AMST 297 - Readings in American Studies

Semester Offered: Fall
1/2 unit(s)

Topic for 297.02: Regional Cultures of Native North America. Directed reading of ethnographies on a particular region of North America to be chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Students will write brief reviews and comparative analyses of 3-4 ethnographies written about the same culture group.

Topic for 297.03: Regional Prehistory of Native North America. Directed reading of field reports and syntheses of the prehistory of a particular region of North America to be chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Students will write brief analyses of the field reports and critique the synthesis based on more recent field reports.

Topic for 297.04: Native American Memoir and the Premise of Memoir. Selected readings from Native authors, including Sherman Alexie, Kimberly Blaeser, Forest Carter, Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Gordon Henry, Linda Hogan, Ignatia Broker, Janet McAdams, Molly McGlennen, N. Scott Momaday, Nasdijj, Leslie Marmon Silko, Stephanie Sellers, and Gerald Vizenor. Ms. Nichols.

Topic for 297.05: Native American Philosophies and Religions. Directed reading of Indigenous North American philosophical and religious belief systems. Students will write brief reviews of chosen texts and a final research paper on a (related) topic of the student’s choice. Ms. McGlennen.

Topic for 297.06: Native American Ethnobotany. Directed reading on the ways that Native Americans in North America (north of Mexico) perceive and interact with plants. Particular cultural groups and time periods to be chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Students will write brief reviews of chose texts and a final research paper on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. Not offered in 2014/15.