Indigenous Studies


Faculty List

Professor
C. Suzack

Associate Professor
M. Daigle
H. Dorries
S. Hill
D. Turner

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream
R. DeCaire
B. Wastasecoot

Assistant Professor
M. Hamilton
K. White

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
T. Brant
N. Pangowish
M. Wassaykeesic

Introduction

Indigenous Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program dedicated to the study and research of Indigenous peoples in Canada and throughout the world. The program offers courses that engender a rigorous and respectful understanding of Indigenous peoples' languages, knowledges, cultures, histories, politics, arts, intellectual traditions and research methodologies. INS offers Specialist, Major, and Minor Programs within the Faculty of Arts & Science.

 

Contact Information

Website: www.indigenousstudies.utoronto.ca.

Undergraduate Office

Email: indigenous.studies@utoronto.ca

 

Note About Program Completion

Students can complete only one program type – Specialist, Major, or Minor – in an individual area referenced with the same four-digit program code.

The Indigenous Studies programs impacted by this policy: ASSPE0115, ASMAJ0115, and ASMIN0115

Indigenous Studies Programs

Indigenous Studies Specialist (Arts Program) - ASSPE0115

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(10.0 credits, including at least 1.0 credit at the 400-level)

1. INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1 and INS202H1)
2. INS210Y1/​ INS220Y1/​ ( INS230H1 and INS231H1)
3. INS300Y1/​ INS301Y1 and ( INS303H1 and INS304H1)/ ( JPI201H1 and JIG322H1)
4. INS390H1 and INS460H1
5. 4.0 credits from Group A (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)
6. 1.0 credit from Group A or Group B below (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)
7. For numbers 5 and 6 above, 2.0 credits must be at the 300-level and a 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level.

Group A:
INS200H1, INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), JPI201H1, INS205H1, INS210Y1, INS215Y1, INS220Y1, INS230H1, INS231H1, INS240Y1, INS250H1, INS261H1, INS300Y1, INS301Y1, INS302H1, INS303H1, INS304H1, INS310Y1, INS320Y1, INS322H1, JIG322H1, INS340Y1, INS341H1, INS350H1, INS351Y1, INS352H1, INS355H1, INS352H1, INS353H1, INS354H1, INS360Y1, INS371H1, INS372H1, INS380H1, INS390H1, INS398H0, INS398Y0, INS491Y1, INS402H1, INS403H1, INS404H1, INS405H1, INS407H1, JIG440H1, JFP450H1, INS460H1, INS480H1, INS491Y1, INS493H1, INS494Y1, INS495Y1, INS496H1, INS497H1, INS498Y1, ANT210H1, ANT315H1, ANT327H1, ANT384H1, ANT458H1, AST310H1, CRI364H1, CRI422H1, CSE341H1, ENG254H1, ENG355Y1, FAH255H1, FAH452H1, HIS262H1, HIS366H1, HIS369H1, HIS419H1, HIS472H1, LIN458H1, RLG331H1, SDS385H1, WGS395H1

Group B:
ANT200Y1, ANT204H1, ANT319Y1, ANT311Y1, ANT317H1, ANT319H1, ANT320H1, ANT327H1, ANT348H1, ANT366H1, ANT407H1, ANT410H1, CAR225H1, CAR226H1, CSE240H1, ENG270H1, ENG350H1, ENG371H1, ENG372H1, HIS106Y1, HIS230H1, HIS264H1, HIS318H1, HIS365H1, HIS402H1, JHN323H1, LAS350H1, LIN351H1, RLG307H1, SDS382H1

Indigenous Studies Major (Arts Program) - ASMAJ0115

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(7.0 credits, including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level)

1. INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1 and INS202H1)
2. INS210Y1/​ INS220Y1/​ ( INS230H1 and INS231H1)
3. INS300Y1/​ INS301Y1 and ( INS303H1 and INS304H1)/ ( JPI201H1 and JIG322H1)
4. INS390H1
5. 2.0 credits from INS, JFP, JIG or JPI (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)
6. One 0.5 credit from Group A or one 0.5 credit from Group B below (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)
7. Of the courses chosen, at least 2.0 credits must be at the 300+ level, of which a 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level.

