NAS 2600
Native American
Literature
T/TH 9:25-10:40
UH C630
Instructor: Dr.
Kimberly Roppolo
Graduate Teaching
Assistant: Tisha Bromley-Wadsworth
Office
phone: 403-394-3956
Departmental
fax: 403-380-1855
E-mail: kimberly.roppolo@uleth.ca
A. Course Description from the 2004-05 Calendar:
“Survey of the
North American Native in literature as developed by Native and non-Native
writers.”
B. Course
content:
Native
American Literature will cover a range of works by American Indian/First
Nations intellectuals, short story writers, novelists, playwrights, poets, and
filmmakers. The course will also examine
depictions of Native Americans in texts and films by non-Native writers. Historical and cultural context for the
primary texts will be explored in lecture and class discussion.
C. Course objectives:
1. Students should gain an
introduction to important American Indian/First Nations literary works and
intellectual theories as well explore depictions of Native Americans by
non-Natives in literature and film;
2. Students will gain
exposure to a variety of literary genres;
3. Students will
self-reflect on their own relationships with American Indian/First Nations
literatures, within American history, and within their culture and various
subcultures (discourse groups);
4. Students should gain
interpretive skills enabling them to understand American Indian/First Nations
works;
5. Students will improve
writing skills by developing both exploratory writings and a formal, researched
project on the novel Fools Crow;
6. Students should develop
an appreciation for American Indian/First Nations literatures;
7. Students will display
knowledge of the content of the assigned readings through quizzes, exploratory
writings, group work, and the major project.
D. Books:
Purdy,
John L., and James Ruppert, eds. Nothing
but the Truth: An Anthology of Native
American Literature.
Welch,
James. Fools Crow.
Cheechoo, Shirley. A Path with No Moccasins.
Films:
Apocalypto (out
of class; must have viewed and done exploratory writing for by September 20)
Dance Me Outside (in
class viewing)
On and Off the Rez with
Charley Hill
The Fast Runner (out
of class; must have viewed and done exploratory writing for by October 16;
available in the library on reserve)
\
Websites
for Apocalypto:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=30b26a79892960ff7423d128365eb3ab
http://www.archaeology.org/online/reviews/apocalypto.html
http://www.archaeology.org/online/reviews/apocalypto2.html
http://drconway.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/early-review-of-mel-gibsons-apocalypto/
http://drconway.wordpress.com/2006/12/16/university-professors-and-academics-criticize-apocalypto-reflections-on-a-recent-listserve-thread/#comments
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=5094
(PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO CARTER REVARD’S COMMENTS AT THE END)
E.
General course
outline:
There
will be several exploratory writings of between two-and-a-half to three typed double-spaced pages in MLA
format. I expect you to use quotations
from and references to the primary text and to utilize MLA format. The only exception to this is that I do not
expect you to use direct quotes from the films in the assignments, but I do
expect you to take notes while watching the films so that you may discuss them
intelligently in your writing. I do, however, expect you to directly quote or
paraphrase comments from the websites or any other sources in writing about the
film.
You
will bring these exploratory writings to class the day they are due so that we
may use them to aid discussion that day.
You will turn them in at the end of class; however, in order to ensure
that all students do their work before class, I will only grade the typed
portion of your work, not handwritten insertions.
There
will be unannounced quizzes over the readings, films, and lectures. There will be group work completed during
class time only, as I realize you all have diverse schedules and meeting
outside of class can be difficult. Students will complete a major project over
James Welch’s Fools Crow (further
described on the assignment sheet).
F.
Policies and other important information
Ø
Office
hours—I will be in my office in the Native American Studies Department on the
fourth floor of University Hall from 8:20-9:20 on most Tuesdays and Thursdays
and from 12:15-1:15 on most Tuesdays in case you need to meet with me regarding
class. I will also meet with you in my
office by appointment.
