduate Certificate, Rural Development

The graduate certificate in rural development is intended for community development practitioners, agency and industry professionals, and current graduate students working with tribal and municipal governments, Native corporations, regional health corporations or nonprofits, state and federal agencies, or private businesses conducting work in rural areas who wish to obtain a foundation in the theory and practice of development processes in Alaska and the circumpolar North. The certificate will prepare students to conduct work related to human and economic development in rural communities with a particular focus on sustainable development strategies, community-based development, and Indigenous perspectives on development.

Minimum Requirements for Rural Development Graduate Certificate: 12 credits

 

Courses

Alaska Native Studies (ANS)

ANS F100      Preparing for College and Student Success
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Presentations on time and financial management, test-taking strategies, study techniques, UAF and community resources, GPA calculation, UAF catalog information, core requirements and goal-setting. Provides students with the information and skills necessary for a successful UAF experience. Instruction by the staff of Rural Student Services. Native leaders as guest speakers.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

ANS F101      Introduction to Alaska Native Studies      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Introductory information on the Alaska Native community. Overview of significant Native issues. Review of pertinent literature and resources.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F111X      History of Colonization in Alaska: The Indigenous Response      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

The history of the colonization of Alaska from contact to the signing of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971. This course examines Alaska history, how colonization and federal Indian policy shaped the state and some of the ways that Alaska Natives responded to and dealt with the changes.

Attributes: UAF GER Social Sciences Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F112      Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Land Claims in the 21st Century      (an)
1 Credit

Offered Fall

Familiarize students with the land claims process and important Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act content, with focus on contemporary situations and explanation of land claims processes ongoing or recently completed in locations outside Alaska.

Cross-listed with RD F110.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F113      Alaska Natives, Indigenous Peoples and International Laws      (an)
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Familiarize students with international law and its importance for Indigenous Peoples. Special emphasis on international legal instruments of importance for Alaska Natives.

Cross-listed with RD F113.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F114      Alaska Natives, Indigenous Peoples and North American Legal Systems      (an)
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Familiarize students with domestic law and its effects on Indigenous Peoples' governance in the United States. Emphasis on Alaska Natives and the relationship between Tribal legal systems and state and federal governments. Examination of how law is made and why Tribal laws differ from those in neighboring jurisdictions.

Cross-listed with RD F114.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F150      Topics in Alaska Regional Cultural History      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Cultural history of the peoples of a selected region of Alaska, which will vary depending on demand and instructor expertise. Methods including physical anthropology, ethnohistory, linguistics, archaeology, social anthropology, ethnography, ecology and climatology will be used. Includes the issues of culture-change due to Alaska Native and Euro-American contacts.

Recommended: ANS F242X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 9 credits

ANS F160      Alaska Native Dance      (an, h)
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Traditional Native Alaskan dancing, singing and drumming of songs from Alaska's major Indigenous groups taught by guest Native Elders and dancers. If there is sufficient interest, a dance group will be assembled using class members for spring presentations primarily in the Fairbanks area, including the Festival of Native Arts.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 2 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

ANS F161X      Introduction to Alaska Native Performance      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

For Native and non-Native students with no prior acting or theatre experience. Includes both academic and practical components to examine traditional Alaska Native theatre, mythology, ritual, ceremony and performance methods. Application of exercises and developmental scenes drawn from Alaska Native heritage.

Cross-listed with FLPA F161X.

Attributes: UAF GER Arts Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F202X      Aesthetic Appreciation of Alaska Native Performance      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Understanding and application of the cultural principles of Alaska Native oral narrative performances. Topics are arranged by the five broad Alaska Native regions and include lectures on culture, principles of visual arts analysis of oral narratives, musical expression and hands-on involvement in Alaska Native theatrical arts.

Prerequisites: Placement in WRTG F111X.

Attributes: UAF GER Arts Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F223X      Alaska Native Music      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Introductory course devoted to the study of Indigenous musical cultures throughout Alaska and neighboring regions. Emphasis on musical systems in terms of their respective sounds and their relationship to culture and society, cross-cultural comparisons and a focus on both past and present musical styles.

Cross-listed with MUS F223X; ACNS F223X.

Attributes: UAF GER Arts Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F225      Applied Communication Skills
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Oral and written communications for rural development practitioners. In this course, students will practice four types of oral and written communications: business presentations and business and technical writing; academic presentations and writing; policy presentations and legal and policy writing; and presenting and writing for community audiences.

