The sky of the Southwestern U.S. is used as a time keeper, an inspiration for art, an image in ritual, and a focus of scientific study. Cultural astronomy, the study of past and present astronomical systems, engages astronomy, anthropology, and archaeology and requires us to think and integrate ideas and data from a variety of academic disciplines. We will learn the standard astronomical model: the motion of the “fixed stars,” the planets, the Moon and the Sun. We will consider the meaning and influence of the movement of these celestial objects on ourselves and the past and present peoples of the Southwest. We will calculate a few things, use planetarium software to "see" the sky as it was seen at Chaco Canyon around 1100 CE, and learn from Bernard Second of the Mescalero Apache tribe, Copernicus, Newton, and others. We will also investigate relationships among astronomy, rock art, ritual, oral narratives, social patterns, and belief systems. A central theme of the course is “how do we know what we know?” and “why does it matter?”

Ebola, disaster relief, mental health, aging populations, and primary health care are key issues in a world where diseases cross borders rapidly, but health care resources may not. This course introduces students to the dynamic, complex field of global health. The course examines improvements in global health, health inequalities, the legacy of colonial medicine, and social justice in health from the perspectives of medical anthropology and public health. Drawing from cases across the globe, from wealthy and poor nations, from nations with well-functioning health systems and those struggling to meet people’s basic health care needs we will explore the biological, social, and cultural factors that determine health and well-being.