Ø
Absents
and tardies—
§
Even
though the 2007-08 Calendar does not list an attendance requirement for
this course, since the success of literature courses is dependent upon your
doing your readings and attending class and discussing the texts, to do my job
well, I have to find some way to ensure that you do this. Therefore, I have
created the strict Late Work policy listed below.
§
Out
of courtesy and professionalism, please treat this course the way you would
treat a job. Let me know as soon as
possible if you must miss class. You may
contact me by phone or e-mail (listed above).
Ø
Late
Work—
§
Always
keep two back up copies of your written work (at least one electronic: on your hard drive, a disk, a CD, etc.) I find that if you just save once, problems
can occur that will cause assignments to be late. Make sure you have alternate methods of
recovering your data if confusion should arise or whether or not you turned in
an assignment, in case you lose your backpack on the way to class, in case your
dog ate your homework, etc.
§
I
only accept late work on exploratory
writing with a documented excused absence.
I will determine whether or not a particular absence is excused.
§
It is important to know that quizzes and groupwork may not be made up,
whether or not you are absent, with or without an excuse.
§ I will not accept late Fools Crow projects. Failure to turn these in on time results in failure
of the course unless the Dean has approved an incomplete (see below) through
the proper application process.
Ø
Incompletes: from the 2004-05 Calendar—
Ø Special needs: from the 2007-08 Calendar—
For more information and possible assistance with these
matters, contact Counselling at tel. 403-320-5700 or come to the Information
Centre (SU 140).
Ø Academic
and non-Academic Offenses: from the
2007-08 Calendar—There is an
extensive section in the Calendar on pages 68-74 regarding cheating,
plagiarism, student conduct, and disciplinary procedures, including
expulsion. All U of L students should
familiarize themselves with these regulations and penalties.
Ø
Grade
Percentages:
*Please
note that I give letter grades, not number grades, on individual
assignments. The conversion chart for
the 4.0 scale reporting system is below.
Exploratory
Writings 25 %
Quizzes—25
%
Group
Work—25 %
Fools Crow Project—25 %
Ø
Grading
Scale:
A
+/A 4.0
A-
3.7
B+
3.3
B
3.0
C+ 2.3
C
2.0
C-
1.7
D+
1.3
D
1
F
0
G.
Tentative Schedule:
*Note: Do
the readings listed for the class meeting before class. In other words, what is listed is what we are
discussing that day.
September 6—Ms. Bromley-Wadsworth will
take roll, hand out the syllabus, and make the first assignment. Students should make a list of questions for
Dr. Roppolo regarding the syllabus as they read over it at home. We will answer these the next time we
meet. Also do the following:
Homework: Exploratory Writing #1
This semester,
we will attempt to discuss our texts from we in the NAS department call “Native
Perspective.” Write the first half of your exploratory writing explaining what
the term “Native Perspective” means to you and what, if any, views of reality
and the universe around us you think might be generally shared by people with
Indigenous American ancestry.
Next, explore
http://imagesofindiansinchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/, making sure to click on
and read “Older Posts” at the end of the page as well. Taking into consideration the kinds of images
Reese finds objectionable in children’s books, discuss these as well as other
images of Native people that permeate popular culture and how you think this
matches or clashes with the concept of Native perspective you put forth in the
first half of your writing. Conclude by explaining how you think created images
of Native people in literature by Native and non-Native people might be
impacted or not by popular culture and (mis)education.
September 11— Dr. Roppolo will lead
discussion on Native Perspective; Fools Crow Project Assigned; Exploratory Writing #1 due at the end
of class.
Homework: Reminder: Each time, read the selections listed for
the next class meeting ahead of time. Be prepared for a quiz and/or discussion.