Prerequisites: COM F131X or COM F141X; WRTG F111X.

Cross-listed with RD F225.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F242X      Indigenous Cultures of Alaska      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

The term Alaska Natives is used to refer to a broad spectrum of Alaska's Indigenous population, living in diverse geographic regions and each culturally distinct. Each cultural region has its own unique history, language, culture(s), political landscapes, and experiences. This course is intended to provide a broad overview of Alaska's first peoples.

Attributes: UAF GER Social Sciences Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F245      Fisheries and Marine Wildlife Development in Rural Alaska      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Introduction to fisheries development issues in rural Alaska communities, including basic concepts, strategies and contemporary cases. Topics include management of salmon and other fisheries, community development quotas, and sustainable development efforts.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X.

Cross-listed with RD F245.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F250      Current Alaska Native Leadership Perspectives      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Prominent leaders in the Native community are brought into direct classroom contact with students to discuss important issues in rural Alaska and the larger Native community.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F251      Practicum in Alaska Native Cultural Expression      (an)
1-3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Provides individual supervised activities in the formal organization, promotion and expression of Alaskan Native cultural heritage. May be repeated to a maximum of three credits.

Prerequisites: Permission of the department head.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 3 credits

ANS F268      Alaska Native Art Studio I      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Studio art course exploring the practice of traditional and contemporary Alaska Native art forms; including design, technology, and cultural expression. Rooted in experiential learning, students will learn by creating and utilizing tools specific to Alaska Native cultures. A strong emphasis will be placed on gaining technical skills and traditional knowledge.

Cross-listed with ART F268.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 4 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F300      Alaska Native Writers Workshop      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Four writing methods essential to communication for Alaska Native Studies students. Emphasis on the student's development of composition abilities in a variety of Native and Western forms. Publication of student work a possibility.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F310      Alaska Native and Comparative Indigenous Land Settlements      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Alaska Native corporation goals and methods as they implement the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and establish themselves within the larger political economy. An examination of other Indigenous land claims agreements in the circumpolar north and beyond.

Prerequisites: ANS F242X or PS F263 or ANS F111X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F315      Tribal People and Development      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Impact of socioeconomic development processes on tribal peoples in less developed world societies. Implications of these processes for Alaska Native people.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Cross-listed with RD F315.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F325      Alaska Native and Comparative Tribal Self-Government      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Indigenous political systems, customary law and justice in Alaska emphasizing the organization of Alaska Native governance under federal Indian law and Alaska state-chartered local government. Comparisons between Alaska Native political development and those of tribes in the contiguous 48 states and northern hemisphere tribal people.

Prerequisites: ANS F111X, PS F263, TG F201.

Cross-listed with PS F325.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F329      Indigenous Alaska Native Language and Culture Revitalization      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

The course will focus on contemporary issues, principles and practice models in the revival maintenance and revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures in Alaska and from an international perspective. A variety of language revitalization approaches and methods will be considered, including linguistic documentation, teaching language courses, immersion and master-apprentice programs.

Prerequisites: ANS F242X, WRTG F111X; Junior Standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F340      Contemporary Indigenous Literature in North America      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Contemporary Indigenous literature in North America including novels, short stories, poetry, film, audio expression and genre-fluid texts. Works will be discussed in their cultural contexts and explore connecting themes such as historical trauma, survivance, resurgence and decolonization.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; sophomore standing.

Cross-listed with ENGL F340.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F341      Community Research Toolbox
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Community research approaches and techniques. Emphasis on the role and need for community-based research and associated ethical issues. Students use a hands-on approach to learn about research techniques, including interviewing, surveying and utilizing existing data in support of community-based research. Emphasizes academic writing and communicating with community audiences.

Prerequisites: RD F225.

Crosslisted with RD F340.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F347      Voices of Native American Peoples      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

Exploration of the forms by which Native American peoples have narrated their life experiences. Includes oral narratives, written autobiographies, memoirs and speeches, and an introduction to the social, historical and cultural content surrounding these texts. Readings selected from all of North America with an emphasis on Alaska Natives.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X, or WRTG F214X; sophomore standing.

