SOC 249: Native Nations of the US,
10-11:30 MW AS 224
 Fall 2008
DePauw University
Professor Thomas Hall
 Office:  106 Asbury, x4519, email: thall@depauw.edu
 OFFICE HOURS:  MW 1-2; 4-4:30, & by appt
Syllabus
Last Updated 8-25-08

Goals:
The goals of this course are to explore the world of Native Nations in most of North America, also known as Native Americans, American Indians, Indigenous Peoples, or First Nations. We will begin with some overviews of North American Indians. We will then survey the history of their relationships with American and other European societies. We will conclude with discussions of contemporary issues. Along with this we will be reading accounts by Native People that parallel these discussions. All this will introduce you to life in various Native Nations, and to the complex sociological, anthropological, and historical dimensions of the relations among American Indians and Euroamericans.

Another goal is to get you involved in what an Indian colleague called "electronic moccasin highway." See Moodle page for electronic links.

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, 3rd 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 Books:
 Margolin, Malcolm. 1978. The Ohlone Way: Indian Life in the San Francisco-Monterey Bay Area. Berkeley: Heyday Books.
King, Thomas. 2001. Truth and Bright Water. New York: Grove Press.
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 and Moodle page.

On the Readings:
Throughout this course you want to pay close attention to WHO is writing, and who the author[s] 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! xxx Mann will be visiting DePauw in November. I will post and tell you more when the dates are firm. 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. The Ohlone Way is an account of a group in what is now known as the San Francisco Bay area before the arrival of Europeans, with some comments on what happened after Spaniards arrived. Truth and Bright Water is a novel set in recent times along the U.S. Canadian border. In it King, a Native Person himself, now a resident of Canada, explores issues of identity, life, and the role of the border in the lives of 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 (which will be shown on Nov. 10 at 7:30 at Ashley Square theater). 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 the 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. xxx

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.xxx

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 university business when I am notified in advance IN WRITING OR BY EMAIL. NOTE coach's letters are NOT notice, I want a note from you.

Students consistently ask for more discussion, and students consistently do not discuss! 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. See DePauw's Academic Expectations or Students and Professor Hall's Expectations for Students and himself.

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.

Communications with the Prof: I urge all of you to use email rather than the phone. That way we will both have a record of what we discussed. If an issue is too complex for email, come to office hours or set an appoint. If I reply to an email, "we should meet about this," this means in my estimation the issue is one that requires discussion, as opposed to a quick email reply.

Do not phone to tell me you are going to be absent. Similarly, do not "mention" it to me just before or after class. Send an email: that way we both have a record.

Send comments or questions to thall@depauw.edu
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