CORE 176: North American Indians
Spring 2000 T-Th 1:00-2:30, Alumni 209
Professor Thomas D. Hall
A. Lindsay O'Connor Professor of American Institutions
417 Alumni Hall, x7545, email:thall; web: people.colgate.edu/thall
OFFICE HOURS:  Tu 6-7; Th 3-5, & by appointment
Syllabus
Last Updated 1-17-00

Goals
The goals of this course are to explore the world of Native Americans or American Indians. We will begin with some overviews of North American Indians. We will then survey the history of their relationships with American and other European societies. We will study the history of Indian Education in America.  We will conclude with some discussions of contemporary issues. Along with this we will be reading accounts by American Indians that parallel these discussions. All this will introduce you to American Indian life, and to the complex sociological, anthropological, historical, and cultural dimensions of the relations among American Indians and Euroamericans.

I have selected materials that are a very tiny sample of a wide-ranging literature, but which will give you a sense of the diversity among the first inhabitants of what is now the United States [lower 48].  Many of the materials were produced by Native Americans.  These will give so sense of the diversity of views among them.

Course Materials:
Books & Reserve Readings are listed on a separate page.   NOTE:   The First letter of the surname, or the entire surname is highlighted, these are used on the Course Schedule, which lists readings and other activities.

Another goal is to get you involved in what an Indian colleague called "electronic moccasin highway." See Useful Electronic Links for more information on this.

The Texts:
Adams tells of the history and experiences of Native American children forced to attend boarding schools.

Bright and Ortiz & Erdoes take us into the world of Indian oral literature.  They are the quickest and easiest way to begin to get "an Indian view" of their world.   During the week of Feb 14 Sonny Dooley, a Navajo story teller will be on campus, which will give you a chance to hear some of this first hand.  I will say more about this in class.

Champagne's collection brings together a number of useful articles originally published in American Indian Culture and Research Journal, one of the leading Native American academic publications in the U.S.

Churchill's collection brings together essays by a very articulate and forceful defender of American Indian Rights.  Ward Churchill is a member of AIM.

Margolin presents a simplified [but not simplistic] account of life among California Indians, mostly before the arrival of Europeans.  Along with trickster stories, this gives you a sense of what life was like for some Indians.

Snow presents a detailed history of the Iroquois peoples. This is much more detailed than Margolin's account, and covers a much wider swath of time.  It gives a close up picture of Indian - White relations, and describes the people who once controlled the land on which Colgate University sits.   It will help you understand much better the land claims cases that are in the news here in New York.

Young Bear was a traditional Lakota singer who lived through and participated in one of the most tumultous periods in the 20th century.  He gives an inside peak at Lakota life.

Course Requirements:
1. Each student will write three reaction papers on the books listed below. These will be 4-6 page essays on your choice from a limited number of topics. See How to Write Essays for Professor Hall and First Reaction Paper.  These will be due during the weeks noted in Course Schedule.

2. Tests and Quizzes. There will be a quiz in the 3rd week on the culture areas of North America, major Indian Nations in North America, important dates and phases of Indian - White relations, and a few special dates and terms.  See Study Guide for Map/Terms Quiz for further details. There will be an in-class midterm and a comprehensive in-class final exam.  There will be study guides for each of these later.

The point of map/terms quiz is to give you a major incentive to memorize several important pieces of information that make our conversation for the remainder of the term go well.  Several years ago I started making this a requirement for my courses on American Indians because students consistently recommended it in course evaluations.  Their argument was that if I only tested on these things at the midterm it was too late, and they would have misunderstood a lot.

3. Each student will write a 15 page term paper on some topic relating to American Indians, approved by me.  Separate pages discuss the term paper assignment in more detail (Overview), and make suggestions about how to pick a topic (Picking A Topic).  You must pick a topic by sixth week, at the latest.  You will have option of turning in a draft of your paper on or before April 27.  Final version will be due at the final [or sooner].

4.  During the second week we will form groups which will alternate turns picking Trickster stories to read in class.

GRADING: GRADES ON WRITTEN WORK:
Letter grades are worth the following points. A + or - will add or subtract as much as 4 points from this value:

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
I reserve the right to lower grades for poor attendance and/or late papers. The ONLY "excused" absences are for university business when I am notified in advance in writing or email -- from you.

This will be a "participation course," that is, you need to participate to be part of it. Discussions are only as good as you make them, the same for presentations on the readings and on your research.

I  will weigh activities in the following proportions [this is provisional, and subject to revision]:

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PROF. Hall:  I urge all of you to use email for minor communications. That is the best way to communicate with me. Do not phone to tell me you are going to be absent. Similarly, do not "mention" it to me just before or after class. Write it down! (or send email).  For extended discussions, such as working on case studies, or understanding complex issue in class, come to office hours, or make an appointment.

WHY USE EMAIL or WRITING? Although you have only 4 profs a semester, I have 60-90 students. Furthermore, if I get interrumpted (as often happens) before I get to my office the message does not get recorded. If something is written (email=written for me), I have a record, AND you have a record. Email is especially good, because even if I am away, often I can still answer questions. Suppose you are working on a paper or have a question at 2 am. If you call me at 2am, to quote George Bush, "you're in deep doodoo!" However, if you leave email I can send you an answer when I deal with email at 6am, which you can read when you get up!

EXPECTATIONS:  Professor Hall's Expectations for Students and himself.

Send comments or questions to thall@mail.colgate.edu