Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies

Above: Doug George Kanentiio (Mohawk) discusses Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team at the Penn NAIS Conference.

Starting in the Spring semester of 2015, Penn NAIS faculty will offer a new introductory course.

Anthropology 149: Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies

Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-3 pm

This course will offer a broad introduction to the linked fields of Native American Studies and Indigenous Studies. Students will gain foundational understandings of the ways that Indigenous peoples and academic researchers are engaging with Indigenous knowledges and communities in diverse worldwide settings. We will also explore the impacts of settler colonialism and the influence of decolonizing methodologies in developing more holistic histories. Readings will examine topics from a variety of disciplinary traditions, using historical texts, anthropological studies, oral literature, modern media, and personal testimony from Native American guest speakers. Penn faculty will also present guest lectures that highlight their collaborative research with Indigenous communities in diverse locales. Special case studies will focus on: links among oral traditions and tribal histories; archaeological research and heritage site protection; methods for interrogating archives and tracking object histories; issues of museum representation and Indigenous cultural heritage; legal interventions and protections for Indigenous sovereignty; and efforts in language restoration and cultural recovery.