Cross-listed with ENGL F347.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F348      Native North American Women      (s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Interdisciplinary examination of the relationship between Native American women and their social settings and cross-cultural experiences. Includes issues of political, economic and social solutions as employed by women in a large multi-ethnic nation-state.

Prerequisites: ANS F101; ANTH F100X; WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; SOC F101X.

Cross-listed with WGS F348.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F349      Narrative Art of Alaska Native Peoples (in English translation)      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

Traditional and historical tales by Aleut, Athabascan Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian storytellers. Bibliography, Alaska Native genres and viewpoints, and structural and thematic features of tales.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; sophomore standing.

Cross-listed with ENGL F349.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F350      Cross-cultural Communication: Alaska Perspectives      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

Cultural influences on communication patterns. Examines how misunderstandings may develop from differently organized ways of speaking and thinking when cultures come in contact. Alaskan focused, with its diversity of cultures and languages, as a microcosm for examining these issues, particularly as they affect Native and non-Native communication in institutional settings.

Prerequisites: COM F131X or COM F141X; WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F351      Advanced Practicum in Alaska Native Cultural Expression      (an)
1-3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Individual supervised activities in advanced organization, promotion and expression of Alaskan Native cultural heritage projects (Festival of Native Arts leadership, Theater magazine, etc.). Continuation of ANS F251.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 3 credits

ANS F360      Advanced Alaska Native Dance      (an, h)
1 Credit

Offered Fall and Spring

Advanced Alaska Native dance techniques with emphasis on the cultural meanings of the performance.

Prerequisites: ANS F160.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

ANS F361      Advanced Alaska Native Performance      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

In-depth study of Alaska Native theatre techniques and tradition, including traditional dance, song and drumming techniques, mask characterizations and performance application and presentation of a workshop production developed by the students during the semester.

Prerequisites: ANS F161X, FLPA F161X.

Cross-listed with FLPA F361.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 3 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F365      Alaska Native Art History      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

The material culture of Alaska Native people from pre-colonial times to the present. Students will explore the effects of colonialism on the art forms of different Alaska Native cultural groups. Students will have an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing histories of Alaska Native art through group research projects.

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.

Cross-listed with ANTH F365; ART F365.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F366      Northwest Coast Indian Art      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Arts of the Northwest Coast Indians and the place of art in their culture.

Cross-listed with ANTH F366; ART F366.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F367      Inuit Art      (an, h, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Indigenous art from Northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Bering Strait region of Russia, from the earliest known to contemporary.

Cross-listed with ANTH F367; ART F367.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F368      Alaska Native Art Studio II      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

This course is a continuing exploration of the designs, technologies, and meanings of the diverse Alaska Native arts. Through the creative process, students will start examining the complex issues of creating art within a cultural context. A strong emphasis will be placed on developing a student's individual style.

Prerequisites: ANS F268 or ART F268.

Cross-listed with ART F368.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 4 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F375      Native American Religion and Philosophy      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Philosophical aspects of Native American world views. Systems of belief and knowledge, explanations of natural phenomena, relationship of humans to natural environment through ritual and ceremonial observances.

Recommended: PHIL F102X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F381      Indigenous World in Film      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

The history and appreciation of Indigenous films, with emphasis on Alaska Native contributions through select films, readings and guest speakers. Analysis of social impacts of portrayals and treatment of Indigenous peoples while learning to critically analyze films through understanding film techniques and terminology. Preview of film industry business and opportunities.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.

Recommended: ART F200X, MUS F200X, or FLPA F200X.

Cross-listed with FLPA F381.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 2-4 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F401      Cultural Knowledge of Native Elders      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Study with prominent Native tradition-bearers in Native philosophies, values and oral traditions. Traditional knowledge elicited through the cultural heritage documentation process. Analysis of existing interactions between cultural traditions and contemporary American life as experienced by Native Elders.

Prerequisites: ANS F111X; ANS F242X; upper-division standing.

Cross-listed with RD F401.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F420      Alaska Native Education      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

School systems historically serving Native people, current efforts toward local control and the cross-cultural nature of this education. Field experience required.

Prerequisites: ANS F242X; junior standing.

Cross-listed with ED F420.

Stacked with ED F606.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F425      Federal Indian Law and Alaska Natives      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

The special relationship between the federal government and Native Americans based on land transactions and recognition of tribal sovereignty. Federal Indian law and policy evolving from this relationship. Legal rights and status of Alaska Natives.

