Academic Catalogs

ANTH G150: Native Peoples of North America

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Top Code 220200 - Anthropology
Units 3 Total Units 
Hours 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)
  • GWC Soc, Pol, Econ (GD)
Diversity Requirement (GCD) Yes
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
  • Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4)
  • Cal-GETC 4A Anthropology (4A)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4)
  • IGETC 4A Anthropology (4A)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU D1 Anthropology (D1)

Course Description

This course examines the lifeways of native peoples of North America through an anthropological lens. The political organization, social structure, economies, environments, material culture, language, medicine, technology, art, and belief systems of native peoples will be explored through historical and contemporary contexts. Geocultural regions include the Arctic, Subarctic, Plateau, Northwest Coast, Great Basin, California, Southwest, Great Plains, Northeast, and Southeast. This course critically analyzes the impacts of Colonialism, governmental policy, and Western culture on historical and contemporary native peoples of North America. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Course Outcomes
  2. Analyze the impacts of early anthropological reserachers on native peoples of North America.
  3. Assess the legacy of Colonialism on native peoples of North America.
  4. Distingish key regional factors that have influenced the native peoples of the Arctic.
  5. Distingish key regional factors that have influenced the native peoples of the Subarctic.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Explain the anthropological concept of culture and culture change.
  • 2. Identify the distributions of Native American cultural diversity.
  • 3. Recognize the functions of specific Native American cultural traits.
  • 4. Evaluate causal relationships between cultural traits and their function within the various Native American societies.
  • 5. Distinguish the various subsistence patterns utilized by Native Americans.
  • 6. Explain the various theologies practiced by the diverse Native American societies.
  • 7. Describe the diverse kinship and descent patterns of Native American cultures.

Lecture Content

Introduction Geography of North America Native North Americans A Brief History of Research on Native North Americans A General Prehistory of North America European Invasion Columbia Early European Explorers A Brief History of Governmental Policies Toward Native Americans Cultural and Biological Impacts of the Europena Invasion The Spanish Mission System Native Peoples of the Artic Native Peoples of the Subarctic Native Peoples of the Plateau Native Peoples of the Northwest Coast Native Peoples of the Great Basin Native Peoples of California Native Peples of the Southwest Native Peoples of the Plains Native Peoples of the Northeast Native Peoples of the Southeast Contemporary Issues

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture and supplemental materials (e.g., multimedia, readings). Objective and subjective tests, critical thinking writing assignments, classroom activities, and/or group projects/presentations

Reading Assignments

Weekly readings from assigned textbook and supplemental readings as assigned.

Writing Assignments

Critical thinking written assignements and/or short answer essay questions

Out-of-class Assignments

Written assignments, readings, and/or group projects.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Recognition of the variability of cultural behavior. Application of models of human behavior. Analysis and Synthesis: Materialistic and functional interrelationships between subsistence and other patterns of cultural behavior.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Critical thinking assignments requiring both the identification of terms and their application/synthesis in the explanations of and implications for the occurrence of certain cultural behavior.

Eligible Disciplines

Anthropology: Masters degree in anthropology or archaeology OR bachelors degree in either of the above AND masters degree in sociology, biological sciences, forensic sciences, genetics or paleontology OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. History: Masters degree in history OR bachelors degree in history AND masters degree in political science, humanities, geography, area studies, womens studies, social science, or ethnic studies OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Mark Q Sutton. In Introduction to Native North America, 4th ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2016 Rationale: . Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: Up to date, comprehensive, and written from an anthropological standpoint.