Group A:
INS200H1, INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), JPI201H1, INS205H1, INS210Y1, INS215Y1, INS220Y1, INS230H1, INS231H1, INS240Y1, INS250H1, INS261H1, INS300Y1, INS301Y1, INS302H1, INS303H1, INS304H1, INS310Y1, INS320Y1, INS322H1, JIG322H1, INS340Y1, INS341H1, INS350H1, INS351Y1, INS352H1, INS355H1, INS352H1, INS353H1, INS354H1, INS360Y1, INS371H1, INS372H1, INS380H1, INS390H1, INS398H0, INS398Y0, INS491Y1, INS402H1, INS403H1, INS404H1, INS405H1, INS407H1, JIG440H1, JFP450H1, INS460H1, INS480H1, INS491Y1, INS493H1, INS494Y1, INS495Y1, INS496H1, INS497H1, INS498Y1, ANT210H1, ANT315H1, ANT327H1, ANT384H1, ANT458H1, AST310H1, CRI364H1, CRI422H1, CSE341H1, ENG254H1, ENG355Y1, FAH255H1, FAH452H1, HIS262H1, HIS366H1, HIS369H1, HIS419H1, HIS472H1, LIN458H1, RLG331H1, SDS385H1, WGS395H1

Group B:
ANT200Y1, ANT204H1, ANT319Y1, ANT311Y1, ANT317H1, ANT319H1, ANT320H1, ANT327H1, ANT348H1, ANT366H1, ANT407H1, ANT410H1, CAR225H1, CAR226H1, CSE240H1, ENG270H1, ENG350H1, ENG371H1, ENG372H1, HIS106Y1, HIS230H1, HIS264H1, HIS318H1, HIS365H1, HIS402H1, JHN323H1, LAS350H1, LIN351H1, RLG307H1, SDS382H1

Indigenous Studies Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN0115

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4.0 credits, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level)

1. INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1 and INS202H1)
2. INS300Y1/​ INS301Y1/​ ( INS303H1 and INS304H1)/ ( JPI201H1 and JIG322H1)
3. 1.0 additional credit from INS, JFP, JIG or JPI (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)
4. 1.0 additional credit from Group A below (note: some of these courses have prerequisites)

Group A:
INS200H1, INS201Y1/​ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), JPI201H1, INS205H1, INS210Y1, INS215Y1, INS220Y1, INS230H1, INS231H1, INS240Y1, INS250H1, INS261H1, INS300Y1, INS301Y1, INS302H1, INS303H1, INS304H1, INS310Y1, INS320Y1, INS322H1, JIG322H1, INS340Y1, INS341H1, INS350H1, INS351Y1, INS352H1, INS355H1, INS352H1, INS353H1, INS354H1, INS360Y1, INS371H1, INS372H1, INS380H1, INS390H1, INS398H0, INS398Y0, INS491Y1, INS402H1, INS403H1, INS404H1, INS405H1, INS407H1, JIG440H1, JFP450H1, INS460H1, INS480H1, INS491Y1, INS493H1, INS494Y1, INS495Y1, INS496H1, INS497H1, INS498Y1, ANT210H1, ANT315H1, ANT327H1, ANT384H1, ANT458H1, AST310H1, CRI364H1, CRI422H1, CSE341H1, ENG254H1, ENG355Y1, FAH255H1, FAH452H1, HIS262H1, HIS366H1, HIS369H1, HIS419H1, HIS472H1, LIN458H1, RLG331H1, SDS385H1, WGS395H1


 

Faculty of Arts & Science Language Citation

Indigenous Studies participates in the Faculty of Arts & Science Language Citation Initiative for Anishinaabemowin and Kanien’kéha. The study of these languages is a demanding and intellectually rewarding educational experience. Successful study of Indigenous languages demonstrates intelligence, discipline, analytical sophistication, and an excellent memory. The study of any language provides invaluable insights into the varieties of human culture and expression.