Prerequisites: PS F101X, TG F112, TG F201 or HIST F110X.

Recommended: PS F263.

Cross-listed with PS F425.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F435      Participatory Policy-making in Tribal, State and Federal Government
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

This course analyzes the policy-making and lobbying processes of the American political system, with a focus on the relationship between tribes, U.S. Congress, federal agencies and the U.S. Supreme Court. Uses comparative case studies of national, state of Alaska and tribal issues, policies and laws impacting rural Alaskans.

Prerequisites: RD F300; senior standing.

Recommended: RD F110.

Cross-listed with RD F435.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F450      Comparative Indigenous Rights and Policies      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

Comparative approach to analyzing Indigenous rights and policies in different nation-state systems. Multiple countries and specific policy developments examined for factors promoting or limiting self-determination.

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.

Cross-listed with PS F450.

Stacked with ACNS F657; PS F650.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F458      The Politics of Indigenous Identity      (an)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Examines Indigenous identity from four different perspectives: legal, biological, cultural and self-identity. The course will be a journey of self-discovery for students as they research their discovery for students as they research their personal identities whether they be Indigenous identities or other identities.

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F461      Native Ways of Knowing      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

Focus on how culture and worldview shape who we are and influence the way we come to know the world around us. Emphasis on Alaska Native knowledge systems and ways of knowing.

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.

Cross-listed with ED F461.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F465      Community Healing and Wellness      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

The history of education and the impact of religion and assimilation policies on the emotional and physical health of Alaska Natives and their communities. Traditional wellness issues and systems will also be researched from a global perspective.

Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Crosslisted with RD F465.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F467      Tribal Responses to Violence: Safety, Justice and Advocacy      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

This course examines the crisis of violence against Native people and within Native communities. The role of sexual and other violence will be explored, impacts of trauma, legal and jurisdictional barriers and developments in victim-centered and restorative justice. Students will investigate response systems, relevant policies and issues, and develop solutions.

Prerequisites: Senior standing.

Stacked with RD F667.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F468      Alaska Native Art Studio III      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Students will refine their artistic practice guided with in-depth mentorship from faculty. Through individualized study, students will continue their exploration and development of their artwork within a cultural context. Strong emphasis will be placed on the individual development of a body of artwork inspired by the cultures they draw from.

Prerequisites: ART F368.

Cross-listed with ART F468.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 4 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 6 times for up to 18 credits

ANS F474      Applied Community Research
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Development and preliminary groundwork for the rural development senior project. Students will develop a full prospectus and conduct preliminary research for their senior project to be completed in RD F475 Rural Development Senior Project.

Prerequisites: RD F340; RD F352; senior standing.

Crosslisted with RD F474.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F475      Alaska Native Social Change      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Tradition and change in Native social institutions in contemporary society. Methods of identifying and analyzing significant Native social change processes for public understanding.

Prerequisites: ANS F242X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

ANS F478      Alaska Native Studies Senior Thesis
3 Credits

Offered Spring

This is a capstone course that allows students to draw together knowledge acquired in Alaska Native Studies courses to apply them to expand or extend students' knowledge or to develop a tangible product that benefits others.

Prerequisites: ANS F350; RD F474; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; senior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Rural Development (RD)

RD F100      The University Experience
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Designed to serve as an academic, cultural, and social transition to the UAF campus. Through learner-centered education emphasizing positive self-concept theories, RD F100 will build on personal strengths and skills. Overview of resources and support programs that serve rural and Alaska Native students for a successful transition to college life.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F110      Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Land Claims in the 21st Century      (an)
1 Credit

Offered Fall

Familiarize students with the land claims process and important Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act content, with focus on contemporary situations and explanation of land claims processes ongoing or recently completed in locations outside Alaska.

Cross-listed with ANS F112.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F113      Alaska Natives, Indigenous Peoples and International Laws      (an)
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Familiarize students with international law and its importance for Indigenous Peoples. Special emphasis on international legal instruments of importance for Alaska Natives.

Cross-listed with ANS F113.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F114      Alaska Natives, Indigenous Peoples and North American Legal Systems      (an)
1 Credit

Offered As Demand Warrants

Familiarize students with domestic law and its effects on Indigenous Peoples' governance in the United States. Emphasis on Alaska Natives and the relationship between Tribal legal systems and state and federal governments. Examination of how law is made and why Tribal laws differ from those in neighboring jurisdictions.

