Within the Jackson School of International Studies students are provided with an abundance of options when it comes to choosing a major. In addition to the five area studies degrees including Asian, European, Latin American and Caribbean, Jewish, and Comparative Religion Studies, the General major offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of 19 different “track” options. These tracks range from a focus on single countries or regions to broader global themes like “International Political Economy” or “Ethnicity, Identity, and Migration.”
 
We propose that an Indigenous Studies track be added. The track could follow the existing framework of schools like Pitzer University, whose Critical Global Studies program already offers a track in Indigenous Studies. The track would require students take just three courses in the realm of Indigenous culture, politics, and history, while the rest of their coursework would be the same as every other JSIS student. Most tracks in the General major also outsource at least a portion of their courses to other departments like History, Anthropology, Geography, Political Science, Economy, Communications, or Sociology. The Jackson school could use this same process to help develop an Indigenous Studies track.

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We propose the following pre-existing courses (in a non-exhaustive list) could be used to develop an Indigenous studies track within the Jackson School of International Studies:

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• AIS 275 Introductory Topics in American Indian and Indigenous Studies

• AIS 375 Special Topics in American Indian and Indigenous Studies

• AIS 443 Indigenous Films, Sovereign Visions

• JSIS A 280 Indigenous Encounters: Politics, Culture, and Representation in Latin America

• JSIS B 391 Climate Change - An international Perspective: Science, Art, and Activism

  • (includes coursework on role of Arctic Indigenous peoples in addressing environmental changes)

• ANTH Indian Heritage of Mexico and Central America

• ANTH 210 Introduction to Environmental Anthropology 

  • (includes coursework on Indigenous approaches to environment)

• ANTH 309 Indigenous Epistemologies and Oceanic Canoes

• ANTH 312 Pacific Islands Literature and Film

• ANTH 325 Indigenous Knowledge and Public Health in Mexican and Latinx Origin Communities

• HSTCMP 212 Indigenous Leaders and Activists

• HSTLAC 481 History of Peru and the Andean Region

• GWSS 496 Indigenous Feminisms: International and Indigenous Communities

• LSJ 438 Human Rights and International Development

 

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The goal of this list is to show that the courses already exist to implement a track for Indigenous studies within the “General” International Studies major. New courses could also be developed that specifically address global Indigenous culture and politics (for more information on this, see Proposals 3 and 4). Where possible, these courses should be developed in partnership with Indigineous communities and people, and approach that AIS professor Joshua Reid encourages for those attempting to Indigenize the university. In our conversation with him he stated, “What I think really needs to happen is those people who are eager to do things about Indigenous peoples, they need to make that shift or transition to being more collaborative with Native nations,” said Professor Reid. For more information on developing new coursework, see Proposal 4. 
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In developing an Indigenous Studies track, we believe that three insights should be kept in mind. First, Indigenous peoples are often seen as a parochial or North American-only phenomenon. The reality, however, is that Indigenous peoples exist in most parts of the world and are often hyper-marginalized and ignored. By formally incorporating them within International Studies, the JS can help to both globalize Indigenous Studies and push back against these communities’ invisibility in various societies. Second, a central goal of Indigenous peoples’ in North America has been to have their sovereignty fully recognized and actualized. Were the JS to develop an Indigenous Studies track, it would help lend important support and legitimacy to this struggle for sovereignty. Third, most Washingtonians are unaware of Indigenous history and rights which impedes, among other things, their ability to navigate and shape the policies of their region. This is especially true in the Salish Sea region given that the Tribes, for example, have co-management rights over the environment and many infrastructure projects. The Jackson School, by creating an Indigenous Studies track, could help to rectify this knowledge gap and in the process enable students to become more capable citizens.