In each language the Language Citation recognizes a significant level of achievement in language study with a high level of academic success.

The Citation in Anishinaabemowin is available to students who complete INS210Y1 and earn a grade of at least B- in INS310Y1 and two of INS303H1, INS304H1, INS410H1, or INS411H1.

The Citation in Kanien’kéha is available to students who complete INS220Y1 and earn a grade of at least B- in INS320Y1 and two of INS303H1, INS304H1, or INS420H1.

Indigenous Studies Courses

INS110H1 - Introduction to Conversational Anishinaabemowin

Hours: 36L

This course will introduce students to Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe people (an Indigenous people of the Great Lakes), with a focus on greetings and basic conversation. The course is highly interactive and will engage students in dialogues that reflect real-life uses while also introducing them to nuances in how the language functions in different settings. This course is intended to give students some speaking skills along with an appreciation for the importance of the language to Anishinaabe communities. While the course is appropriate for Indigenous Studies majors, it is accessible to students from other units as well.

Exclusion: INS210Y1, INS310Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS200H1 - Introduction to Indigenous Truth and Resilience

Hours: 24L/12T

This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada, with an emphasis on local lands and peoples. The course will explore Indigenous resilience, relationships with settlers and settler states, and principles and ethics of Indigenous Knowledge. Tutorials will focus on critical discussion and experiential learning.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS201H1 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies: Foundations

Previous Course Number: INS201Y1

Hours: 24L/12T

This course is designed to introduce students to the ideas, methods and themes of the discipline of Indigenous Studies. The course will explore the development of the field of Indigenous Studies in Canada. Topics will include explorations into Indigenous thought, philosophies, knowledge systems, and ways of being. The focus will be on North America with comparative discussions of Indigenous peoples and their experiences from other parts of the world.

Exclusion: INS201Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JPI201H1 - Indigenous Politics in Canada

Previous Course Number: POL308H1

Hours: 24L/12T

This course explores key issues in Indigenous politics in Canada. Provides students with an overview of historical and contemporary socio-political issues in Indigenous societies and institutions such as Indigenous self-governance, land claims and treaty negotiations.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, or 1.0 credit in POL/ JPA/ JPF/ JPI/ JPR/ JPS/ JRA courses, or INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)
Exclusion: POL308H1/ POLC56H3
Recommended Preparation: POL214H1/ POL224H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS202H1 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies: History & Politics

Previous Course Number: INS201Y1

Hours: 24L/12T

This course is designed to introduce students to Indigenous history and politics as they inform the field of Indigenous Studies. The course will provide an overview of the history and politics of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Topics will include Indigenous creation stories, Indigenous treaty-making traditions, settler contact and conflict, history of education, Indigenous rights within the Canadian State and contemporary issues such as food sovereignty, language revitalization, arts, and international relations. The focus will be on North America with comparative discussions of Indigenous peoples and their experiences from other parts of the world.

Exclusion: INS201Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS205H1 - Indigenous Worldviews, Spiritual and Healing Traditions

Hours: 24L

This course will discuss the relationship between spiritual philosophies, beliefs, traditions and practices that contribute to meaning in Indigenous communities. This course will emphasize traditions and teachings and understanding the role of spirituality historically and within contemporary Indigenous societies, including governance, treaties, environment, culture, healing and everyday life.

Prerequisite: INS200H1/ INS201Y1/ INS201H1/ INS202H1 
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

INS210Y1 - Introduction to Anishinaabemowin

Hours: 72L

An introduction to the Anishinaabe language.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS220Y1 - Introduction to Kanien’kéha (Mohawk Language)

Hours: 72L

An introduction to Kanien’kéha (Mohawk Language), a member of the Iroquoian language family.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS230H1 - Introduction to Inuktitut

Hours: 24L

An introduction to one dialect of Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit, including aspects of other dialects and the syllabic writing system.

