Høst 2026

IND-3027 Indigenous Peoples: History, Diversity, and Internationalism - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Senter for samiske studier

Type of course

The course is mandatory in the Master's Programme in Indigenous Studies (MIS). It can also be taken as a singular course by exchange students and students from other programmes.

Course contents

This course will present students with an overview of the diversity of global Indigeneity. Students will compare the varied historical, political, and socio-cultural experiences of Indigenous peoples around the world. They will also explore the processes that often link Indigenous peoples, including colonization, marginalization, assimilation, resistance, international solidarity, and social/cultural/political resurgence. Owing to UiT’s location in Sápmi, added emphasis will be placed on the Arctic in general and the Sámi people in particular..

Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or an equivalent qualification, with a minimum of 80 ECTS within social sciences, humanities, education or the social practice of law. Applicants must have a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian C (2,5) in the ECTS scale.

Application code: 9371 (nordic applicants)

Objective of the course

Knowledge

Students will have:

advanced knowledge of the historical connections between Indigenous peoples, the United Nations, and the decolonization process of the late 20th century
advanced knowledge about the historical contributions that both Indigenous women and Sámi people made to the international Indigenous movement
advanced knowledge of the content and significance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
specialized insight into at least one Indigenous geographical context, and thorough knowledge of the range and variety of these contexts around the world
advanced knowledge of the key concepts related to Indigeneity and Indigenous rights

Skills

Students will be able to:

analyze and deal critically with interdisciplinary academic literature, use it to structure and formulate scholarly arguments
communicate the analyses and conclusions of interdisciplinary academic literature to their peers
work collectively to carry out limited research and communicate it effectively to their peers
use the existing concepts connected to Indigeneity to analyze the historical and current definitions, political status and rights, and varied relationships of an Indigenous people
independently apply multiple academic arguments and concepts to a variety of geographic contexts, and communicate the results orally after limited preparation

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

The course learning objectives will be achieved primarily through readings and reading discussions, as well as peer-to-peer teaching/learning. These will be supplemented by a small number of lectures.