SYLLABUS
READINGS:
Packet of Readings at Far Better Copy Center (Hillel Place and Campus Road)
Additional recommended readings can be found on the bibliography page of this web site.
EXAMS:
Options:
The term paper is to be a comparison of any two films about American Indians in which in one, Indians are depicted negatively and in the other positively with a film BY an American Indian. The comparison should include the ways in which the depiction of the characters in the three films varies and the ways in which culture and cultural presuppositions manifest themselves in the films.
Cell phones are to be turned off during class. Any cell phone going off will cause the "proud possessor" to lose one letter grade on the final grade.
CLASS MEETINGS
| WEEK | DATE | FILM |
| 1 | Sept. 5 | Powow Highway |
| 2 | Sept. 12 | Smoke Signals |
| 3 | Sept. 19 | Skins |
| 4 | Sept. 26 | The Business of Fancydancing |
TWO |
WEEK |
BREAK |
| 5 | Oct. 17 | The Fast Runner |
Please be sure that I have an e-mail contact for you so I can remind you about the meeting on Oct. 17.
You should turn in your papers or take the final exam on Oct. 24th.
A NOTE ABOUT TERMS
American Indians by and large refer to themselves differently to different people. Most will, generally, when asked, give the name of the particular tribe to which they belong. The term "Indian" or "American Indian" is used when indicating a generally category. The politically correct "Native American" is rarely used by Indians at all, except in conversations with politically correct non-Indians. Many Indians pronounce the word as "indin" rather that "Indian".
In part the confusion comes about from the fact that non of the aboriginal peoples seem to have had a word which referred exclusively to that population, so any word that is used to refer to the group is perforce a word referring to a concept which is not native.
The term "tribe" is a common appellation for the various groups of Indians, although many Indians prefer the word "nation". In most social sciences words like "tribe", "band", "chiefdom", "nation" have particular meaning that express specific kinds of social organizations and how the groups are organized. Among Indians, "tribes" is commonly used (as is 'nation"), although Indians tend to ask "What tribe are you?" rather than "What nation are you?".