PORTLAND – Maine’s Indian tribes are the focus of a graduate course that will begin at the University of Southern Maine on Jan. 13.

The course being offered next semester is called “Public Policy, Tribal Governance and the Native Experience in Maine.”

It will be unique because it will emphasize Maine’s four tribes: the Passamaquoddies, Penobscots, Micmacs and Maliseets, said state Rep. Donna Loring, who represents the Penobscot Nation in the Legislature.

Classes elsewhere might touch on Indians in general, “things that happened out West, like Wounded Knee and the Trail of Tears,” Loring said. “But hardly ever would you hear about what happened here in Maine.”

The USM course will cover subjects like the state’s historic 1980 Indian Land Claims Settlement Act, which sets up a unique relationship between tribal and state government.

It will also cover tribal organization, ethnic and cultural awareness, and issues surrounding tribal policy. Over 14 weeks, it also will cover civil rights, health and social welfare, education, constitutional reform and economic development.

Dahlia Bradshaw Lynn, an associate professor of public policy and management who is teaching the class with Loring, noted that the course will look at tribes, such as the Micmacs, whose memberships span international boundaries.

Although there are relatively few Micmacs living in Maine, the tribe itself has more than 20,000 members in the state and Canada, Loring said.

“If you don’t recognize the boundary, the Micmacs would be by far the largest tribe,” she said.

The Penobscots and Passamaquoddy Tribe have drawn attention in recent months with efforts to get approval to build a $650 million casino and resort in southern Maine, but the new course won’t have anything to do with that proposal.