Exclusion: ABS230H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS231H1 - Elementary Inuktitut

Hours: 24L

This course builds on the introduction to Inuktitut from ABS230H. Emphasis will be placed on developing grammatical complexity and vocabulary in students oral skills, as well as dialect and cultural awareness.

Prerequisite: INS230H1
Exclusion: ABS231H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS241H1 - Indigenous Science: Philosophies and Methods

Previous Course Number: INS240Y1

Hours: 36L

This course introduces the philosophical foundations and methodological principles of Indigenous science. Drawing on diverse Indigenous knowledge systems, students examine how ecological knowledge is generated through land-based observation, relational accountability, kinship, story, and ethics. Emphasis is placed on understanding what counts as evidence, how expertise is cultivated, and how place shapes scientific practice. Students compare Indigenous and Western scientific paradigms to identify convergences and differences. By the end of the course, students can articulate core principles of Indigenous science and describe how land-based methods are practiced in reflective and respectful ways.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1/ INS202H1)
Exclusion: INS240Y1
Breadth Requirements: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

INS242H1 - Ecological Interactions in Indigenous and Western Sciences

Previous Course Number: INS240Y1

Hours: 36L

This course explores how Indigenous and Western scientific traditions study ecological interactions, including animal behaviour, plant–animal relations, seasonality, sustainable practices, and environmental change. Students analyze how ecological patterns are interpreted within Indigenous knowledge systems, drawing on both Indigenous relational and place-based knowledge as well as Western ecological modelling and measurement. Field-based labs and outdoor observational activities help students develop practical skills in ecological monitoring, qualitative and quantitative observation, and interpretation of environmental change. Students practice integrating insights from both scientific traditions to enrich their understanding of ecological interactions.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)
Exclusion: INS240Y1
Breadth Requirements: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

INS250H1 - Introduction to Indigenous Environmental Studies

Hours: 24L

This course is an examination of Indigenous environmental knowledge and practices. The course provides an overview of Indigenous peoples’ relationships with the natural world and a range of environmental issues, including climate change, water governance and Indigenous approaches to conservation and ecological restoration. Drawing on examples of Indigenous-led research, activism and policy, the course explores a range of topics in the field of Indigenous environmental studies through readings, lectures, films, and creative works.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ INS201H1/ INS202H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS261H1 - Contemporary Challenges Facing Indigenous Communities

Hours: 24L

This is a survey course focusing on the contemporary challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada. In this course students research specific challenges facing Indigenous communities today. This includes specific challenges that arise out of the broader topic areas of language and culture, land rights, economics, governance, youth, education, health, social services, environment, violence, healing, community development, repatriation of cultural property, and decolonization.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ INS201H1/ INS202H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS301Y1 - Indigenous Languages and Cultures

Hours: 48L

Examination of the historical interplay of Indigenous languages and cultures in Canada. Particular focus is on the languages and cultures of Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes.

Prerequisite: 5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS302H1 - Indigenous Representation in the Mass Media and Society

Hours: 24L

A survey of historical and contemporary representations of Indigenous people in the mass media. Introduction to basic techniques for evaluating, analyzing, and understanding the construction of Indigeneity as it is communicated through film, television, and other media. Examination of racial stereotypes and the role of mass communication in perpetuating and challenging stereotypes, cultural appropriation, Indigenous media production, impact of media portrayal of Indigenous peoples.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS303H1 - Understanding Indigenous Language Vitality and Endangerment

Hours: 24S

There is a broad consensus among Indigenous communities and within scholarly discourse concerning the profound and inseparable connection between Indigenous languages and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This course will begin by examining the centrality of Indigenous languages to Indigenous peoples, as well as their broader societal significance. Building upon this foundation, the course will critically investigate the various factors contributing to Indigenous endangerment and vitality, both within Canada and internationally. Through this exploration, students will engage in a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and strategies associated with Indigenous language revitalization.