Cross-listed with ANS F114.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F125      Our Changing Climate: Past, Present, Future      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Examines how the biophysical impacts of climate change define and intersect with social, ecological, economic, political and cultural dimensions of our lives. Provides a foundation in both Indigenous and Western science perspectives of the causes, impacts and feedbacks of a changing climate. Includes theoretical and project-based experience in climate change.

Prerequisites: Placement in WRTG F111X.

Cross-listed with ACNS F125, HONR F125, NRM F125.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F200X      Rural Development in the North      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Examines sustainable community development efforts in Alaska and the circumpolar North. Provides an overview of community development processes and case studies with an emphasis on indigenous communities and peoples.

Attributes: UAF GER Social Sciences Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F225      Applied Communication Skills
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Oral and written communications for rural development practitioners. In this course, students will practice four types of oral and written communications: business presentations and business and technical writing; academic presentations and writing; policy presentations and legal and policy writing; and presenting and writing for community audiences.

Prerequisites: COM F131X or COM F141X; WRTG F111X.

Cross-listed with ANS F225.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F245      Fisheries and Marine Wildlife Development in Rural Alaska      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Introduction to fisheries development issues in rural Alaska communities, including basic concepts, strategies and contemporary cases. Topics include management of salmon and other fisheries, community development quotas, and sustainable development efforts.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X.

Cross-listed with ANS F245.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F250      Grant Writing for Community Development
1-3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Basic elements of grant proposals and processes of preparing proposals for governmental and private funding sources. Emphasis on applied skills through preparation of actual grant proposals.

Prerequisite: WRTG F111X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 3 credits

RD F250P      Grant Writing for Community Development
1-3 Credits

Basic elements of grant proposals and processes of preparing proposals for governmental and private funding sources. Emphasis on applied skills through preparation of actual grant proposals.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 3 credits

RD F265      Perspectives on Subsistence in Alaska      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

The socioeconomic, cultural, legal and political dimensions of subsistence in Alaska.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F268      Rural Tourism: Planning and Principles
1-3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

This course involves an exploration of rural tourism, encompassing an analysis of rural tourism attractions and emerging trends, tourism planning, policy development, quality criteria and the cultural and environmental impacts of tourism.

Recommended: BA F151X.

Cross-listed with ABUS F268.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 3 credits

RD F280      Resource Management Research Techniques
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Overview of standard methods of field-based scientific research conducted by resource management agencies in rural Alaska including elementary statistical concepts, survey techniques and tools used in land and renewable resources research.

Prerequisites: NRM F101 and BIOL F104X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F291      Climate Change and Communities      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

In this introductory course, students explore key issues relating to climate change in communities across the world and the United States, with special emphasis on Alaska and the Arctic and the unique challenges that climate change poses to Indigenous rural communities.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F300      Rural Development in a Global Perspective      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

In this introductory course, students explore topics tied to rural development worldwide. Students examine different perspectives and relationships that impact rural communities and the global economy by covering issues such as ethnicity and diversity, health, community development and the economy.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; RD F225; junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F315      Tribal People and Development      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Impact of socioeconomic development processes on tribal peoples in less developed world societies. Implications of these processes for Alaska Native people.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Cross-listed with ANS F315.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F325      Rural Development Principles and Practices      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

This course will expose students to key principles and practices in Rural Development and empower them to explore their own definition of rural development, including defining the purpose and objective of development and what role(s) they aspire to as part of the next generation of rural development leaders.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; RD F225.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F340      Community Research Toolbox
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Community research approaches and techniques. Emphasis on the role and need for community-based research and associated ethical issues. Students use a hands-on approach to learn about research techniques, including interviewing, surveying and utilizing existing data in support of community-based research. Emphasizes academic writing and communicating with community audiences.

Prerequisites: RD F225.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F351      Strategic Planning and Decision Making
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Rural leaders must be adept at making strategic decisions about how to achieve desirable outcomes with limited human and financial resources. This course takes a practitioner approach to equipping students with basic knowledge of strategic planning processes as well as opportunities to engage with proven tools from the field.

