Programs in Native American language and literature teach people the spoken and written traditions of many tribes. Students learn how languages developed in North and South America. They learn tribal languages and study myths, stories, and writings.

Storytelling has been a teaching and sharing device since earliest times. Native stories and myths set forth many understandings about creation. They describe adventures and relationships of animals, plants, and people within the natural order. In their stories, the storytellers convey a religion of the earth, showing how tribes understand the sacred.

Native American language and literature programs differ in their focus. Some include language courses, where you can learn how to speak Ojibwe or Navajo, for example. Others focus more on Native American culture, including the history of different tribes, cultural traditions including spirituality and migration, and modern Native American literature. For example, you might read works by Sherman Alexie and Paula Gunn Allen. Courses can also cover race relations and current issues in Native culture.

A handful of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in Native American languages and literature. You may have better luck finding this program through larger linguistics programs. Some two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school. Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree.

Students who major in Native American language and literature may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Conversation
• Dialects
• Folklore
• Interpreting
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Specific Language Groups
• Teaching
• Translation