Prerequisite: 5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS304H1 - Best Practices in Indigenous Language Revitalization

Hours: 24L

Building on the foundational concepts and issues surrounding Indigenous endangerment and vitality introduced in INS303H1, this course provides an in-depth exploration of the challenges, opportunities, and strategies for Indigenous language revitalization (ILR) at both community and national levels. Focusing on language policy, planning, and best practices in revitalization, this course will examine a wide range of social, political, and linguistic factors that influence language use, particularly within Indigenous communities in Canada but also globally.

Prerequisite: 5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS305H1 - Worldviews, Oral Traditions, and Relationality

Previous Course Number: INS300Y1

Hours: 36L

This course is a study of the territories, languages and culture of Indigenous peoples through exploration of oral histories, from creation stories until present times, including the role of oral tradition in the maintenance of worldviews and the unique relationships they engender.

Prerequisite:
5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit

Exclusion: INS300Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS306H1 - Indigenous Narrative Practices in Print and Media

Previous Course Number: INS300Y1

Hours: 36L

This course is an interdisciplinary study of Indigenous people’s representations of their experiences using print and media formats. Particular attention is paid to how Indigenous worldviews and traditional knowledges (including oral traditions) are mediated and adapted within different contexts.

Prerequisite:
5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit

Exclusion: INS300Y1
Recommended Preparation: INS305H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS310Y1 - Anishinaabemowin II

Hours: 72L

Further study of the Anishinaabe language with emphasis on speaking and writing.

Prerequisite: INS210Y1
Exclusion: ABS310Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS320Y1 - Kanien’kéha II

Previous Course Number: INS323Y1

Hours: 72L

Further study of Kanien’kéha (Mohawk Language), a member of the Iroquoian language family.

Prerequisite: INS220Y1
Exclusion: INS323Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

JIG322H1 - Indigenous Worlds, Worldviews and the Environment

Hours: 24L

Explores the diverse ways of understanding and responding to the world that emerge from indigenous cultures around the world. Examines how indigenous ways of being and relating to their natural environment can help us understand and address the current environmental crisis. Using examples of indigenous activism from Canada and around the world, examines how colonial histories shape dispossession and marginalization and inform visions for the future. Topics include traditional ecological knowledge, place-based social movements, environmental concerns of indigenous peoples, bio-cultural restoration and decolonization of nature-human relations.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including one of INS200H1, INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), INS250H1, GGR107H1, GGR124H1, GGR240H1, GGR246H1, GGR254H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS322H1 - Indigenous Narratives of Empowerment

Hours: 24L

This course explores Indigenous decolonization and empowerment by analysing comparatively theoretical and literary debates that focus on issues of sovereignty, gender, grass-roots activism, and anti-racism. It analyses several emerging paradigm approaches to this set of debates including intersectional critical-race theory, Indigenous feminisms, and decolonization practices in theoretical and literary texts.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS341H1 - North American Indigenous Theatre

Hours: 24L

An introduction to the evolution of Indigenous theatre in North America, examining traditional oratory, ceremony, community responsibility, and social construct and their impact on current Indigenous theatre.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS350H1 - Indigenous Health Systems

Hours: 24L

An overview of Indigenous health systems, internationally, nationally, provincially and locally, with a focus on Ontario. Discussion of health models and strategies, policy, legislation, jurisdictional issues, Indigenous health initiatives.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) or INS200H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS352H1 - Indigenous Leadership, Policy and Practices in Canada

Hours: 24L

A historical and contemporary overview of leadership and politics in First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities in Canada. This course will focus on pre-contact governance structures, contemporary effects of colonization, and processes and strategies for decolonization. Various policy initiatives from Indigenous organizations will be examined.

