California Indian Studies Certificate Program

The California Native Studies Certificate Program was developed by the College of Marin in collaboration with the Miwok Archeological Preserve of Marin (MAPOM) and the Point Reyes National Seashore.

Our goal is to promote understanding of the culture of California Native peoples, their skills and their environmental wisdom. You are welcome to enroll in just one or any number of the classes listed below. If you wish to obtain a Certificate of Completion, please see following Certificate Requirements.

The California Indian Studies Certificate Program started with a big kickoff at the Kule loklo Big time festival in July 2012. Our first Certificate of Completion Award Ceremony is scheduled for Big Time on July 20, 2013. The next one will be in July, 2014. The required class, Overview of California Indian Culture and History, is scheduled three times each with a different emphasis. Electives are offered once during each academic year. Classes are listed in the Community Education brochures which come out four times a year on the same day as the registration dates listed below. The year-long overview will be available on the MAPOM website (www.MAPOM.org).

Certificate Requirements

Complete the required Overview of California Indian Culture and History plus four electives to be eligible for a Certificate of Completion. This list of classes may be changed without prior notice.

Core Class (required)

• Overview of California Indian Culture and History

Electives may include but are not limited to the following (any four)

• California Basket-Weaving with Lucy and Julia Parker
• California Indian Baskets
• Indigenous Cultural Practices
• Introduction to Paleo Technology
• Introductory Flintknapping
• Petroglyphs and Introduction to Miwok Cultural History
• Present State of Tribal Affairs
• Weaving a Pomo Style Coiled Willow and Sedge Basket

Instructors

• Betty Goerke. Betty is the author of Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel and Legend (2007) and Discovering Native People at Point Reyes (2012).
• Ralph Shanks, MA (Anthropology). Ralph is widely regarded as a leading authority on California Indian baskets and the author of Indian Baskets of Central California: Art, Culture and History (2006) and California Indian Baskets (2010).
• Julia Parker has been demonstrating traditional basketweaving for forty years and her baskets appear in museums all over the world. She believes that, by teaching students to weave, she’s not only offering them a sacred skill but also connecting them in a magical way to our history and environment. Julia’s daughter, Lucy Parker, has learned from the master and is a capable teacher in her own right.
• Ken Peek has been flintknapping for over twenty years and is a lifelong student of California history, geology, archeology, and primitive skills. He has presented numerous flintknapping workshops and demonstrations for the East Bay Regional Parks District in Henry Cowell State Park, at Kule Loklo in the Point Reyes National Seashore, and in public schools.
• Edward Willie has been learning from other California Indian basket makers for over two decades and now teaches adult classes in the art. Over the years he feels he’s learned the most from the students of the highly respected Mabel Mckay, as well as members of the California Indian Basketweavers Association.
• John Littleton. John holds master degrees in both Education and Cultural Anthropology and is now retired after some forty years of teaching. In the classroom he focused considerable attention on an appreciation of California Indian cultures and the importance of environmental education. John developed many of the approaches listed in the course description in helping both adults and young people understand the connection between Native Peoples and the natural world.  You can check out his new children's book on related themes at: www.rampageofthegluttonmonsters.com.
  

Upcoming Schedule

Apply and Register
For more information on how to Apply and Register Online, click here.

Contact Us
Community Education, Lifelong Learning and International Education
E-mail: Jason.Lau@marin.edu
Telephone: (415) 485-9305

back to top

Community Education web page
Technical Contact: Cheryl Lynn Carlson, Program Specialist, Community Education, Lifelong Learning and International Education, 415.485.9311
Content Responsible: Dr. Jason Lau, Director, Community Education, Lifelong Learning and International Education, 415.485.9316