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
PICKING A TOPIC
Last Updated 2-27-00

Each student will write a 15 page term paper on some topic relating to American Indians, approved by me.   You must pick a topic by March 7 at the latest (see Overview for this and other details of the assignment). 

The good news is you can pick any topic that deals with Native Americans.  The more specific you can be in terms of topic, the easier it will be to find materials on that topic.  Sometimes, you must start out general and refine the topic as you go.

The idea here is to go into more depth on some issue or topic, than we do in the class.  Thus, one strategy in picking a topic is to choose one that we did NOT discuss in detail.  This way most of what you find will be new.  If you picke a topic we discuss, say Wounded Knee [in 1890 or 1973], that we have or will discuss in class extensively, it will take much more work to find something new to say that has not already been said.

One way to find a topic is puzzles you encounter in the readings, or statements from any of the authors that say, "this account is very basic," or "more research on this topic is needed."  Another topic to pursue might be one where the readings are dated, so that more has happened since the time the writing was done.  Then you paper would concentrate recent events and changes.

Another way would to be study an area you find interesting.   If, for instance, you are a literature major, you might want to do a paper on some aspect of Native American literature, or Native American writers, etc. 

You can get a large number of ideas from surfing the web from the links page.

Another kind of topic would be to study one Indian Nation or group of nations that we did not discuss in depth in the class.

Some rules of thumb pick a topic:

• YOU find interesting
• YOU find fun
• YOU want to know more about
• YOU found fascinating, even if we only mentioned it in class or the readings
• make sure it focuses on Native Americans
• choose a topic that we have lots of sources about
• try to focus on a specific issue, event, person, group, or process
• *IF* you get stuck, confused, or lost, consult me, the professor for help as soon as you can

See Overview for futher detials on the term paper.

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