ANTH 231 - American Indian Studies

3 Credit(s)

First term of a three-term sequence of Anthropology courses dealing with the native cultures of North America, this one focusing on the people and cultures indigenous to the Northeastern and Southeastern states of America. Ojibwa, Iroquois, Creek, and Natchez cultures are emphasized. All three courses draw on a number of different resources: readings, videos, student presentations, works of art, to obtain an understanding of the history and cultural heritage of contemporary native peoples of America in the north and southeastern states.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Apply analytical skills to social phenomena in order to understand human behavior: Identification of the main cultural domains and their interrelations (subsistence, economics, political and social structure, religion, etc.) as manifested in Northeastern and Southeast Native American cultures, and the role these play in generation of Native American beliefs and practices

2. Apply knowledge and experience to foster personal growth and better appreciate the diverse social world in which we live: Compare and contrast Northeastern and Southeastern cultural patterns and characteristics. Compare and contrast cultural patterns and characteristics of modern America with “traditional” Northeastern and Southeastern Indian cultures

3. Understand the role of individuals and institutions within the context of society: Discussion of differences between Northeastern and Southeastern Indian cultures’ and American culture’s concept of “the individual” and the individual’s relation to the community. Comparisons and contrast of American and native worldviews

4. Assess different theories and concepts, and understand the distinctions between empirical and other methods of inquiry: Presents theories of cultural development, assimilation, and acculturation and assess their adequacy in relation to what is known of Northeastern and Southeastern Indian cultural development

5. Utilize appropriate information literacy skills in written and oral communication: In-class discussion and evaluation of course readings; term papers and take-home essay exams focusing on data and argument explication and evaluation

6. Understand the diversity of human experience and thought, individually and collectively: Presentation and discussion of Native American Indian worldview and “religion”. Comparison and contrast with general worldview and religion of non-Native America. Discussion of the interconnectedness of the ideal and the real

7. Apply knowledge and skills to contemporary problems and issues: Illustrates and discusses ways in which Native American cultural beliefs and practices have avoided certain problems of contemporary society, and therefore provide a model for possible solutions to ecological, social, and spiritual problems and issues of modern American society