Prerequisites: RD F300; RD F325; and junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F352      Rural Business Planning and Proposal Development
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Provides undergraduate students with an understanding of the principles and processes involved in strategic planning, business planning and proposal development with the focus on applications in rural Alaska. Focus is on meeting the unique planning needs of rural Alaska communities and organizations. This course emphasizes business and technical writing.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; RD F225.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F355      Rural Alaska Land Issues      (an, s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

Provides students with an in-depth understanding of land issues in rural Alaska as it relates to Native people, land use perspectives and worldviews, and significant changes and opportunities presented by ANCSA, ANILCA and other local land complexities. Expands on community development practices as they relate to lands.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F400      Rural Development Internship
3 Credits

Offered Summer

Structured experience in an appropriate agency or corporate setting. Intended to provide students with on-the-job experience to enhance skills acquired via coursework. Approved internship position required and student must discuss internship position with their advisor one full semester in advance of when they intend to take the course.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F401      Cultural Knowledge of Native Elders      (an, h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Study with prominent Native tradition-bearers in Native philosophies, values and oral traditions. Traditional knowledge elicited through the cultural heritage documentation process. Analysis of existing interactions between cultural traditions and contemporary American life as experienced by Native Elders.

Prerequisites: ANS F111X; ANS F242X; upper-division standing.

Cross-listed with ANS F401.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F425      Cultural Resource Issues      (s)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

An examination of the potential impacts of development projects on cultural systems. Explores data gathering, analytical techniques and use of impact data.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F427      Tribal Contracting and Compacting
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

Examines the history of federal Indian policy that led to self-determination tribal contracting and compacting. Public Law 93-638 will be studied and analyzed. Challenging issues that hampered tribal contracting will be identified. Case studies involving both tribal organizations and tribal governments will be studied.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F430      Indigenous Economic Development and Entrepreneurship      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

An understanding of the principles, strategies and practices of economic development and entrepreneurship with a focus on indigenous Alaska communities. Focus is on those sustainable economics, through culturally appropriate practices.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F435      Participatory Policy-making in Tribal, State and Federal Government
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

This course analyzes the policy-making and lobbying processes of the American political system, with a focus on the relationship between tribes, U.S. Congress, federal agencies and the U.S. Supreme Court. Uses comparative case studies of national, state of Alaska and tribal issues, policies and laws impacting rural Alaskans.

Prerequisites: RD F300; senior standing.

Recommended: RD F110.

Cross-listed with ANS F435.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F450      Managing Rural Projects and Programs
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Examines appropriate management and accountability approaches for community-based programs and projects, particularly those found in rural and/or cross-cultural contexts. This course emphasizes business and technical writing and oral and written communication with community audiences.

Prerequisites: RD F325; junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F451      Human Resource Management for Indigenous Communities
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Provides an understanding of the principles and processes involved in human resource management especially as they apply within Indigenous communities. Focus is on the relevance of human resource management in every unit, project or team, and on the unique human resource management needs of rural Alaska communities and organizations.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F460      Women and Development      (s)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Explores interrelationships of gender roles and development in the global economy, emphasizing Alaska and the circumpolar north. Examines the historical marginalization of women, women in indigenous communities, and changing socio-economic and cultural gender roles in community development. Examines women’s life histories that illustrate strategies for individual and community empowerment.

Cross-listed with WGS F460.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F462      Rural Health and Human Service Systems
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Examine U.S. federal and state rural health and human service systems with specific emphasis on the tribal system in Alaska. The history, organization, work force, service delivery and financing of the U.S. and Canadian and Alaska systems are examined. Circumpolar challenges and policy issues in rural health and human service systems are explored.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F465      Community Healing and Wellness      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

The history of education and the impact of religion and assimilation policies on the emotional and physical health of Alaska Natives and their communities. Traditional wellness issues and systems will also be researched from a global perspective.

Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Crosslisted with ANS F465.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F468      Human Development and Social Justice
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

For many communities in the circumpolar North, the ultimate aim of development is to improve the overall quality of life for present and future generations. This course explores how rural communities can, and are, creating positive change in the areas of governance, natural resource management, cultural revitalization, education and health.

Prerequisites: RD F300, RD F325, senior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F470      The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Pre-1971 to Present      (an)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

Overview and analysis of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. An in-depth examination of the land claims movement of the 1960s and resulting legislative process. Firsthand accounts from Native leaders will be featured. Case studies describing challenges of individual Native villages and regions. Contemporary issues facing ANCSA corporations will be examined.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Stacked with RD F670.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F471      Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability in Rural and Indigenous Contexts
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

Examination of corporate social responsibility and how CSR plays out in rural Alaska and other Indigenous contexts. Uses comparative case studies of international, national and rural Alaska organizational, economic and societal issues with a special emphasis on transnational corporations, ANCSA corporations, tribal enterprises and other businesses.

