Joanne Marie Barker, Instructor

Winter Quarter 1998

MW 5:00-6:45 Kresge 321

This course examines the political and economic histories and cultures of indigenous women in the US and Canada in relationship to colonialism, gender and sexuality roles, and race relations within and between indigenous, US, and Canadian nations. Topics include epistemology (feminism, environmentalism), sovereignty struggles, questions of what counts as "tradition" and why that matters, social issues such as domestic violence, and grandmothers.

A wide variety of literature will be read, including Beth Brant's "Writing As Witness" (Mohawk lesbian), Elizabeth Cook-Lynn's "Why I Can't Read Wallace Stegner and Other Essays: A Tribal Voice" (Lakota intellectual), Janet Campbell Hale's "The Jailing of Cecilia Capture" (Coeur d'Alene novelist), K. Tsianina Lomawaima's "They Called It Prairie Light: The Story of Chilocco Indian School" (Creek scholar), Janet Silman's "Enough is Enough: Aboriginal Women Speak Out" (addressing First Nation women's activism), and Luci Tapahonso's "Sáanii Dahataal: The Women Are Singing" (Navajo poet).

Course materials also include a compilation of Native women's music by Rayna Green (Cherokee activist and NMAI director) entitled "Heartbeats: First Nation Women's Music" (1996).

Films/videos to be screened in class include:

• Arlene Bowman's "Song Journey" (1996).
• Judi Jeffrey's "Honouring Our Voices" (1993).
• Christine Lesiak and Matthew Jones's "In The White Man's Image" (1991).
• Greg Sarris's "Grand Avenue" (1996).
• Susan Smith's "Sweating Indian Style" (1994).
• Saundra Sharp's "Picking Tribes" (1988).
• Malinda Maynor's "Real Indian" (1996).

For more information, contact the History of Consciousness Department at 459-2757.