In Native Pathways Program: Indigenous Creatures and Cosmology, students will examine various Indigenous worldviews and perspectives of our interconnected relationships with the cosmos and all beings within it. Oral traditions as expressed in stories and legends are often used to transmit cosmological knowledge and reinforce cultural values and beliefs.

Through examining the creatures and characters across our Native lexicons and geographies we will learn more from our stories. Whether they are cautionary tales, or lessons on love and compassion, the characters that make up these stories have something to tell us. We will explore a wide variation of story and creatures. Students will engage in tales of Basket Woman, The Maiden of Deception Pass, La Llorona, The Changer, Coyote, Raven, and more. Students will gain a deeper understanding of these metaphysical beings and the inherent teachings their presence holds. Students will read and explore examples of stories these characters feature prominently in, discuss meaning and metaphor, and experiment in writing some of their own Indigenous creature stories. By framing these stories as a form of expression of cultural knowledge, students will also analyze how they capture the experiences and observations of Indigenous cultures embedded in celestial phenomena over time and how this develops into knowledge systems that guide people to understanding the world around us. This perspective will show how Indigenous cultures learned to live and respond to our natural environment such as in agriculture, ceremonies, time tracking (moon cycles), and tidal behavior, demonstrating their methodological approach to living with nature that is rooted in Indigenous knowledge traditions.

Students are expected to attend classes with their site faculty during the week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9:30pm and attend/participate in the NPP “House of Welcome” Longhouse Gatherings for three weekends a quarter. NPP offers a 12-credit core studies option and an option for 16 credits that includes the core studies and an additional 4 credits for either a capstone project or other program-related work.

Freshman and Sophomore students will participate in the Yellow Cedar section of the program for 12 credits only and will cover exploratory and introductory material.

Junior and Senior students will participate in the Red Cedar section of the program for 12 or 16 credits and cover more advanced material.