The Body As Archive: Indigeneity, Felt Theory, and Decolonial Ways of Knowing

Catalog description

This course emerges from queer Chumash/Esselen poet and scholar Deborah A. Miranda’s declaration "my body is an archive." Like Miranda, we will critically consider archival, medical, and anthropological research by examining Indigenous feminist critiques of knowledge and power formed through institutions such as the archive, museum, and university. Students will read 3-4 full books, in addition to scholarly articles and films, (approximately 200-300 pages per week of reading). Assignments require original archival research, creative-critical writing, and deep close reading examination of the assigned texts. Students interested in archival research methods for literature and humanities are encouraged!