Urban Indigeneity: Past, Present, and Future

By cothr002 on October 29, 2009 10:39 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Work in Final Project Groups - [6:20 - 6:50]
         a.     Reminder, Progress Report #4 is Due November 5th - Start pulling things
                    together!
           b.     It would be a good idea to plan on meeting at least once a week outside of class
                   from now on to organize and develop your presentation.
           c.     Field questions/concerns

II.    Review of Readings - [6:50 - 7:20]
         a.     In groups of five or six, work on answering the questions on the worksheet. You
                   will be further expanding upon your answers as you watch the video.

III.   Break - [7:20 - 7:25]

IV.   Watch Looking Towards Home: An Urban Indian Experience  [7:25 - 8:25]

This film profiles the lives of American Indians as they moved from the reservation where they were born and moved to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. As you watch it, consider the questions we posed to the readings and how they might relate to the film. How do Indians live their culture in urban spaces?

IV.   Discuss Film - [8:25 - 8:45]

V.    Hand Back Mid-Terms

Week 7: Indigenous Diasporas: Indigeneity Beyond Borders

By cothr002 on October 22, 2009 3:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Collect Midterms - [6:20 - 6:25]
         a.     Any questions?
           b.     Readings Next Week - Do all the readings except the Harvey Lithwick is optional
           c.     Next Progress Report Due Monday, October 26th by email at noon

II.    Quick Review of Readings - [6:25 - 6:55]
         a.     In groups of two or three (it doesn't matter if you read the same chapters) and
                   answer the following questions together. There is no need to necessarily write
                   your answers down. But you should thoroughly discuss the readings. If your
                   partners didn't read the same chapters, think of this as an opportunity to "teach"
                   the chapter to your colleagues. 
          
1)     According to Clifford, why are "indigenous" and "diasporic" experiences considered by many to be conceptually in opposition to one another? And why does he argue that this common opposition is unnecessary? That in fact, Indigenous experiences and diasporic experiences are closer than we think?

2)     According to Schein, how do US-owned, Asian produced Hmong videos function to create a transnational cultural identity premised upon an Indigenous place-based authenticity?
             -Hmong Music Video

3)     What is the self-proclaimed identity of the musicians in Bigenho's piece and what is their relationship to Bolivia, its politics politics, and Japanese identity?
             -Bolivian Musicians

III.   Watch American Aloha [7:00 - 7:55]

As you watch the film, you will see the story of three different kumu hula - What does hula mean to each of them? Do you see similarities or differences in their perspectives?

IV.   Discuss Film - [7:55 - 8:15]

V.    Work in Groups on next Progress Report for Remainder of Class
        - Ignore my first "note" in the directions for Progress Report #3

Week 6: Violence, Genocide and Colonialism - Celebrating Columbus Day!

By cothr002 on October 15, 2009 12:11 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Housekeeping - [6:20 - 6:25]
         a.     Midterm due next week, questions?
           b.     Readings Next Week - Read Clifford and either Schein or Bigenho (on Moodle)
           c.     Progress Report Due Monday, October 26th by email at noon

II.    Worksheet for Readings with Partners - [6:25 - 7:10]
         a.     Find a partner who read the same chapters as you and complete the worksheet.
           b.     When you are finished with the worksheet turn over the page and write a 
                   paragraph on the following question:

The following is a slightly altered version of a quote from Brantlinger's book. I only changed a few words...:

"We must remember with what ruthless and utter destruction our own policies have caused, not only the loss of market-shares experienced by companies like Ford and GM, but upon our own dependent sectors. The Auto-Industry....was entirely swept out of existence in a competition of extermination waged by foreign industry, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Chinese warred in the same spirit?"

What are the extinction discourses in the world today? How might globalization, neoliberalism, and de-colonization continue to threaten indigenous peoples? and us all?

           c.     If you finish early, continue brainstorming with your partner on the connections       
                   between readings in the course so far.

