Topics in History (492-0-24)

Topic

Native Nations and the State

Instructors

Douglas Metoxen Kiel
847/467-4821
Harris 229

Meeting Info

Harris Hall room 101: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Native Nations and the State interrogates the evolving relationship between Indigenous sovereignties and American state formation from the early modern era to the present. Moving beyond conventional narratives that frame Native polities as passive subjects of imperial expansion, this seminar centers Indigenous diplomacy, spatial regimes, and political theory as generative forces that continuously reshaped the juridical and territorial logics of the modern state. Students will juxtapose the structural paradigms of settler colonialism with Indigenous practices of refusal, nested sovereignty, and resurgence. The course materials engage foundational questions of property, jurisdiction, citizenship, and federal bureaucracy.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: MA or PhD History student