Prerequisites: RD F300; senior standing.

Recommended: RD F110.

Stacked with RD F671.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F474      Applied Community Research
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Development and preliminary groundwork for the rural development senior project. Students will develop a full prospectus and conduct preliminary research for their senior project to be completed in RD F475 Rural Development Senior Project.

Prerequisites: RD F340; RD F352; senior standing.

Crosslisted with ANS F474.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F475      Rural Development Senior Project
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Under faculty supervision, the student will complete a major theoretical, research and/or applied project which relates to the student's applied emphasis area. Students will utilize the appropriate writing and oral communication style for the type of research or project they choose.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; RD F474; senior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F492      Rural Development Seminar
1-3 Credits

Various topics of current interest and importance to the rural development majors. Topics are announced before each offering. Topics may include: Indigenous peoples' leadership, legislative process, cultural documentation, National Park Service policies, climate change and co-management of natural resources. Enrollment priority is given to rural development majors.

Special Notes: Students may take up to three Rural Development seminars on different topics for credit with prior approval.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 99 credits

RD F492P      Rural Development Seminar
1-3 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits

RD F600       Indigenous Leadership Symposium
3 Credits

Offered Fall

This course focuses on Indigenous models and perspectives on leadership. The seminar is delivered via a series of teleconferences as well as a weeklong face-to-face intensive. The location of the seminar changes each year. Rural development graduate students can repeat the course once as an elective.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 1 time for up to 6 credits

RD F601      Political Economy of the Circumpolar North
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Interrelationships among rural communities in the circumpolar North and global socioeconomic, political and ecological systems. Includes major theoretical advances in our understanding of development in the 20th century. Uses a comparative case study approach to understand rapid socioeconomically and cultural change in the north.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F608      Indigenous Knowledge Systems
3 Credits

Offered Fall

A comparative survey and analysis of the epistemological properties, world views and modes of transmission associated with various Indigenous knowledge systems. Emphasis on knowledge systems practiced in Alaska.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Cross-listed with CCS F608; ED F608; ANL F608.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F612      Traditional Ecological Knowledge
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Examines the acquisition and utilization of knowledge associated with long-term inhabitation of particular ecological systems and adaptations that arise from the accumulation of such knowledge. Attention will be given to the contemporary significance of traditional ecological knowledge as a complement to academic fields of study.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Cross-listed with CCS F612.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F625      Community Development Strategies: Principles and Practices
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Provides graduate students with a detailed overview of principles and strategies of community development in rural Alaska and the circumpolar North. Explores how rural communities in diverse cultural, political and economic settings can build on local assets, skills and capacities to improve the lives of Indigenous and other Northern residents.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F630      Economic Development Policy and Entrepreneurship in Rural Alaska: Challenges and Opportunities
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

This course explores the questions - what does/should economic development and entrepreneurship look like in rural and Native Alaska? What national, state and tribal policies and laws are desirable, given the history and experience of existing ANCSA corporations (and transnational corporations), tribal enterprises and ANCSA corporations?

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Recommended: RD F625.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F650      Community-based Research Methods
3 Credits

Offered Spring

This graduate course provides students with opportunities for advanced exploration of community-based research principles and practices. Emphasis is placed on developing a thorough understanding of the community research process from conceptualization to implementation and evaluation. It includes skill development of skills applicable to both quantitative and qualitative research.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F651      Management Strategies for Rural Development
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Overview of management and development within Indigenous communities in the Circumpolar North and looks closely at recent strategies such as co-management of renewable resources, land management of Alaska Native corporations, cultural resource management, and the management of Alaska Native tribal governments, corporations and other organizations.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F652      Indigenous Organization Management
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

Purposes, structure, and methods of management in Northern Indigenous organizations. Management of Alaska Native organizations will be compared with organizations established by Indigenous peoples in other regions of the Circumpolar North. "Indigenous management" will be explored, alongside perceptions of differences between leadership and management in western and indigenous settings.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F655      Circumpolar Health Issues
3 Credits

