This course introduces students to the academic study of Native peoples through a comparative examination of Indigenous cultures (with an emphasis on the Indigenous peoples of the Americas). There will be an emphasis on “introduce” because the subject is extremely complex. Participants will explore pre-contact economic, social, and belief systems of selected groups; the history of federal legislation and policies relating to Native affairs; and present-day issues of concern to Native peoples, specifically as it pertains to education. Students will be introduced to an introduction to Native American Studies, followed by its applicability to teaching Early Childhood Education, consistent with the newly introduced Senate Bill 13: Tribal History/Shared Histories.