Listed in: American Studies, as AMST-273
Ashley E. Smith (Section 01J)
This course offers an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Native American and Indigenous Studies. In his powerful collection of essays by the same title, Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche) proclaims to his readers that “everything you know about Indians is wrong.” In this course, we will consider Paul Chaat Smith’s claim and trace how it came to be. We will examine history, literature, art, politics, and current events to explore the issues that Indigenous peoples face today and their deep and complex historical roots. We will pay particular attention to the creative ways that indigenous communities have remained vibrant in the face of ongoing colonial struggle. This course will focus on the United States with some consideration of the broader transnational American context. Topics include histories of Indigenous-settler relations, US Indian Law and Indigenous sovereignties, Indigenous ecological knowledge practices, Indigenous philosophical and literary traditions, and Indigenous activism.
Limited to 25 students. January term. Visiting Lecturer Smith.
Section 01J
TBD