Fall 2025 Course Offerings

NAS 101(0001-LEC) Class #85472, Intro to Native American Studies, TuTH 9:30-10:45am, Williams Hall 140, 3cr. 
Max Enrollment: 50, Instructor: John Bear Mitchell 
Course Description: This course will survey American Indian social, philosophical and cultural aspects in historical and contemporary society. It examines the issues and experiences of Native people from a variety of perspectives. Satisfies the General Education Social Contexts & Institutions and Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives requirements.  

NAS 101(0002-LEC) Class #85473, Intro to Native American Studies, TuTH 11:00-12:15pm, Williams Hall 211, 3cr. 
Max Enrollment: 50, Instructor: John Bear Mitchell
Course Description: This course will survey American Indian social, philosophical and cultural aspects in historical and contemporary society. It examines the issues and experiences of Native people from a variety of perspectives. Satisfies the General Education Social Contexts & Institutions and Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives requirements. 

NAS 102(0001-LEC) Class #85513, Intro to Wabanaki Culture/History/Issues, T 4:00-6:50pm, Williams Hall 219, 3cr.
Max Enrollment: 35, Instructor: John Bear Mitchell
Course Description: This course provides an overview of the tribes that make up the Wabanaki Confederacy: the Penobscot, the Passamaquoddy, the Maliseet and the Micmac. It will provide a survey of the individual tribes’ historic, cultures, philosophic, and creation stories, as well as a brief overview of Canadian, U.S., and Maine Indian history. This course will discuss and explore current issues and concerns as well as critical concepts such as sovereignty, treaty rights, and tribal government. 

NAS 201(0001-LEC) Class #85514, Topics in Native American Studies: Wabanaki Foodscapes, TuTH 12:30-1:45pm, Williams Hall 202, 3cr.
Max Enrollment: 25, Instructor: Anthony Sutton
Course Description: In Wabanaki culture, food is shared in the community and I want to begin this course by making and sharing frybread, a food that exists across many indigenous nations. Frybread exists because of what has happened to our foodways and we will learn that story in Wabanaki homelands from our sites of sustenance, such as fishing practices on Pesamkuk (Acadia) to the gardens of the Kennebec River. We will also critically examine colonial and state policies that intentionally separated Wabanaki people from their food systems and how that has had broader impacts on Maine, such as food insecurity and persistent contamination. We will end the course learning from case studies of how Wabanaki and non-Wabanaki food growers and fishers are working to heal the land and water.

NAS 202(0001-LEC) Class #86992, Wabanaki Languages I, TH, 5:00-7:50pm, Williams Hall 206, 3cr.
Max Enrollment: 21, Instructor: Roger L. Paul
Course Description: While there are distinct Indigenous languages of the Native nations that make up the Wabanaki Confederacy, these languages are similar. This course will offer an opportunity for students to begin to build their Wabanaki vocabulary and develop skills in pronunciation and oral communication, as well as discussing the history of Wabanaki words. Taught by a Wabanaki speaker.  

NAS 220(0001-LEC) Class #85585 combined with HTY 220(0001-LEC) Class #85584, North American Indian History, TuTh, 11:00am-12:15pm, Shibles Hall 217, 3cr.
Max Enrollment: 40 (combined), Instructor: Micah Pawling
Course Description: This course introduces students to North American Indian history from life before European arrival to the present. We will examine prominent themes including cultural contact, treaty making and rights, sovereignty, the impact of government policies on Native populations, and contemporary issues. We will investigate resistance, accommodation, and cultural revitalization. The course explores the variety of Indigenous perspectives and decisions in the past. Native people were positive actors in their own affairs, not passive pawns subdued by forces beyond their control. As one historian astutely noted, Native American history “is a story of failure and success, of triumph and defeat- but, above all, of continuation.”  

NAS 298(0001-IND) Class #85768, Directed Study in Native American Studies
Max Enrollment: 10, Instructor: Darren Ranco
Course Description: Individual study, research, field experience and writing projects in Native American Studies. May be repeated for credit. Arranged upon request. Prerequisite: NAS 101 and permission 

NAS 498(0001-IND) Class #85769, Directed Study in Native American Studies
Max Enrollment: 10, Instructor: Darren Ranco
Course Description: Advanced individual study, research, field experiences and writing projects in Native American Studies. May be repeated for credit. Arranged upon request. Department Consent Required. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior Standing and NAS 101 and one additional course within the Native American Studies minor and permission. 

For questions or permission, please contact: Native American Programs at 207.581.1417 or email Jen Bowen at jennifer.bowen@maine.edu