September 13— “Introduction” to Purdy and Ruppert;
David L. Moore, “Nonfiction”; Paula Gunn Allen, “The Sacred Hoop: A Contemporary Perspective”; Simon Ortiz,
“Towards a National Indian Literature:
Cultural Authenticity in Nationalism”; assign
terms for Fools Crow Project
September 18—Leslie Marmon Silko, “Language and
Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective”; Leslie Marmon Silko, “An Old-Time
Indian Attack in Two Parts: Part
One—Imitation ‘Indian’ Poems/Part Two—Gary Snyder’s
Group Work #1
Discuss: How do
you see your role in the study of American Indian/First Nations literatures and
intellectual theories? How does who you
are impact what you are reading and how you read it? Are there any responsibilities attached to
this? Take notes during your discussion. Write a page or so as a group
detailing your discussion. Make sure each person puts his or her name on the
work. We will discuss these as a large
group and turn them in before leaving class.
Homework:
Exploratory Writing #2
Watch the film Apocalypto. Note: If you do not want
your children subjected to nudity and graphic violence, don’t let them watch
the movie with you. Take notes as you
watch, so that you may later write down your responses to the film. What did you like? Why?
What did you not like? Why? How good of a job do you think the film does
of portraying the greater story of history from a Native perspective? Think about the different roles people play
in the creation of a film, from writing to acting to directing to costuming to
creating set pieces to producing? What
impact do you think this multiple authorship plays in creating or not creating
Native perspective in this film? Write the first half of your exploratory
writing answering these questions.
Now,
read the websites listed in the section above called Websites for Apocalypto. Pick three of the
commentaries from this section (some sites contain more than one commentary)
and use quotes and paraphrases and to engage these writers in a dialogue with
your own ideas about the film in the rest of your exploratory writing. How did
the writers’ comments change or not change your own views about the film?
September 20— Dr. Roppolo will
lead discussion on the film Apocalypto
Exploratory Writing #2 due at the end of
class.
September 25—Presentations and
discussion of Fools Crow
September 27—Presentations and discussion of Fools Crow
October 2—Presentations and
discussion of Fools Crow
October 4—Presentations and
discussion of Fools Crow
October 9—Presentations and
discussion of Fools Crow
October 11— Presentations and discussion of Fools Crow
Homework:
Exploratory Writing #3
Watch the film The Fast Runner (available in the library
on reserve for this course). Again, if you do not want your children subjected
to nudity and some violence, do not let them watch the movie with you. Take
notes as you watch the movie. This one
may require more than one viewing—it certainly took me more than one time to
catch everything, and I still learn more each time I watch it. One thing that
will help is looking at. http://www.atanarjuat.com/ BEFORE watching the film to get the names and plot down. I suggest
looking at the sections “The Legend Behind the Film” and “Geneology [sic].”
After watching
the film, look at the other sections of the website, paying careful attention
to all aspects of production—who, what, when, where, why, and how in
“Production Diary,” “Credits,” and “About Isuma.” In your exploratory writing, examine how the
change in control over artistic production and the difference in motive (profit
vs. “preserve and enhance Inuit culture and language”) affect the films Apocalypto and The Fast Runner in terms of the presentation of Native
Perspective.
October 16—Dr. Roppolo will lead
discussion on the film The Fast Runner
Exploratory Writing #3 due at the end of
class.
October 18—Louis
Owens, “Fiction”; Anna Lee Walters, “The Warriors”; Zitkala Sa, “The
Soft-Hearted Sioux”; and D’Arcy McNickle, “The Hawk is Hungry”
Group
Work #2:
How can fiction
be used to comment on history? To revise
the way it is told? Think both about these stories and about Fools Crow. Discuss the view of Native
people in the past in both of the films as well. Do any of the works tend to
support stereotypes such as the Vanishing Indian, the Noble Savage with a
romanticized past, or the wild, barbaric savage? How do each of these works, in
other words, depict Native people, as cardboard cutouts or as fully-dimensional
human beings? What kinds of
characteristics do these works suggest Native people have or had? Do these works support or contradict the
historical practice of tribal peoples to preserve their own stories of
themselves in the oral tradition? Take notes during your discussion. Write a
page or so as a group detailing your discussion. Make sure each person puts his
or her name on the work. We will discuss
these as a large group and turn them in before leaving class.
