Indigenous perspectives take center stage in winter semester history course

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Department of History is highlighting a special topics course on Native American history that will be offered during the winter semester.

The course, Native American History (HIS 3998/6000), taught by history professor Karen Marrero, will focuses on Indigenous perspectives and explores how Native communities have preserved and shared their histories through oral traditions, material culture and other methods.

“The keeping and remembering of history in Native nations is a communal experience,” Marrero said. “Talking about the past and sharing that history helps to maintain cultural cohesion.”

First offered in 2015, the course has evolved to reflect changes in Native American studies, a growing field that increasingly emphasizes Indigenous voices. Marrero works closely with Wayne State's Native American Student Organization and the Native Development Network to ensure the class meets students’ needs and aligns with the university’s diversity and inclusion goals.

The course examines Native history across North America, from pre-colonial times to the present, with a particular focus on the Detroit region. Students will learn how local Native nations viewed Detroit as part of the “dish with one spoon” territory—a resource-sharing agreement that predates European settlement.

Marrero hopes students will come away with a deeper understanding of how colonial legacies continue to affect Native communities and how Indigenous cultural practices have endured.

For more information and to regisiter, visit classschedule.wayne.edu.