SOC 249: Native Nations of the US,
TR 10-11:50  OL 215
Fall 2006
DePauw University
Professor Thomas Hall
 Office:  106 Asbury, x4519, email: thall@depauw.edu
 OFFICE HOURS:  TuTr 1-1:50; W 11-12; & by appt
Syllabus
Last Updated 8-22-06

Another goal is to get you involved in what an Indian colleague called "electronic moccasin highway." See Useful Electronic Links for more information on this.

Readings:
Textbooks:
Iverson, Peter.1998. "We Are Still Here": American Indians in the Twentieth Century. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson.
Mann, Charles C. 2005. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Sutton, Mark Q. 2004. An Introduction to Native North America, 2nd ed.  New York: Allyn and Bacon.  
Wilkins, David E. 2002. American Indian Politics and the American Political System. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.

Reaction Paper Indian Voices:
Louis Erdrich.1984.Tracks. any edition.
Power, Susan.1994.The Grass Dancer. New York: G. P. Putnam.
Sherman Alexie.1996.Indian Killer. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.

Recommended Reserves:
I will place several items on reserve.  Some will be recommended readings, others required.  All are there to help you with course materials.  See Reserve List.

On the Readings:
Throughout this course you want to pay close attention to WHO is writing, and who their people are. That a person is a Native American does not necessarily make them "more correct," or "better," nor does being a Euroamerican make a writer "less correct" or "worse."  Rather, by attending to a writer's roots, you can gain a sense of their authenticity, their own personal experiences, and possibly her or his point of view. Iverson gives an overview of 20th century events.  He is one of the outstanding historians who have studied Native Peoples. Sutton provides a basic textbook which gives an overview of the United States, and for this reason we start with this book to gain a sense of who Indians are, and the tremendous diversity among them. It will help acquaint you with the many groups we will be discussing. Mann wrote 1491 because he was frustrated that his son was learning the same things in high school that he had learned, and which had been wrong even then! Wilkins reviews the politics of Native Americans, emphasizing how they are different from other "minorities" in the U.S. He also traces how their special relations with the U.S. government have shaped Indian lives.

The three reaction paper books, all novels, provide first hand accounts from Native People about their lives. Tracks is an account of turn of the century life on an Anishinaabeg [formerly known as Chippewa] reservation. Louise Erdrich is a leading Native writer. Susan Power provides a somewhat more contemporary account of Lakota people. Sherman Alexie is a very popular writer. Some of you may have read his The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, or seen the film based on it, Smoke Signals. This recent book--a mystery set in Seattle-- is suffused with issues of culture and identity.

Course Requirements:
A. Each STUDENT will write three (3) critical film reviews about videos or films that deal with American Indians. Each 2-3 page review must deal with tthe issues of authenticity, voice, and historical accuracy. There will be a separate page of instructions for these essays. Many videos will be on reserve at Roy O. West Library, others can be rented from local video outlets, through Netflix, or wherever. A few videos will be "off limits" since the class as a whole will be discussing them.Videos not on the the review list may be used with prior, written permission from me. See Instructions for Film Reviews.

B. Each student will write three reaction papers on the books listed under Reaction Books. These are 4-6 pages essays on a limited choice of topics. See How to Write Essays for Professor Hall and First Reaction Paper.

C. Tests and Quizzes. There will be a quiz on or about September 5th on the culture areas of North America, major Native Nations in North America, important dates and phases of Indian - White relations. There will be an in-class midterm and a comprehensive in-class final exam (on Friday, December 15 at 8:30am). See Study Guide for Map-Date Quiz, Study Guide for Midterm, and Study Guide for Final Test.

For evaluations see Grading Policies.

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: I reserve the right to lower grades for poor attendance and/or late papers. The ONLY "excused" absences are for "official university business" or bona fide religious observations,  when I am notified in advance IN WRITING OR BY EMAIL. All other absences are unexcused. I will not take off for one or two absences, but once they are more than 3, I will.

NOTE 1: You should NOT notify me about sickness, funerals, etc. If you miss, you miss. These contingencies are covered in the first 1 or 2 absences.

NOTE 2: Coach's letters are NOT notice, I want a note from you!  DO NOT mention this to me just before or just after class. Try as I might, I often forget oral messages delivered at those times. Save yourself some grief and either write it down or email me.

Students consistently ask for more discussion, and students consistently have not discussed. My view on the matter is this: When students come prepared (having read the material thoroughly before class) discussion can be one of the most effective ways to learn. When students come to class unprepared, hoping to use class in place of reading, discussions are worthless.Obviously, you can not discuss if you are not in class, that is one reason why attendance is important.

I will take attendance the first few weeks to get to know names. Thereafter I will take attendance on random days.

Frequently when an absent student asks a classmate, "What happened today?" other students answer, "Not much. We just discussed X." This is NOT because nothing happened, but because discussions are processes , which are very difficult to summarize. Think about trying to summarize a particularly exciting football game to someone who did not see it.You can tell the plays, the score, etc., but it is very difficult to convey the excitement. Similarly, it is hard to convey the learning that occurs during a discussion.You must be there. I do NOT accept, "I missed class" as a valid excuse for being uninformed.

EXPECTATIONS:
See DePauw University's official statement of academic expectations for students and
Professor Hall's Expectations for Students and himself.

Send comments or questions to thall@depauw.edu
Back to Course Home Page