Course Description
An overview of the histories, struggles, and current conditions of indigenous peoples in the Americas from pre-Columbian times to the present. Emphasis on the political, technological, and social organization and achievements of indigenous cultures and struggles over territories, rights, and resources during the Colonial period and after.
Athena Title
Indigenous Peoples in Americas
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to: - Identify major pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas and describe salient features of their economic, technical, and social organization - Describe key struggles between colonizers and indigenous peoples over rights, territories, and resources during the Conquest, evaluating the social and historical factors that shaped the outcomes of individual historical cases - Summarize the history of evolving indigenous sovereignty-in theory and in practice-from the formation of new nation-states in the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries through the present - Identify key features of indigenous worldview and thought, literary production, oral history, and music in specific national and tribal contexts - Analyze how indigenous identities and struggles have been reconfigured by contemporary trends such as globalization, multiculturalism, and neoliberal economic policies
Topical Outline
Topical Outline: ˗ Contesting Definitions of Indigenous Identity ˗ Pre-Columbian States and Societies in the Americas ˗ The Colonial Period ˗ Modernity and the Nation-State ˗ Sovereignty, Autonomy, and Self-Determination ˗ Indigenous Knowledge ˗ Oral History, Art, Literature, and Music ˗ Law and Indigenous Peoples' Rights: A Global Perspective ˗ Multiculturalism and Neoliberalism ˗ Globalization, Development, and Good Living ˗ Urban-Indigenous Identities in the 21st Century ˗ Future Alternatives: Decolonization and Plurinationalism