Decolonizing Methodologies: Introduction to Native American Studies

Catalog description

This course provides students with an introductory grasp on major concepts, theoretical highlights, and important figures in Native American and Indigenous Studies, also known as American Indian Studies or First Nations Studies. The discipline emerged in the United States during the late 1960s when Native student-activists demanded the inclusion of their histories alongside the dominant white settler narratives in universities' educational catalog. By examining historical and legal documents, storytelling accounts, images, films, and literary works, students will explore a diverse range of themes and perspectives, gaining an understanding of Native American cultures, histories, and contemporary lifeworlds. The course emphasizes materials from relevant sources produced by and about Natives to foster critical thinking and analysis. It also aims to cultivate an appreciation for the richness and complexity of Native American experiences while introducing major concepts, theoretical highlights, and important figures in the field of Native American Studies. Throughout the course, students will explore the global development of the discipline from a pan-Indian perspective, discussing keywords, histories, politics, disciplinary concerns, and the recent "decolonial turn" within academia. By the end of the course, students will have an introductory understanding of key disciplinary jargon, methodological research, and constitutive issues in Native American Studies.