Prerequisite: 5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS355H1 - Current Issues in Indigenous Health

Hours: 24L

This course will examine current views about Indigenous peoples' health. The course will focus on Indigenous peoples' perceptions of health and contemporary health systems, including policy, politics and practices.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS356H1 - Indigeneity, Identity, Belonging

Hours: 24L

This course critically examines how Indigenous identity and belonging are constructed, contested, and lived in North America. It explores the historical and contemporary forces that shape Indigenous identity—including settler colonialism, Indigenous legal and kinship systems, governance, land relations, gender, and state recognition. Drawing on key works in Indigenous Studies, we ask: Who defines Indigeneity? What are the consequences of state-defined identities? How do Indigenous people assert their own frameworks of belonging? Topics may include kinship, adoption, the Indian Act, Métis peoplehood, urban Indigeneity, self-Indigenization, and critiques of cultural appropriation. The course emphasizes that citizenship and belonging are not just legal statuses, but key sites of Indigenous sovereignty and refusal.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), and at least 1.0 additional INS credit
Exclusion: INS380H1 (Special Topics in Indigenous Studies: Indigeneity, Identity, and Belonging), offered in Fall 2025
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JIH366H1 - Indigenous Histories of the Great Lakes, 1815 to the Present

Previous Course Number: HIS366H1

Hours: 24L

Explores the history of Aboriginal peoples (Indigenous and Metis) living in the Great Lakes Region after the Great Lakes were effectively split between British North America (later Canada) to the north and the united States to the south, when a rapidly increasing newcomer population on both sides of the border marginalized Indigenous peoples and settled on their land. Topics include a comparative examination of Indigenous experiences of colonialism, including treaties and land surrenders as well as the development of government policies aimed at removing and/or assimilating Great Lakes peoples. This course will also study resistance by First National and Tribal Councils to those programs over nearly two centuries and assess local strategies used for economic and cultural survival.

Prerequisite: HIS263Y1/ HIS264H1/ HIS271Y1/ INS200H1/ INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)
Exclusion: HIS366H1/ HIS369Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JIH369H1 - Great Lakes Indigenous Histories to 1830

Previous Course Number: HIS369H1

Hours: 24L

Explores the history of Aboriginal Peoples (Indigenous and Métis) living in the Great Lakes Region from the 16th century to the aftermath of the War of 1812. Weaving together interdisciplinary sources, this course examines central events in Great Lakes history including the formation of the Wendat and Haudenosaunee Confederacies and key Anishinabek alliances, the arrival of European newcomers into an Indigenous landscape, the social-political impact of new diseases, reactions to European missionaries, the fur trade, major conflicts and peace processes including the Great Peace of Montreal, the Treaty of Niagara and the 60 Years War for the Great Lakes; and ending with the period of significant encroachment of new settlers on Indigenous lands.

Prerequisite: HIS263Y1/ HIS264H1/ HIS271Y1/ INS200H1/ INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)
Exclusion: HIS369H1/ HIS369Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS371H1 - Topics in Indigenous Literatures

Hours: 24S

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of Indigenous literatures in a comparative context. Content in any given year depends on the instructor. See Indigenous Studies website for more details.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) 
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS372H1 - Special Topics in Indigenous Language

Hours: 36S

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of Indigenous language revitalization efforts in Canada and internationally. Content in any given year depends on the instructor. See Indigenous Studies website for more information.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), and INS210Y1/ INS220Y1/( INS230H1 and INS231H1)
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS380H1 - Special Topics in Indigenous Studies

Hours: 24L

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of trends and topics within Indigenous Studies. Content in any given year depends on the instructor. See Indigenous Studies website for more detail.

Prerequisite: 5.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 1.0 additional INS credit

INS390H1 - Research and Ethics in Indigenous Studies

Hours: 24S

This course examines research approaches, strategies, methods and techniques used in Indigenous studies. It explores a range of topical issues including research ethics and protocols, intellectual property rights, research agreements and community-based research. This course includes the study of quantitative, qualitative and Indigenous methodologies. Critically examines research theories, methodologies and practices used by academic disciplines to study Indigenous peoples. Decolonized research methodologies will form a focus of this course.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), and at least 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS398H0 - Research Excursions

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities…. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)

INS398Y0 - Research Excursions

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities…. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)

