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Indians
of North America
Anthropology 301
- 500 |
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| Course
Syllabus |
| Course Description:
This course emphasizes the general nature of and variations in American Indian lifeways from just before significant contact with Europeans to the present. It examines cultural changes that resulted from interactions among American Indians, Euro-Americans, African-Americans, and their respective cultural systems. For each of 10 culture areas in North America , information is presented on environment, pre-contact archaeology, ethnohistorically documented land use and social organization, as well as contemporary Indian communities and issues. Part I of the course focuses on lifeways of hunting and gathering groups in northern, central and northwest North America (e.g., Cheyenne, Pawnee, Nez Perce, Kwakiutl, Cree, Aleut, Inuit); Part II deals with farming peoples in southwest and eastern North America (e.g., Hopi, Navajo, Tarahumara, Iroquois, Ottawa), as well as hunter-gatherer groups in western North America (e.g., Paiute, Chumash, Coahuiltecan). Part III is an overview of cultural and political consequences of European expansion into North America; it emphasizes native peoples in the Eastern, Plains, and Plateau areas, as well as Texas . The class is designed to provide you with new knowledge about American Indians and to illustrate the utility of anthropological data in "fine-tuning" your skills in critical thinking and understanding humankind from multi-cultural perspectives. |
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REQUIRED TEXTS AND ARTICLES
- Sutton, Mark Q. 2004 An Introduction to Native North America . Second Edition, Pearson A & B, Boston .
- Calloway, Colin G (editor), 1994 The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices from Early America . Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, Boston .
- --------, 1996 Our Hearts Fell to the Ground: Plains Indians Views of How the West Was Lost . Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, Boston
- Churchill, Ward 2004 A Question of Identity. In A Will to Survive: Indigenous Essays on the Politics of Culture, Language, and Identity , edited by Stephen Greymorning, pp. 59-94. McGraw-Hill, Boston . Available in pdf form from
the course site on WebCT
- Mann, Henrietta 2004 Of This Red Earth. In A Will to Survive: Indigenous Essays on the Politics of Culture, Language, and Identity , edited by Stephen Greymorning, pp. 47-58. McGraw-Hill, Boston . Available in pdf form from
the course site on WebCT
- Thoms, Alston V. 2004 Historical Overview and Historical Context for Reassessing Coahuiltecan Extinction at Mission San Juan . In Reassessing Coahuiltecan Extinction: Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capistrano, Texas , edited by Alston V. Thoms, pp.21-44. Center for Ecological Archaeology, Texas A&M University , College Station and San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, National Park Service, San Antonio , Texas . Available in pdf form from
the course site on WebCT
- Venne, Sharon 2004 She Must be Civilized: She Paints Her Toe Nails. In A Will to Survive: Indigenous Essays on the Politics of Culture, Language, and Identity , edited by Stephen Greymorning, pp. 126-139. McGraw-Hill, Boston . Available in pdf form from
the course site on WebCT
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Grades:
There are four major exams during the course of the semester, including a comprehensive final. Students with a 79 or lower average on the first three exams are required to take the final, such that eighty-five percent (85%) of their course grade is the average of all four exams. Students who have an 80 or better average on the first three exams are not required to take the final. They may elect to do so, however, in which case eighty-five percent (85%) of their grade would be the average of all four exams. In any case, the remaining fifteen percent (15%) of the course grade is derived from the score earned on a short (4-6 double-spaced pages) descriptive research paper about a contemporary Indian tribe or organized group. Final letter grades follow the standard TAMU scale: 100-90, A; 89-80, B; 79-70, C; 69-60, D; 59-0, F.
| Schedule:
DAY/DATE |
LECTURE TOPICS |
READING ASSIGNMENT |
PART I: Indian Origins & Lifeways in Central & Northwest North America |
Wed., Jan. 18 |
1. Course Introduction: requirements etc.; basic anthropological concepts |
Review textbooks and syllabus |
Fri., Jan. 20 |
2. Continue basic anthropological concepts and overview of culture areas |
Native N. America : 1-23 |
Mon., Jan. 23 |
3. Overview of North American Pre-Columbian history/land use systems |
Native N. America : 24-43 |
Wed., Jan. 25 |
4. Plains culture area: farmers & hunter-gatherers (H&G), including Texas |
Native N America : 258-276 |
Fri., Jan. 27 |
5. Cont. Plains culture area, including 21st century Indians and issues |
Native N. America : 277-297
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Mon., Jan 30 |
6. Introduction to Plateau: mobile & semi-sedentary H&G; Part 1 of Film: Who Owns the Past
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Native N. America : 102-112 |
Wed., Feb. 01 |
7. Part 2 of Film: Who Owns the Past
ASSIGNMENT OF TRIBES FOR STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER
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Article by H. Mann; go to WebCT-VISTA for pdf copy |
Fri., Feb. 03 |
8. Plateau culture continued, including Indian history and current status |
Native N. America : 113-122; see Internet/Other Tribe Info. Sources |
Mon., Feb. 06 |
9. Introduction to Northwest Coast culture area, organizationally complex H&G
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Native N. America : 123-150; Work on Research Paper and study guide
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Wed., Feb. 08 |
10. Conclude Northwest Coast; Introduction to Subarctic culture area: Hunters- gatherers of coniferous forest
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Native N. America : 82-102
Answer study-guide questions
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Thu., Feb., 09 |
