This class will provide an introduction to contemporary Native American and First Nations writing in the United States and Canada. We will look at the ways in which Indigenous writers of different backgrounds address settler colonial histories of violence and dispossession, social injustice and historical trauma. At the same time, we will also study how Indigenous storytelling, humor, and critique debunk prevalent stereotypes of ‘the Indian’ in popular culture (Disney’s Pocahontas; the savage villain in the Western; Karl May’s Winnetou), emphatically affirm the richness and diversity of contemporary Indigenous cultures and lives, and challenge readers to rethink their assumptions about the world and ways of knowing.
Given the expansiveness and diversity of Indigenous literature, this class does not seek to offer an overview of contemporary Indigenous writing in Canada and the United States but rather aims at providing an introduction into the study of these stimulating literatures by way of select examples and themes. In the weeks before the holiday break, we will focus first on the emergence of contemporary Indigenous literatures in North America and prominent examples from the 1980s and 1990s before turning to the literary production since the turn of the millennium. In particular, we will study short stories and essays by Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna), Thomas King (Cherokee), Richard van Camp (Dogrib) and Louise Erdrich (Ojibwe), covering different genres from legend-infused writing to SciFi. After the holiday break, we will turn to a particular topic in contemporary Indigenous writing, namely the legacy of the residential (boarding) school experience, a traumatic and destructive policy of forced assimilation in in Canada to which over 150.000 Indigenous children were subjected from the late 19th to the late 20th and which has generated a substantial literary and testimonial output particularly in the past 10 years. As an example of this output, we will discuss in depth the much-celebrated novel Indian Horse (2012) by the late Ojibwe writer Richard Wagamese, which tells a story of displacement, sexual abuse, and addiction but also of individual healing and community renewal, the power of relation and storytelling.
Prior encounters with Indigenous literatures or topics are helpful but not required for this class. For your participation, I request curiosity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to be challenged, reflect upon and rethink established assumptions, and engage with other in a shared process of learning.
This class is taught online due to Covid-19 precautions. Since the topic requires both extensive contextualization and discussion, we will meet every two to three weeks via zoom as a class; I will provide you with materials, assignments, and feedback during the time between our live sessions and offer additional conversations with smaller groups as needed.
Please get a copy of Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse; all other texts and materials plus additional reading suggestions for those of you further interested in the topic will be provided on Digicampus.
Anmelderegeln
Diese Veranstaltung gehört zum Anmeldeset "ELW/ALW/NELK Vertiefungsmodul BA: HS".
Folgende Regeln gelten für die Anmeldung:
Diese Regel gilt von 02.10.2020 10:00 bis 26.10.2020 10:00. Die Anmeldung zu maximal 1 Veranstaltungen des Anmeldesets ist erlaubt.
Es wird eine festgelegte Anzahl von Plätzen in den Veranstaltungen verteilt.
Die Plätze in den betreffenden Veranstaltungen wurden am 28.10.2020 um 10:00 verteilt. Weitere Plätze werden evtl. über Wartelisten zur Verfügung gestellt.
Die Anmeldung ist möglich von 02.10.2020, 10:00 bis 26.10.2020, 10:00.
