What Can I do With a Minor in Native American Studies?

Career Center Library Resources
The Career Center Library has a variety of resources to help students explore potential career fields. These resources include information about typical responsibilities, qualifications, career paths, job outlook, salary, and related careers.

Books with Career Information for Native American Studies Minors

• Careers for Good Samaritans & Other Humanitarian Types
• 100 Jobs in Social Change
• 100 Jobs in Words
• Real People Working in the Helping Professions
• Real People Working in Education

Vocational Biographies
Vocational Biographies describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n

• Ethnohistorian
• High School Math Teacher
• Elementary School Teacher
• Natural Resources Specialist
• Environmental Attorney
• Family Resource Coordinator
• Community Health Education Coordinator
• Small Business Advisor
• Economic Development Director
  

Professional Associations

• National Association for Native American Studies — an affiliate of the National Association of African- American Studies and Affiliates (NAAAS)
• National Association for Ethnic Studies (NAES)
• Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA)
• Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
• Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)

Internet Sites with Career-Related Information for Majors/Minors in Native American Studies

• What Can I do With a Major in Native American Studies? — Lists transferable skills and potential employment settings and job titles. From Career & Employment Services at the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
• What Can I do With a Major in Ethnic Studies (Native American Studies)? — Reports survey information gathered by the University of California, Berkeley Career Center. Lists employers and job titles.

Graduate Programs in Native American Studies

• Guide to Native American Studies Programs in the US and Canada — Edited by Robert M. Nelson. From the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures. Includes links to many programs, including:

  • University of Arizona — American Indian Studies

  • University of California, Berkeley — Department of Ethnic Studies, Native American Studies

  • University of California, Davis — Native American Studies

  • University of California, Los Angeles — American Indian Studies Center

  • University of Kansas — Center for Indigenous Nations Studies

Law Schools with Specialized Law Programs (just a few of many):

• University of New Mexico School of Law — Indian Law Resources

• University of Arizona, Rogers College of Law, Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program

• University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law — American Indian Law Program

Places of Employment

A minor in Native American Studies helps students develop transferable skills that are valued by employers. These skills include: research, analysis, writing, oral presentation, critical thinking, synthesis, problem solving, and cultural sensitivity. Students and alumni may find employment in business, government, nonprofits, social services, and educational institutions depending on their skills and experience. Internships or relevant part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding employment.

• Burns Paiute Tribe
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde — Job postings
• Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs — Job postings
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz — Job postings
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
• Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw Indians — Job postings
• Coquille Indian Tribe — Job postings
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians — Contact the Tribal Human Resources Department at (541) 839-1111 for information on jobs.
• Klamath Tribes
• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) — Job postings
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) — Job postings
• Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) — Job postings
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) — Job postings

Internet Sites with Job Listings

• Native American Jobs.com — "Native American Jobs.com is a site dedicated to being your link to diversity & indigenous employment, career minded individuals looking for Employment & Careers in Native American Communities, on or near Indian Reservations and Urban Native American communities with Tribal Nations and Non-Tribal Companies."
• Indian Country Today — Job postings.

Miscellaneous

• Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indian and Alaska Native Students — From the American Indian Law Center, Inc.

• Tribal Government Resources — From the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington.
• Washington State Tribal Directory — From the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs in Washington State.
• Tribal Government Sources — "The listing of tribes in these pages have been compiled in order to allow for easier access to information on the culture and history of the Native American tribes of the United States." Lists information on Nations alphabetically, by state, by tribe. From the Daniel J. Evans Library of The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington.
• For Tribal Government's and Native Americans — From FirstGov.gov "The U.S. Governments's Official Web Portal".
• Tribal Government Sites — From State and Local Government on the Net, a directory of official state, county, and city government websites.
• WWW Virtual Library — American Indians: Index of Native American Resources on the Internet
• The Institute for Tribal Government — Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

Department of Native American Studies — Portland State University

The PSU Career Center greatly appreciates Professor Tom Biolsi's suggestions for this page of resources.