Native American and Indigenous Studies Nexus

Eleanor Townsley, Nexus director

Katie Walker, coordinator


108 Daniel L. Jones Building
413-538-3010
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/academics/enhance-your-learning/nexus-program

Overview and Contact Information

This Nexus departs from traditional approaches to career tracks, offering instead a decolonial approach to career opportunities informed by Indigenous perspectives on knowledge, work, and community. It allows students to gain experience with collaborative endeavors, informed by the insights of Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS), in preparation for work in STEM fields, the arts, education, public administration, social service, law, food systems, health care, media, and more. It can prepare students for future work with organizations and initiatives addressing, among other things, Indigenous rights, governance and sovereignty, cultural and language revitalization, entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, and epidemics of violence, on Turtle Island and in global  Indigenous contexts. And it will prepare students to approach their work as collaborative members of a community with a strong foundation in Indigenous ethics.

Faculty

This area of study is administered by the following Nexus track chairs:

Sabra Thorner, Associate Professor of Anthropology

Sylvia Cifuentes, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Social Equity and Justice, On Leave 2025-2026

Requirements for the Nexus

A minimum of 18 credits:

Four courses chosen from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair16
At least one course at the 300 level
At least one course at the 200 level or above
One course at the 100 level or above 1
A substantive summer internship 2
COLL-211Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education2
A presentation at LEAP Symposium
Total Credits18
1

Only one course at the 100 level is permitted to count toward the Nexus.

2

The summer internship must meet College requirements for a substantial educational experience: At least 200 work hours and responsibilities that exercise ability to think analytically and creatively, and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s stated mission and complements the student's area of focus.

Additional Specifications

  • Nexus students will develop a brief proposal outlining their specific area of focus including a course outline. Students will schedule an advising meeting with a track chair to get approval and complete an online Plan of Study form to be returned to the Nexus Program office.

  • The sequence of a Nexus is part of what makes it unique:

    • In preparation for the summer internship or research, students complete courses chosen in consultation with the track chair. If seeking funding through LYNK UAF, students will additionally complete orientation and advising, and online training.

    • COLL-211 is taken after the internship or research project and culminates in a presentation at LEAP Symposium.

Courses Counting toward the Nexus

This is a list of courses with a concentration on collections or archives. Depending upon students’ individual interests, they can select other courses than those listed below in consultation with the Nexus track chair.

Anthropology
ANTHR-316DMSpecial Topics in Anthropology: 'Decolonizing Museums'4
Art History
ARTH-301DGTopics in Art History: 'Indigenous Futures'4
History
HIST-171The American Peoples Since 18654
HIST-213History of Turtle Island: Introduction to Native North America4
HIST-275CHTopics in Native American and Indigenous Studies: 'Duyukdv: Cherokee Studies'4