October 23—Louis Owens, “Blessed
Sunshine”; Luci Tapahonso,
“All the Colors of Sunset”; and Louise Erdrich, “The Red Convertible
October 25—Leslie Silko, “The Man to Send Rain
Clouds”; “Yellow Woman”; and “Tony’s
Story”
Homework: Exploratory Writing #4
In this
exploratory writing, I want you to explore the following questions. How do you
envision the relationship between tradition and contemporary life? What can contemporary stories such as those
we have read for October 23, October 25, and those we will discuss October 30
“give back” to American Indian/First Nations communities? Do these contemporary
writers write the stories of a person or a people?
October 30— Simon
Ortiz, “The Killing of a State Cop”; Thomas King, “Borders”; and “A Seat in the
Garden”
Exploratory Writing #4 due at the end of class.
November
1— Dance Me Outside—In-class
viewing of film
November
6— Dance Me Outside—In-class
viewing of film
November
8—Dr. Roppolo will lead discussion on Dance
Me Outside
Group Work #3
Respond to this
film. How do you feel about it? What does it remind you of? What are some of the complications of the
film’s origin in a novel written by a non-Native writer whom many Native
Americans feels depicts Natives stereotypically? Do the Native actors and consultants
successfully “appropriate” the text?
What does it say that more than one Native author has
appropriated/satirized this novelist’s work?
Take notes during your discussion. Write a page or so as a group detailing
your discussion. Make sure each person puts his or her name on the work. We will discuss these as a large group and
turn them in before leaving class.
November 13— Mary TallMountain, “The Disposal of Mary
Joe’s Children”; Eric Gansworth’s “Unfinished Business”; and Jim Northrup, “Veteran’s Dance”
November
15—Greg Sarris’ “How I Got
to Be Queen”; Sherman Alexie, “The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor”; and
“This is What it Means to say
November 20— Shirley Cheechoo, A Path with No Moccasins
November
22— Vine Deloria, “Indian Humor”;
Carter Revard, “Report to the Nation:
Repossessing Europe”; On and Off the Rez with Charley Hill--In-class viewing of film
November 27—Kimberly Blaeser, “The
Possibilities of a Native Poetics” (READ
AHEAD OF TIME)
*We will read the poems out loud in class—I am of the firm
opinion poetry is primarily an oral art.
All poems by
Wendy Rose; Crystos; Mary Tall Mountain; Roberta Hill Whiteman; Carter Revard,
“Driving in Oklahoma” and “In Kansas”; and Leslie Marmon Silko, “Indian
Song: Survival,” “Storytelling,” “Story
from Bear Country,” “Toe’osh: A Laguna
Coyote Story,” and “When Sun Came to Riverwoman”. Poems in handouts.
November 29 –
Poems continued
Begin Group
Work #4
How does poetry
tell story differently? Are there reasons
why, in your opinion, that poetry is a particularly appropriate (or
inappropriate) genre for American Indian/First Nations writers? Take notes
during your discussion. Write a page or so as a group detailing your
discussion. Make sure each person puts his or her name on the work. We will turn these in at the end of class,
and I will pass them out so that we may finish them next time.
December 6—
Continue
and Finish Group Work #4
Make
sure to have all group members present sign the paper a second time for full
credit.
Final discussion of the semester’s readings
You are responsible for all assignments
as noted on the syllabus and assignment sheets, including any additions or
deletions I may make.