III.   Break [7:10 - 7:15]

IV.   Discuss Worksheet - [7:15 - 8:00]

V.    Exercise in Critical Analysis [8:00 - 8:30]
          a.    Show Pocahontas - Savages
          b.    What is wrong with this song?

V.     Mid-Semester Evaluation

Week 5: Land Rights and Resource Management: Place, Meaning, and Globalization

By cothr002 on October 8, 2009 11:00 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Worksheet for Readings in Group - [6:20 - 6:45]
         a.     Groups of three, the reading you focus on is up to you as a group
           b.     If you finish early, start working on another reading's questions but let me know

II.    Watch Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action - [6:45 - 7:45]

As you watch, write down specific connections you see between the reading you focused on as a group and the film. Also consider the questions on the handout:

III.    Discuss the film and the readings - [7:45 - 8:20]

IV.    Work in Groups on Progress Report #2 for remainder of class
          a.    Due tomorrow at midnight (i.e. I am grading them Satursday)

V.     Hand out Mid-Term and Discuss Reading for Next Week

Week 4: Education, Schooling, Research

By cothr002 on October 1, 2009 1:30 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Guest Speaker, Laura Battaglia, HECUA - [6:20 - 6:25]
      
II.    Housekeeping - [6:25 - 6:30]
           a.    Progress Reports 1 & 2
           b.    Readings for Next Week - introduction?

III.    View Indian Boarding School Clip - [6:30 - 6:35]

As you watch this brief video, write down notes about how it relates to the readings.

III.   Summarize and Briefly Discuss the Readings - [6:35 - 6:50]

IV.   Watch Rabbit Proof Fence - [6:50 - 8:30]

Questions:

What is the relationship between colonial ideologies (race, culture, etc) and education program?


Do you think these institutions were designed to harm the children? What was the intention of these schools?


Week 3: Colonization as a Global Experience

By cothr002 on September 24, 2009 4:44 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Quick Write - [6:20 - 6:30]
      
"What is colonialism and how does it work? Is it useful to think about colonialism and a single process? Several processes? A process at all? And what is not colonialism?"

II.    Discuss readings - [6:30 - 7:20]

III.   Break - [7:20 - 7:30]

IV.   Library Session - [7:30 - 8:00]
          a.   American Indian Studies Resource Guide
          b.   U of M Library 

V.   Go to the Library and Work on Progress Report 1 (Due on Monday, September 28th by Email at Noon)

Week 1: Introduction to Global Indigeneity

By cothr002 on September 1, 2009 2:06 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Amin 1002/Pol 1019: Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective(s)

I.     Welcome

II.    Name Game
         a.     Name
         b.     Year
         c.     One fun thing you did this summer
         d.     What you hope to be doing in 10 years

III.   Syllabus

IV.   Website
       
           a.     Remember: Please choose which group you want to be in as soon as possible!
       b.     Questions?

V.     Discuss Reading
         a.     Quick Write:

On a separate piece of paper, write a paragraph reaction to Sissons' argument. What was the most memorable part of his essay and why? In your own words, what is Sissons' argument about Indigenism? Finally, what 3 terms would you like clarified?

VI.     Introduction to Next Week's Class

         a.     Indigenous or Not - Indigenous or Not.ppt       

         b.     Four broad categories, which settler-societies have used, often simultaneously, to "define" indigenous identity are Biological, Political, Cultural, Self-Identification. These four categories have functioned in different ways and in different combinations, but always to the determinant of Indigenous peoples. Ultimately, these categories have functioned to shrink the category of Indigenous rather than expand it.

                  i.     Biological - Blood and blood quantum, descendant rolls (Freedman Issue)

                  ii.    Political - Enrolled vs. non-enrolled, recognized vs. non-recognized, UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations

                 iii.    Cultural - Problem of Authenticity, Indian Arts and Craft Act of 1990

                 iv.    Self-Identification - Wannabees and Cultural Appropriation

      c.      Who is Indigenous and who gets to decide?

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