Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Literatures (274-0-20)

Instructors

Mariajose Rodriguez Pliego

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 223: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

The term "literatures" at the end of this course title will serve as a guiding question throughout the quarter — how and why do we establish boundaries between literature and non-textual forms of storytelling by Native American and Indigenous peoples? Following the impulse of this question, the course will pay particular attention to the presence of oral and visual mediums in Native American and Indigenous literature. We will also study the wide variety of forms that make up Native American and Indigenous literatures, including codices, short stories, memoirs, and novels. We will begin by considering the notion that we are currently undergoing a second Native American Renaissance, or a flourishing of publications by Native American authors, and study what the first Native American Renaissance was. Our discussions will interrogate the notion of a renaissance as a revival of something that was previously dormant and consider the centuries-long history of storytelling by Native American and Indigenous authors. Although the course is centered on the United States, it explores the hemispheric ties of Native American authors with Indigenous writers from throughout Abiayala (the Americas).

Teaching Method

Lecture and Discussion.

Evaluation Method

Attendance and participation, in-class midterm, mixed-media paper.

Class Materials (Required)

Louise Erdrich, The Round House, 9780062065254
Deborah Miranda, Bad Indians, 9781597146289

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for English and Creative Writing students.