Fall 2025
Application Deadline
Feb 1, 2025 1 Month
1 Week
4 Days
Native American & Indigenous Studies DSP Santa Fe
Santa Fe, United StatesProgram At a Glance
Terms Offered
FallLanguage
Classes In
Lodging
Department
Native American and Indigenous Studies
This program is offered once every two years
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
The Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) offers a domestic study program in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The program will be based at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) located just a few miles south of Santa Fe's downtown. Established in 1962, IAIA is the only four-year degree fine arts institution in the nation dedicated to contemporary Native American and Alaska Native arts. This off-campus program is designed to provide Dartmouth students with an enriched and unique intellectual experience in Native American Studies that is not possible to replicate in Hanover, New Hampshire. The program offers proximity to a large and diverse number of distinct Native American tribal communities.
The thematic areas of inquiry will vary depending upon the expertise of the faculty instructors but may include the following: the intersection of indigenous and European histories; cultural values and the dynamics of cultural change; indigenous governance, law, and politics; traditional and contemporary indigenous arts (e.g., paintings, basketry, carving, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and textiles); indigenous literature.
As the state capital, Santa Fe serves as the focal point for state-tribal political relations in both the historical and contemporary periods. Santa Fe is the recognized hub of Native American art with numerous galleries, museums, studios, and major international events dedicated to the exhibition and/or sale of Native art. The landscape itself serves as a living textbook of cross-cultural encounters in times of conflict and cooperation.
In addition to the resources available at IAIA, the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe will allow our students to access their substantial library collection in the humanities and social sciences, as well as their rich collection of southwestern pottery, jewelry, and textiles. Students will also be invited to attend the SAR colloquium series.
Enrollment Information
About 15 students are selected for the program.
For more information about applying for this program, see our webpage on How to Apply & our FAQs under section 2 (How to Apply: Application)
THE STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Faculty Director
N. Bruce Duthu Professor Curriculum
NAIS | 30.15 | 90:
Contemporary Native American Art
NAIS | 41 | 90:
Native American Literature and the Law
NAIS | 85 | 90:
Independent Study in Native American Studies
(Indigenous Peoples of the Southwest)
Prerequisites
Completion of two NAIS courses
Additional Information: Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate a record of academic excellence, the ability to work well with others and a capacity for openness, respect and responsibility in diverse settings. We seek to enroll a group of students who will, individually and collectively, exemplify our commitment to the highest academic standards and the principles of community, inclusion and honor.
STUDENT LIFE
Students live in shared, self-catered apartments/flats equipped with kitchen facilities for preparing meals. Students should expect to share a bedroom and bathroom with other students. All students committed to this program will complete a housing preference form for shared housing and roommate placements. Students will live in one of several two-bedroom, self-serviced apartments that are located about twenty minutes walking from downtown Santa Fe.
The courses will feature excursions to key local archaeological, historical, cultural, and governmental sites, as well as art galleries, studios, museums, and meetings with local Native American politicians, scholars, educators, and artists.
For more information, please see the department website.
Financing Your Program
Tuition and Fees
The fees charged by the College for a Dartmouth-sponsored off-campus term of study include regular tuition charges for a term at Dartmouth, service fees, as well as the specific costs established for each off-campus study locale. In many programs, the room and board costs tend to be higher than for a term in Hanover. You can view a budget sheet for each program by clicking on the appropriate term under "Financing Your Program". The cost of transportation to and from the site is the responsibility of the student.
Financial Aid
In order that all qualified Dartmouth undergraduate students may have the opportunity to take part in off-campus programs, the College endeavors to adjust its normal financial aid awards for students already receiving aid. Tuition and expected family contribution for Dartmouth's off-campus programs are the same as for an on-campus term.
Students are responsible for purchasing their own plane tickets and, in many cases, meals. Often, families find that they owe less for billable items for study away terms but will instead use more of their expected family contribution towards indirect costs such as the flight and meals. For help sorting out who pays what and how, contacting the Financial Aid office is often advisable.
Financing your program | Financial Aid | Scholarships | Budgeting & Costs
TBD