Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Literatures (274-0-01)
Instructors
Kelly E Wisecup
Meeting Info
University Hall 122: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
Native American & Indigenous literatures are currently in the midst of what some scholars call a "second Native American Renaissance." By this, they refer to the novels like Tommy Orange's (Cheyenne and Arapaho) There There and Louise Erdrich's (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) The Round House, and the books of poetry, like Natalie Diaz's (Mojave/Gila River) Postcolonial Love Poem, which have won national awards, as well as to TV shows like Reservation Dogs that are widely popular among Indigenous viewers and receiving much critical acclaim.
But where did this "second Native American Renaissance" come from? What was the "first" Native American Renaissance? This course will offer an introduction to Native American & Indigenous literatures, with an eye both to the current flourishing of literatures and to their long histories. We will look at the variety of media and genres in which Native American & Indigenous literatures appear, including birchbark pages, pamphlets, pictographic texts and digital platforms, as well as autobiography, political petitions, novels, and short stories. And we will develop a vocabulary for reading, analyzing, and discussing these literatures using key terms and concepts from Native American and Indigenous Studies, including sovereignty, kinship, resurgence, decolonization, and land.
Teaching Method
Lecture + discussion sections.
Evaluation Method
Short papers; preparation for and participation in discussion.
Class Materials (Required)
Daniel Heath Justice, Why Indigenous Literatures Matter ISBN 9781771121767
Natalie Diaz, Postcolonial Love Poem, 978-1-64445-014-7
Cherie Dimaline, The Marrow Thieves, ISBN 978-1770864863
All additional texts will be available on Canvas.
Texts will be available at: The University bookstore. If you'd like to purchase the book from a Native-owned or independent bookstore, see Louise Erdrich's store Birchbark Books, which will ship books (be sure to order well in advance): https://birchbarkbooks.com/ or for Evanston/Chicago independent bookstores, check out Bookends & Beginnings (Evanston); Women and Children First (Andersonville); and Unabridged (Lakeview).
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Associated Classes
DIS - Parkes Hall 223: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - Parkes Hall 214: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - University Hall 112: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM
DIS - University Hall 218: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM