AlterNATIVE PERSPECTIVES: CINEMATIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MILESTONES IN INDIAN POLICY

AN 33010BA

BA III

Instructor: Dr. Szathmári Judit

Time and place: Friday, 8-9.40, S 111

Office hours: Wednesday 14-15, Thursday 11-12, or by appointment (Office 108/1, Main Building) ()

Course description:

The course is designed to offer alternative views on the milestones of the United States federal Indian policy. The course chronologically follows the five major phases and turning points of American Indian-federal relations (treaty making – and Removal (1784-1871), assimilation – allotment and boarding schools (1887-1934), self-determination (1934-1946), termination and relocation (1946-1975), and sovereignty (1975-). Students are required to read historical sources, federal documents, as well as Indigenous responses to federal initiatives. Cinematic representations will exclusively include movies Indian communities participated in making, or were invited to consult in, or are independent Indigenous productions.

ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICY:

Final grades will be based on:

-informed class attendance: 15% (no make-up option),

-Task sheets: 20%. NOTE: Movies are home assignments, with 4 task sheets students are to complete based on given works. Each task sheet is worth 5 points and is due at the beginning of the session given movies are scheduled for. (No late submissions will be accepted)

-Critical reflections: 15%: Three 3-4-page opinion essays based on the movies assigned. Papers should follow MLA citation rules. Critical reflections are worth 5 points each. (no late submissions will be accepted)

-end-term test: 25%. (no make-up option)

-project presentation: 25%. (no make-up option)

PROJECT WORKS aim at demonstrating the diversity of Indian country and developing students’ critical thinking and research skills. In groups, students are required to select a representative tribe from the Arctic, Southwest, Plains, and Great Lakes culture regions, and conduct research on how given culture areas / tribal communities experienced the federal policies discussed in class.

0-60% = fail (1); 61-70% = satisfactory (2); 71-80% = average (3); 81-90% = good (4); 91-100% = excellent (5).

In accordance with university regulations, missing more than three sessions will result in a failing grade.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM (FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOURCES) WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE.

READINGS

Readings and copies of the movies will be made available in the Institute library.

DATE / TOPIC / ASSIGNMENTS (MOVIES AND READINGS)
Sept. 15. / Orientation
Sept. 22. / Indian Country terminology, Treaty making / Treuer, 7-38; “Conflict between Cultures” (Garbarino and Sasso 432-36); Treaties (Prucha 40-43); “Tecumseh Speaks Out Against Land Cessions, 1810” (Hurtado 202-05)
Sept. 29. / Removal / Geronimo Critical reflection 1 due
Oct. 6. / the General Allotment Act / Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee I.
“Land and Law as Agents in Educating the Indians” (Prucha 43-55) Task sheet 1 due
Oct. 13. / Boarding schools / Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee II. Task sheet 2 due
Oct. 20. / Indian Citizenship, Indian Reorganization Act / Citizenship Acts:
(Prucha 143-45;165-66; 172;198;215; 218)
“Indian Citizenship” (Prucha 56-65), Meriam Report (Prucha 219-22)
Presentation outlines due
Oct. 27. / Compensation, termination, relocation 1-2 / “Compensation, Termination, Relocation” (Olson and Wilson151-73)
Nov. 3. / CONSULTATION WEEK: NO CLASS
Nov. 10. / the road to sovereignty / Dance Me Outside Critical reflection 2 due / Project 1
Nov. 17. / American Indian Activism / Powwow Highway Task sheet 3 due / Project 2
Nov. 24. / Reservations v cities / Skins OR The Cherokee Word for Water (your choice) Critical reflection 3 due / Project 3
Dec. 1. / Racism / Older than America
“Racism” (Northrup 98-124) Task sheet 4 due / Project 4
Dec. 8. / End-term test
Dec. 15. / Assessment

Reading assignments are available in:

Deloria, Vine, Jr. Custer Died for your Sins. New York: Avon, 1969. Print.

Garbarino, Merwyn S., and Robert F. Sasso. Native American Heritage. Prospect Heights:

Waveland, 1994. Print.

Hurtado, Albert L., and Peter Iverson, eds. Major Problems in American Indian History. Boston: Houghton, 2001. Print.

Northrop, Jim. Rez Road Follies. Canoes, Casinos, Computers and Birch Bark Baskets. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1997. Print.

Olson James S., and Raymond Wilson. Native Americans in the Twentieth Century. Urbana and Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1986. Print.

Prucha, Francis Paul, ed. Documents of United States Indian Policy. Lincoln and London: U of Nebraska P, 2000. Print.

Treuer, Anton. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but were Afraid to Ask. St. Paul: Minnesota State Historical Society P, 2012. Print.