NAS 2600
Native American Literature
Fools Crow Project
For this major project, you will be responsible for ____ pages from the text; we will make page assignments in class through drawing names. There also may be pages available for bonus points. Each of you will define words and explain cultural and geographic aspects of the text on your assigned pages, including visual aids wherever applicable and culturally-appropriate. You will have a total of ten entries of your choice from the pages assigned. Come to class the next time with a list of your potential entries, ten words, phrases, or other aspects of the text you feel would be useful to explain for readers unfamiliar with Blackfoot culture or our Alberta/Montana landscape and her creatures. If you and another student both want the same entry, we will negotiate in class. In other words, have some backups in case someone other than you wants to explain Sun Dance, for instance. ****This project is to be turned in as an e-mail attachment in either Microsoft Word or Powerpoint, with images saved in JPEG format prior to class time on September 25-October 11, on the day you present. We will decide presentation dates based on numerical order of the pages. This is worth twenty-five percent of your grade. If the student chooses, her or his project may be submitted for publication in a website to be entitled “Digital Fools Crow—Contextualizing James Welch’s Novel.”
Speaking of Sun Dance, for an example entry, I have included an article I wrote for the Encyclopedia of American Indian History, editors Barry Pritzker and Bruce Johansen from ABC-CLIO. If you get the entry on Sun Dance, you may use this as a source if you like; however, I would think in your entry you would want to cover a more Blackfoot-centered explanation, while at the same time avoiding giving too much detail in regard to ceremony, just as I had to do to write this article. In other words, I am also including this example to show how these things might be written on in a culturally-appropriate and respectful manner. In Native Studies, this is the proper protocol for us to follow. You will also notice I had an elder’s permission and blessing and used him for my primary source.
One important difference between my article and your entries is that this article is nearly 1500 words long, while your entries will be between 150-300 words each, making your job much easier. You will need to include 3-5 visual aids as well. I would keep in mind, however, that those wanting an ‘A’ on this project should go the extra mile in terms of both length and quality, writing the maximum number of words rather than the minimum and including a good number of appropriate visual aids.
As I did, I expect you to include references and further readings. Use MLA format for any needed parenthetical references for page numbers. You need two to three sources, either oral or written, for each entry, and you need to credit sources for visual aids. You should use 12 pt. font, but format your entry as mine is otherwise. For a website or any electronic citation, consult http://www.mla.org/publications/style/style_faq/style_faq4/.
In terms of the oral presentation itself, you will not have time to read aloud all of the information you will turn in to me with the previously e-mailed version of your document. Therefore, do not paste 150-300 words on each slide. Simply list the terms to guide your discussion, one per slide, add a visual aid if one of your three-to-five visual aids applies, along with a few bulleted items to help you speak extemporaneously, or “from the heart,” in more Native terms, on each one. Your entire presentation should not exceed fifteen to twenty minutes (PRACTICE AND TIME YOURSELF!) You should plan on spending a minute to two minutes on each term.
Fifty percent of the grade for this project will be based on your written work, and fifty percent will be based on the oral presentation.
Sun Dance
Sun Dance is the central ceremony of the year for many of
the Plains tribes. It is held among the
Arapaho, Arikara, Assiniboine, Blackfoot/feet, Comanche, Crow, Eastern Dakota,
Gros Ventre, Hidasta, Kiowa, Lakota, Mandan, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Sarsi,
Shoshone, Siseton, Suhtai (Northern Cheyenne), Tsis-tsis-tas (Southern
Cheyenne), and Ute. Recently, some
Navajo have put up Sun Dance as well.
Moreover, because of the questionable practice of selling Sun Dances,
splinter groups of intertribal Indians, unaffiliated mixed bloods, and whites
have been putting up Sun Dances in places such as
From 1881-1934, Sun Dances were held secretly as it had been
banned in both
Sun Dance is oldest among the Arapaho,
The Sun Dance arbor is constructed each year anew around a
central pole, the “Tree of Life,” often ritually hunted and brought by one of
the warrior societies. Shades made of
tarps or other cloth cover the beams that fan out around the center pole
creating the sacred circle in which the dancers will make their sacrifice. Around and on the central pole are highly
sacred objects and sometimes prayer cloths.
