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Native American Rights Seminar

Purpose:

  • Explore frameworks, concepts, models, and examples from diverse, historic and ongoing struggles for Native American Rights that individual students can utilize as they grapple with the courageous, difficult, and complex history of Native American relations in the United States
  • Encourage and foster a “community of belonging” at BYU
  • Provide students with knowledge, skills, resources, personal connections, and networks necessary to participate in dialogues and efforts to improve Native American relations

Student Expectations:

  • Diligent Student
    • This seminar is a class where diligent effort is required. Students are expected to come to class well-prepared, having completed their weekly assignments, and ready to engage in meaningful dialogue.
  • Engaged Participant
    • This seminar will consist of a group of diverse individuals who will engage with the topics of Native American rights and realities. Because of the weight of these topics, students are expected to communicate with respect, compassion, and honesty.
  • Active Citizen
    • This seminar is designed for students to develop an informed perspective on racial inequality and Native American rights. With this understanding, students will be more prepared to cultivate racial equality within their everyday interactions, among their friends and families, and throughout their broader communities.

Seminar Highlights:

Students in this course will be introduced to major events, historical themes, people, places, and strategies in the ongoing struggle for Native American rights. As we explore Native Americans’ long struggle for racial equality, self-determination, and sovereignty, we will pay particular attention to events that have impacted all Native American peoples.

Students will have the opportunity to tour important historical sites and build relationships with present-day communities that have become central to the discourse and contestation of Native American rights. Students will also have opportunities to visit museums that document Native American rights history and listen to and talk with individuals who participated in important movements.

The nature of the experience is subject to change each year as the availability of people, places, and events are subject to both the BYU academic calendar and the schedules and circumstances of individuals, visitor centers, and organizations in current Native American communities.

Attendance Requirements:

  • Minimum Requirements:
    • Be registered as a daytime-continuing student at BYU for the Winter semester
    • Complete application by deadline
  • Acceptance considerations:
    • Not all applicants will have the opportunity to be interviewed
    • Seminar administrators will select applicants for interviews to make some determinations regarding the applicants':
      • Connection to, interest in, and/or understanding of Native American history and current communities
      • Interest in and potential for actively participating in community building and mentorship
      • Commitment to the Seminar as an academic experience
      • Commitment to generating, facilitating, and participating in dialogue about potentially sensitive matters in a forthright, thoughtful, courteous, and constructive manner
    • Gender ratios must be taken into account to ensure appropriate and cost-effective hotel accommodations
    • Class standing will also be factored into the final decision, because it impacts:
      • The number of times a student will have future opportunities to participate should they not be selected
      • The amount of time to serve in, or be served by, a mentoring relationship.

Important Dates:

  • October 11
    • The application is due by 11:59 pm without exception
  • November or December (post admission notification)
    • Striving to create a “community of belonging” amongst Seminar faculty, administrators, and students, at least one informal social gathering will be organized to invite participants past and present.
  • Winter Semester (Fridays)
    • Class will take place each Friday (time and room number to be determined). To facilitate conversation and make allowance for processing the material, class will last 1 hour and 15 minutes. Conflicts with other classes, even for small overlaps, will disqualify students from participating.
    • Attendance will factor heavily into the final grade, and so every necessary preparation is required to not only ensure no class periods are missed, but also promptness and full attendance for each class period.
  • March 13-17
    • We anticipate leaving Wednesday evening and returning late Sunday night. Specific departure and arrival times are to be determined.
  • Early April
    • Similar to the late-Fall gathering, Seminar faculty, administrators, and students past and present will be invited to an informal gathering.

Cost:

The Native American Rights Seminar is made possible by the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, which covers the entire cost of participants' airfare, hotels, and transportation, as well as some meals. Students are responsible for the following remaining expenses, which will most likely include, but are not limited to:

  • Lunches & Snacks (estimated at $10/day)
    • $50
  • Dinners (estimated at $20/day when dinners are not provided)
    • $60
  • Gift for presenters, hosts, etc.
    • $5 - $10
  • Entrance fees to museums, historic sites, etc.
    • Approximately $40
  • Required Seminar texts
  • Personal souvenirs

Seminar administrators do not want financial concerns to be an impediment to participation. If a student is admitted and the information outlined above seems prohibitive, please contact the Seminar at civilrights@byu.edu.

Application & Selection Timeline:

The seminar application will become available October 1. The application must be completed in its entirety by 11:59 p.m. on October 11. Applications submitted by the deadline and that demonstrate minimum eligibility will be reviewed for interview consideration. Applicants selected for interviews will meet with 2 or more Seminar faculty/administrators. The applicants who are ultimately selected for the Seminar will be determined by:

  • The number of applications received
  • The number of eligible applicants
  • Interview insights and information
  • Group dynamics
  • Program logistics

Final decisions for all applicants, regardless of interview status, will be communicated by November 15. Although unique, the Native American Rights Seminar is not the only way to learn more about the Native American history and present-day realities and their impact and to better comprehend the history of Native American relations. Regardless of whether or not you have an opportunity to participate in the Seminar, you are encouraged to explore classes and other opportunities in American Indian Studies, History, Multicultural Student Services, and Sociology. Specific course offerings include, but are not limited to:

  • HIST 386 – American Indian History to 1830
  • HIST 387 – American Indian History from 1830 to the Present
  • AM ST 300 – Literatures and Cultures of the American West
  • ANTHR 350 – Archaeological Cultures of North America
  • ARTHC 380 – Northern Mesoamerican Art
  • COMMS 481 – Gender, Race, and Class in the Media
  • EL ED 203 – Foundations of Multicultural Education
  • SOC 113 – Multicultural America
  • SOC 323 – Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the Native American Rights seminar application or process, please send an email to: civilrights@byu.edu.

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