Offered Summer Even-numbered Years

Comprehensive overview of major circumpolar health issues affecting Northern residents. Analysis of health and traditional healing practices prior to contact. Examines the emergence of chronic diseases, alcohol abuse and violence, efforts to combine traditional healing practices and Western medicine. Includes environmental health issues, including water, sewer, and food contamination.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F667      Tribal Responses to Violence: Safety, Justice and Advocacy
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

This course examines the crisis of violence against Native people and within Native communities. The role of sexual and other violence will be explored, impacts of trauma, legal and jurisdictional barriers and developments in victim-centered and restorative justice. Students will investigate response systems, relevant policies and issues, and develop solutions.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Stacked with ANS F467.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F670      The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Pre-1971 to Present
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

Overview and analysis of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. An in-depth examination of the land claims movement of the 1960s and resulting legislative process. Firsthand accounts from Native leaders will be featured. Case studies describing challenges of individual Native villages and regions. Contemporary issues facing ANCSA corporations will be examined.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Stacked with RD F470.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F671      Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability in Rural and Indigenous Contexts
3 Credits

Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years

Examination of corporate social responsibility and how CSR plays out in rural Alaska and other Indigenous contexts. Uses comparative case studies of international, national and rural Alaska organizational, economic and societal issues with a special emphasis on transnational corporations, ANCSA corporations, tribal enterprises and other businesses.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Recommended: RD F625.

Stacked with RD F471.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F675      Federal Indian Law: Land, Water and Subsistence
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Federal Indian law and its implementation in Alaska; including the Indian Reorganization Act, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Students will explore the political landscape of Alaska and consider the future of subsistence, water rights and how these laws affect natural resource access.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F676      Federal Indian Law in Alaska: Tribal Self-governance - Business, Public Safety Protection of Family,
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Examination of the history of federal Indian law and its implementation in Alaska. Key laws including the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), Public Law 83-280, Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA) and the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) are examined in terms of how they have altered the political landscape in Alaska. Indian legislation is explored to determine how Native communities exercise self-governance in Alaska. Students consider the development of tribal judicial capacity and pressing issues such as public safety for Native communities in Alaska as well as tribal participation in business and contractual agreements.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F690      Seminar in Cross-Cultural Studies
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Investigation of current issues in cross-cultural contexts. Opportunity for students to synthesize prior graduate studies and research. Seminar is taken near the terminus of a graduate program.

Prerequisites: Advancement to candidacy; permission of student's graduate committee.

Cross-listed with CCS F690; ED F690; ANL F690.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits

RD F691      Seminar in Rural, Community and Indigenous Development Issues
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Over the semester, students will review key concepts from the core courses in the M.A. program and develop a graduate portfolio illustrating their application in rural development contexts.

Prerequisites: RD F600; RD F601; RD F625; RD F650; RD F651.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

RD F698      Non-thesis Research/Project
1-6 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 3-9

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 98 times for up to unlimited credits

RD F699      Thesis
1-9 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 1-9

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 98 times for up to unlimited credits

Faculty

Jessica Black, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Chancellor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

jcblack@alaska.edu
907-474-6528
Troth Yeddha' Campus


Cathy Brooks, M.S.

Associate Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

cabrooks2@alaska.edu
907-474-6889
Brooks Building 325
Troth Yeddha' Campus


Jennifer Carroll, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

jlcarroll@alaska.edu
907-474-5405
Brooks Building 323
Troth Yeddha' Campus


Christine Davenport, M.A.

Assistant Professor and Graduate Student Coordinator
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

cdavenport@alaska.edu
907-474-1539
Sitka, AK


Charleen Fisher, Ph.D.

Department Co-chair and Assistant Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

cfisher9@alaska.edu
Fairbanks, AK


Sonta Hamilton Roach

Assistant Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

smhamilton@alaska.edu
Shageluk, AK


Debbie Mekiana, M.A.

Assistant Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

damekiana@alaska.edu
907-474-6591
Brooks Building 317
Troth Yeddha' Campus


Josie Sam, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development and International Arctic Research Center

josie.sam@alaska.edu
907-474-1946
Brooks Building 319
Troth Yeddha' Campus


TiaAnna Tidwell, M.A.

Department Co-chair and Assistant Professor
Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development

tmtidwell@alaska.edu
907-460-4454
Brooks Building 307
Troth Yeddha' Campus