3.00 Credits
The purpose of this course is to advance students' growth in developing their cultural competency skills when working in partnership with Indigenous individuals, families, and communities toward improving holistic health and well-being from a strengths-based foundation. This means understanding the social determinants of health; past and current federal health and welfare policies; current, ongoing, and historical trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples; and Indigenous ways of knowing, models of well-being, connectedness, reconciliation, and justice. Students will explore their own positionality regarding how they enter history and thoughtfully engage in critiques of Western models of care, ways of knowing, dominant narratives, paradigms, and representations of Indigenous peoples in order to deconstruct myths and stereotypes about Indigenous families. This course provides a foundation of knowledge, analytic skills, understanding, and cultural sensitivity and competence for students who may wish to work with Indigenous individuals, families, and/or communities in the areas of health, education, policy, and/or human and social services. (Summer - As Needed) Registration Restriction(s): Junior or Senior class standing required