AJ27051 Contemporary Native American Societies

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2014
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Ing. Mgr. Jiří Rambousek, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each odd Tuesday 15:50–17:25 G31
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/15, only registered: 0/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students successfully completing this seminar should be able to discuss the situation of Native Americans in the United States and Canada today. They should be able to distinguish between the stereotypes which are held about this group of peoples, both in North America and in Europe and the reality of the indigenous experience. Students should be able to discuss, analyze and evaluate the historical causes that have resulted in the current situation of individual bands, nations or other groups of indigenous peoples in North America.
Syllabus
  • This seminar will be divided into two parts. The first will look at modern (post-1865) historical relations between Native Americans and the various European/American entities with whom they had to deal, i.e. the U.S. and Canadian governments as well as organizations such as the Hudson's Bay Company and missionary societies. In the second part, we will look at contemporary Native American society and the particular issues which are of relevance to this unique community. These will include cultural issues (e.g., education, freedom of religion, language preservation), economic (reservation economic development, the impact of gambling, unemployment), legal issues (tribal self-government, land claims) and social issues (alcoholism, drug abuse, etc.). Schedule Week 1: Course Introduction. Ishi: The middle is an end and a beginning
  • Reading: Rockafellar and Starn, Gordon, Fagan and Davis.
  • Part I: Background
  • Week 2: Historical Background: The Noble Savage, the concept of Terra nullis.
  • Reading: Takaki, Chapter 1.
  • Week 3: Historical Background: Relocation, "Indian Wars," Neglect and Termination
  • Reading: Takaki, Chapter 4 and Chapter 9, and Dickason, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
  • Week 4: Themes in Nineteenthth Century Writings: Responses to European Settlement
  • Reading: Historical oratory, Kaiser. Group Selection
  • Week 5: Historical Background: Indian Power, Land Claims: The 1960s to the Present
  • Reading: Takaki, Chapter 14; Olson and Wilson, Chapters 7 & 8;.
  • Film: Incident at Oglala
  • Part II: Issues
  • In addition to the short stories assigned each week, there will be a number of academic articles and (current) newspaper reports dealing with these issues in general or the specific topic to be discussed each week.
  • Week 6: Where are Native Americans today? An overview of the political, economic, social, and demographic situation.
  • Reading: Goodman-Draper.
  • Film: Kanehsatake
  • Week 7: Political Sovereignty and Land. Case Issue: The Nisga'a
  • Reading: Coon Come
  • Week 8: Social and Family Issues
  • Reading: Presentation topic announcement
  • Week 9: Development and Economy
  • Vinje
  • Film: Powwow Highway
  • Week 10: Education
  • Cook
  • Film: Smoke Signals
  • Week 11:Presentations
  • Week 12:Presentations
  • Week 13:Presentations
Literature
    required literature
  • Olson, James S. and Raymond Wilson. Native Americans in the Twentieth Century. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.1986
  • TAKAKI, Ronald. A different mirror :a history of multicultural America. 1st ed. Boston: Back Bay Books, 1993, ix, 508 s. ISBN 0-316-83111-5. info
Teaching methods
Seminars with student participation, readings, films
Assessment methods
The breakdown of the marking is as follows:
- Class participation: 10%
- Journal: 20%
- Oral presentation: 20%
- Research paper: 50%
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět si nemohou zapsat studenti Bc. studia AJ
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2004, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Autumn 2011, Spring 2016, Spring 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2014, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2014/AJ27051