INS402H1 - Traditional Indigenous Ecological Knowledge

Hours: 36L

An overview of the relationships between Indigenous peoples and their environments, including an exploration of cultural, historical, and contemporary aspects of Indigenous environmental philosophies; the nature, control and transmission of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and historical uses of TEK in managing the environment.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 2.0 additional INS credits
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

INS403H1 - Indigenous Peoples and the Urban Context

Hours: 24S

Critically examines Indigenous peoples' experiences, encounters and interactions in urban areas in Canada. This course explores the historical and contemporary conditions of Indigenous peoples, including urban governance and the development of Indigenous organizations. This course will focus on youth perspectives and how traditions, cultures and knowledges are expressed in urban settings.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus 2.0 additional INS credits
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS406H1 - Indigenous Makers Studio

Hours: 36L

In this course students will create pieces of material culture reflective of Indigenous knowledge values and principles with a focus on producing utilitarian items. Students will journal about their creative process and provide an artist’s statement for each item created in the course. Assessment will be based on a combination of written submissions and created pieces. Specific projects may include sewing, quilting, beadwork, pottery, basketry, etc.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and 2.0 additional INS credits
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS407H1 - Indigenous Environmental Justice

Hours: 36L

In this course, we will examine how Indigenous land and water governance have been impacted by colonial policies and extractive capitalist developments. We will discuss how Indigenous peoples negotiate and resist such impacts while also renewing responsibilities with land, water, and animal and plant relations. The course is primarily focused on the North American context, with many case studies taking place in Canada.

Prerequisite: Completion of 14.0 credits, including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), and 2.0 additional INS credits or GGR321H1. Permission of the instructor is required.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS410H1 - Anishinaabewin Intellectual Traditions, Narrative and Culture

Previous Course Number: INS404H1

Hours: 24S

An examination of oral narratives with an emphasis on the significance of language. This course will give students an in-depth understanding of Anishinaabewin philosophies, teachings and values.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and at least 2.0 additional INS credits
Exclusion: INS404H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS411H1 - Advanced Anishinaabemowin

Hours: 36L

This course will allow students to further their speaking and writing skills in Anishinaabemowin after completing the two levels of foundational grammar and speaking. The course is highly interactive and will engage students in speaking with advanced language speakers. Students will produce advanced language written and audio materials such as scripts, podcasts, short stories, etc. Assessments will include individual and group projects in written and oral forms.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), INS210Y1 and INS310Y1. Students who do not meet the prerequisites are encouraged to contact the instructor.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS420H1 - Learning through Mohawk Language Documentation

Hours: 24L/12S

Indigenous language documentation is an expanding field within Indigenous language revitalization that combines research, pedagogy, and community collaboration. This course examines the planning, implementation, production, and dissemination of ethical and community-driven language documentation designed to support language teaching and learning. Students will first explore how contemporary contexts of Indigenous language shift and vitality inform current approaches to documentation. They will then investigate how collaborative, community-based documentation practices can strengthen the work of Indigenous language learners, teachers, and speakers. The course culminates in a hands-on project that engages students in a community-centered documentation initiative aligned with local goals, while addressing key aspects of data management, language analysis, and knowledge mobilization.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), plus INS220Y1, INS320Y1, INS303H1, and INS304H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

JIG440H1 - Indigenous Geographies

Hours: 36S

This course draws on theoretical texts of Indigeneity, with a primary focus on Indigenous spaces in the Americas. Course participants will examine how core geographic concepts such as place, territory, land, movement and the scale of the body are sites of colonial dispossession and violence, as well as sites for decolonial and liberatory thought and practice. We will primarily engage with Indigenous-led scholarship within Geography and Indigenous Studies, and creative forms of knowledge production generated across Indigenous communities.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits including one of INS200H1, INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1), INS250H1, GGR107H1, GGR124H1, GGR240H1, GGR246H1, GGR254H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JFP450H1 - Indigenous Issues in Health and Healing