Some tribes do not pierce for various reasons. The Tsis-tsis-tas, who once engaged in this
particular Sun Dance practice, no longer do so because, as Eugene Blackbear
Sr., oldest living Tsis-tsis-tas Sun Dance leader says, “Once a way has been
lost, we cannot bring it back without someone who is qualified to do it,” in
other words, an instructor who him or herself engaged in that practice as a
dancer. For the Kiowa, piercing would
violate a prohibition against shedding blood during the time of the
ceremony. In tribes that pierce, skewers
were put under the flesh and either tied to the central pole, to scaffolds, or
to the buffalo skulls some supplicants drag behind them. Dancers who pierce will often have to
ultimately remove the piercing through a flesh offering, by dancing up to and
away from the pole until the skin rips and the skewer flies free. During the ritual, dancers will often do
without food and water for up to four days.
Led by their instructors, they will dance intermittently for days on
end, blowing sacred eagle bone whistles at times. They may not leave the arbor except when
given permission by their instructors for a break to urinate or for ceremonial
purposes. In some tribes, only men
dance. In others, dancing is done by
both male and female supplicants. Among
the
The central purpose of the dance is for the renewal of life for the next year for the tribe, so that the tribe might overcome the obstacles to their survival and have plentiful food for the next year; it is a thanks, a giving back to the Creator for the blessings of the past year as well. It commemorates the creation of the world and acts to recreate it and the relationships within it annually. However, preparation for an individual Sun Dance supplicant begins with a vow to undertake the ceremony. Often, a vow is taken so that a relative might be healed from an ailment or safely returned from war or other separations. This vow might vary from one year to four years of Sun Dancing. The dancer must find an instructor qualified to lead him or her in the ceremony. The instructor will give up some of the medicine given to him or her in their years as a dancer.
Because of this, according to Blackbear,
Dancers often abstain sexual activity for a period of time before the ritual; in some tribes, celibacy will be practiced for a month to four months. In traditional Tsis-tsis-tas ways, the period was at one time four years. Moreover, in some tribes, they acquire a pipe for praying and taboos they must follow for the rest of their lives that accompany the medicine they are given through the dance. Often, dancers and instructors will pray prior to the dance in a sweat lodge for the purpose of purification. Another sweat follows in some tribes at the dance’s conclusion. In some tribes, Sun Dance is preceded by other bundle ceremonies, such as Arrow Worship among the Tsis-tsis-tas, a men’s ritual that women know nothing about. In others, such as the Lakota, individual supplicants go out on the hill seeking a vision prior to dancing.
For many tribal members, Sun Dance is a homecoming, just as it was a gathering of the bands in the pre-reservation era. The camp life of the ceremony provided time for traditional games, council meetings, and passing information to those one seldom saw. Young people traditionally and today see Sun Dance as an opportunity for courtship. Tents and RVs today help form the outer circle along with the tipis and bough covered cooking shades that once formed it alone. Those about the camp supporting dancers, visiting old friends and relatives, and engaging in various preparatory activities often have taboos they must follow as well, such as not wasting water or tossing it out carelessly. Drug and alcohol use is strictly prohibited and would constitute a major violation of the ceremonial space and the camp.
Menstruating women might be sent to a “moon lodge” in some tribes, while in others they should avoid the campground entirely as their power can interfere with that of the instructors. In some tribes, Sun Dance is a time to bring those born during the year into tribal life formally, some piercing children’s ears and others conducting formal naming ceremonies. Despite the changes brought by time and colonization, Sun Dance religion remains vitally important to all aspects of life for those tribes that practice it. It perpetuates life and ideals such as generosity, bravery, and honesty, weaving the tribe together as a people and sustaining them.
--Kimberly Roppolo
REFERENCES AND FURTHER
Blackbear, Eugene Sr.. Personal interview. October 14, 2004.
Hirschfelder, Arlene and Paulette Molin,
eds. Encyclopedia of Native American Religions. Updated ed.
Hoxie, Frederick E., ed. Encyclopedia
of North American Indians: Native American History, Culture, and Life from
Paleo-Indians to the Present.
Markowitz,
Harvey, ed. Ready Reference: American Indians. Vol. 1.