AIIS 203: Introduction to AIIS Literature

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Class Program

American Indian Indigenous Studies

Credits

Weekly Contact Hours

Course ID

091400

Meets Degree Requirements For

Diversity,

Humanities

Description

Exploration of the literary diversity of contemporary Indigenous authors, including novels, autobiographies, short stories, and poetry. Consideration of how these texts are used as a means of Indigenous expression and resistance to colonization. Texts include those from pivotal authors such as N. Scott Momaday, Vine Deloria, Jr., and Louise Erdrich.

Grading Basis

Graded

Course Learning Outcomes

Effectively navigate and interpret diverse literary mediums and techniques utilized by Indigenous authors

Expand and express understanding of the complexities of issues within Indigenous communities

Identify and explain connections between storylines presented in literature with key terms, concepts, and events impacting Indigenous communities

Convey how literature is used as a form of Indigenous resistance to colonization

Build upon critical reading, writing, and thinking skills

Core Topics

Indigenous literature as:
1. A channel of exploration and expression of Indigenous identity
2. A means of analyzing and understanding historical and contemporary issues within Indigenous communities
3. A tool for revitalizing and maintaining Indigenous knowledges, practices, and languages
4. An instrument of resistance to historical and contemporary pressures of colonization
5. A method for educating non-Indigenous communities on the Indigenous experience
Indigenous literature at a national level as well as at a local level
1. Authors such as N. Scott Momaday, Vine Deloria, Jr., and Louise Erdrich, as well as more-local authors such as Jeannette Armstrong, Wendell George, and Elizabeth Woody