Hours: 24L

The basic premise of this course is that the health of Indigenous peoples is inseparable from the health of the planet. The aim of the course is to facilitate collective healing from our current social and economic system in a process of awareness-based learning of our relationship to each other, the planet and ourselves. Starting with students’ reflection of their relationship to colonialism and traditional teachings, the course is built around a collaborative, interdisciplinary team project of selecting a domain of mutual interest, researching the existing decolonizing programs in the community within that domain, and developing an ethical, real-world prototype of action that they would want to continue to develop after the course is completed.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JIH460H1 - Indigenous Histories of North America

Hours: 24S

This senior seminar takes a regional approach, featuring work written by or in collaboration with Indigenous scholars and Indigenous communities, to draw students into discussion of comparative historiographies, the role of worldview in historical writing and the significant methodological interventions made by Indigenous Studies. Students explore oral history and material culture as sources for writing history and discuss ethical research practices for community-based scholarship. In addition to active participation, each student will write a major paper, approximately 15 pages in length, in the form of a review essay on the historiography of either a region or a topic. This course is a joint graduate/undergraduate seminar.

Prerequisite: INS200H1/ INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1)/ INS205H1/ HIS230H1/ HIS366H1/ HIS369H1
Recommended Preparation: INS390H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS460H1 - Indigenous Theory, Research and Methods

Hours: 36L

This course explores the basis of Indigenous knowledge and how that translates into research theory and methodology. Students will design a research project, consider Indigenous research governance and conduct an ethics review. This is a service learning course. This course is only open to students enrolled in a Specialist or Major in Indigenous Studies.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and INS390H1, and 1.0 additional INS credit
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS480H1 - Advanced Special Topics in Indigenous Studies

Hours: 24L

This seminar provides an advanced in-depth examination of trends and topics within Indigenous Studies. Content in any given year depends on the instructor. See Indigenous Studies website for more detail.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits, including INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and at least 2.0 additional INS credits.
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

INS491Y1 - Topics in International Indigenous Studies

Hours: 48S

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of Indigenous studies in international contexts. Content in any given year depends on the instructors. See Indigenous Studies website for more detail. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and 2.0 additional INS credits
Recommended Preparation: INS360Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS492H1 - Topics in International Indigenous Studies

Hours: 24S

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of Indigenous studies in international contexts. Content in any given year depends on the instructors. See Indigenous Studies website for more detail. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) and 2.0 additional INS credits
Recommended Preparation: INS360Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

INS493H1 - Independent Experiential Studies

Students design and implement an independent experiential Indigenous studies research project in consultation with an Indigenous organization and a faculty supervisor. Students must be enrolled in a major or specialist program in Indigenous Studies, and require written permission from a faculty supervisor and the Director of Indigenous Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits and INS390H1
Exclusion: ABS493H1

INS494Y1 - Independent Experiential Studies

Students design and implement an independent experiential Indigenous studies research project in consultation with an Indigenous organization and a faculty supervisor. Students must be enrolled in a major or specialist program in Indigenous Studies, and requires written permission from a faculty supervisor and the Director of Indigenous Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: 10.0 credits and INS390H1
Exclusion: ABS494Y1

INS495Y1 - Independent Research

Supervised independent research on a topic agreed on by the student and the supervisor before enrolment in the course. Available only when someone is willing and able to supervise. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) plus 1.0 additional INS credit

INS496H1 - Independent Research

Supervised independent research on a topic agreed on by the student and the supervisor before enrolment in the course. Available only when someone is willing and able to supervise. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) plus 1.0 additional INS credit

INS497H1 - Independent Research

Supervised independent research on a topic agreed on by the student and the supervisor before enrolment in the course. Available only when someone is willing and able to supervise. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) plus 1.0 additional INS credit

INS498Y1 - Independent Research

Supervised independent research on a topic agreed on by the student and the supervisor before enrolment in the course. Available only when someone is willing and able to supervise. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: INS201Y1/ ( INS201H1, INS202H1) plus 1.0 additional INS credit

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