Gain an internationally-recognised Masters Degree in Indigenous Studies 'Online'
Te Tumu, the School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand is excited to be able to offer its Master of Indigenous Studies (MIndS) as an online programme.
The MIndS programme is offered to graduates interested in examining the issues affecting indigenous peoples, both in New Zealand and worldwide.
It is a unique one-year (full-time) or two-year (part-time) programme offering students a life-altering educational opportunity that can lead to an extraordinary range of career options. This opportunity, previously only available on campus, will now be available online to students anywhere.
In many countries there is an increasing accountability and concern for the needs of indigenous peoples. As a result, those with skills and experience in this area are increasingly sought after. The knowledge gained in this programme can be applied in many international contexts.
Charis Brown, a graduate of the programme explains “Since completing the Master of Indigenous Studies, I have had a multitude of doors open and the opportunity to work in fields that I had never experienced previously. The MIndS degree complements any graduate degree and is not only the starting point for a great career, it is also the start of an insightful personal journey that enables the growth, enlightenment and education of all those who participate.”
About Indigenous Studies
Globalisation, like colonisation before it, is having an immeasurable effect on Indigenous communities. It is imperative, therefore, to produce Indigenous and non-indigenous scholars who can provide insights into the changing nature of Indigenous cultures, and the effect that the transforming global scene is having on Indigenous peoples. In 1993 Indigenous peoples from across the world demanded 'the establishment of systems of education which reflect, respect and embrace Indigenous cultural values, philosophies and ideologies' (Coolangatta Statement 1.3.2).
The Master of Indigenous Studies is, in part, a response to this statement. Furthermore, the MIndS Online degree, first introduced in 2006, allows Indigenous people and others to gain an internationally recognised Masters degree in Indigenous Studies without leaving their community and work commitments. MIndS is a post-graduate course that focuses on issues and research pertaining to Indigenous peoples, particularly the reinvigoration of Indigenous cultures and the investigation into the continued oppression of Indigenous peoples.
Students that enter the MIndS programme are given the choice of several inter-disciplinary papers.
Papers offered in the MIndS programme cover areas such as Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies
as well as issues surrounding research within an Indigenous environment, the revitalisation of Indigenous
language movements in the post-colonial era, a comparative study of the political efforts Indigenous
peoples have made to become self-determining, a comparative review of the socio-cultural and historico-political
meanings within Indigenous literature, an examination of the role of Indigenous women in the Pacific,
the representation of Indigenous histories, a comparative analysis of the inter-relationships between
Indigenous language, knowledge, culture and power from a post-colonial perspective, and the undertaking
of a research report pertaining to issues surrounding Indigenous peoples. The diversity and inter-disciplinary
nature of the courses offered will allow MIndS candidates to theorise and research within an area of
particular and personal interest.
Some reasons for doing Indigenous Studies
- Gain an internationally recognised Masters degree in Indigenous Studies
- Gain an internationally recognised online Masters degree in Indigenous Studies without leaving their community and work commitments
- Gain an understanding of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions of Indigenous knowledges
- Gain an appreciation of the issues relating to Indigenous peoples and communities, especially in
relation to research
- Gain insight into models of development which recognise the rights and aspirations of Indigenous
peoples in their quests for self-determination
- Gain experience of working with peoples from different cultural backgrounds and geographical locations.
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