Review Session: Chemistry Building, Room 100 @ 7:00-8:00 pm |
Answer study-guide questions |
Fri., Feb. 10 |
11. Conclude Subarctic & Arctic culture area: Hunters of tundra & ice sheets |
Native N. America: 44-81; STUDY FOR EXAM; study-guide questions
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Mon., Feb. 13 |
FIRST EXAM, COVERING PART I OF THE COURSE |
REVIEW SESSION: Feb., 09 |
Wed., Feb. 15 |
12. Review of Exam; see lecture outline for prelude to Part II |
Work on Research Paper |
Part II: Farming and H&G Lifeways in the Far West, SW, & Eastern N. Amer. |
Fri., Feb. 17 |
13. Introduction to California culture area: Very diverse H&G lifeways |
Native N. America: 177-187 Work on Research Paper |
Mon., Feb. 20 |
14. Continue: Amer. Indians in California: Historical perspective & current issues; Part 1 of Film: Ishi, The Last Yahi
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Native N. America: 188-201 Work on Research Paper
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Wed., Feb. 22 |
15. Part 2 of Film : Ishi , The Last Yahi, followed by comments and discussion about a California/Texas/Oklahoma Indian family today
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Native N. America: 151-167 Work on Research Paper |
Fri., Feb. 24 |
16. Great Basin culture area; H&G of inter-mountain West |
Native N. America: 168-176 Work on Research Paper |
Mon., Feb. 27 |
17. Introduction to Southwest culture area: diverse farming and H&G groups |
Native N. America : 202-236 Work on Research Paper |
Wed., Mar. 01 |
18. Reassessing Coahuiltecan Extension; TRIBAL RESEARCH PAPERS DUE |
Articles by Churchill &Thoms go to WebCT-VISTA for pdf copy |
Fri., Mar. 03 |
19. Cont.' Southwest: TX examples of SW H&G and contemporary Indian issues |
Native N. Amer. 237-257 |
Mon., Mar. 06 |
20. Intro. to Northeast culture area: Farming groups in cool environs; some H&G |
Native N. America : 298-325 |
Wed., Mar. 08 |
21. Continue Northeast: Historical perspective; current issues; Introduction to Southeast culture area
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Native N. America : 325-348
Answer study-guide questions
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Fri., Mar. 10 |
22. Continue Southeast culture area: Farming lifeways in warm environs & H&G |
Native N. America : 349-359 Answer study-guide questions |
Mon. - Fri. March 13 - 17
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SPRING BREAK |
ENJOY THE HOLIDAY (REVIEW FOR EXAM TOO)
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Mon., Mar. 20 |
23. Continue Southeast culture area: Texas Indians representative of Southeast |
Native N. Americans : 359-367 Answer study-guide questions
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Tue., Mar. 21 |
Review Session, Chemistry Building, Room 100 @ 7:00-8:00 pm |
Answer study-guide questions |
Wed., Mar. 22 |
SECOND EXAM, COVERING PART II OF THE COURSE |
REVIEW SESSION: MAR. 21 |
Fri., Mar. 24 |
24. Review of second exam; see lecture outline for prelude to Part III |
World Upside Down : 1-19 Native N. America : 24-43 (review)
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Part III: American Indian Change and Survival in Post-Columbian Era |
Mon., Mar. 27 |
25. Consequences of European expansion; American Indian voices from the Eastern Woodlands
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World Upside Down : 20-41 |
Wed., Mar. 29 |
26. European national Indian policies; cultural conflict, contests, & confluences |
World Upside Down : 43-77 |
Fri., Mar. 31 |
27. American Indian land, trade, and treaties in Eastern North America |
World Upside Down: 78-113 |
Mon., Apr. 03 |
28. American Indians and wars for empire in eastern North America |
World Upside Down: 115-144 |
Wed., Apr. 05 |
29. Indians and the American Revolution |
World Upside Down: 146-169 |
Fri., Apr. 07 |
30. Ground work for removal policies and Indian voices from a new nation |
World Upside Down: 170-185 |
Mon., Apr. 10 |
31. Implementation of Indian removal, including Texas' approach to the "problem" |
Our Hearts Fell: 1-28; find/review internet sources on "Trail of Tears" |
Wed., Apr. 12 |
32. Pre-conquest state of affairs and historical underpinnings for purging the nation's western "renegades;" Indian voices from the Plains
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Our Hearts Fell: 31-55 |
Fri., Apr. 14 |
Reading Day - No Class |
Article by S. Venne (WebCT) Native N. America : 368-378
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Mon., Apr. 17 |
33. Purging western "renegades;" Plateau, Pawnee and Mandan perspectives |
Our Hearts Fell: 56-70 |
Wed., Apr. 19 |
34. The last fights and flights on the Plains; voices from the Crow and Santee Sioux |
Our Hearts Fell: 71-101 |
Fri., Apr. 21 |
35. Fights and flights in the Southwest, Far West, and California; further Plains Indian voices
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Our Hearts Fell: 102-120 |
Mon., Apr. 24 |
36. New national policies for "civilizing" Indians; further Plains Indian accounts |
Our Hearts Fell: 121-149 Answer study-guide questions |
Wed., Apr. 26 |
37. National self-determination policies; Texas Indians today and killing-the-dream accounts from Plains Indians; Late 20 th century policies and renewal efforts
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Our Hearts Fell: 150-181 Answer study-guide questions |
Thu., Apr. 27 |
Review Session, Chemistry Building, Room 100 @ 7:00-8:00 pm |
Our Hears Fell : 182-208 Answer study-guide questions
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Fri. Apr. 28 |
THIRD EXAM, COVERING PART III OF THE COURSE |
REVIEW SESSION: APR. 27 |
Mon., May 01 |
38. Review of third exam complete student evaluation forms for course (a dead day, i.e., no major exams)
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Review previous study-guides and lecture notes; study test-reviews |
Tue., May 02 |
39. Redefined day as Friday; Film: Winds of Change |
Review previous study-guides and lecture notes; study test-reviews |
Mon., May 08 |
Final Comprehensive Exam: 8:00 - 10:00 PM |
Review previous study-guides and lecture notes; study test-reviews |
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