TENTATIVE READING SCHEDULE

Weeks 1-3: Images of Native Americans in the Euro-American Imagination:
Past and Present

Course Introduction
“ Reading Poems in Public” p. 4
Video: Images of Natives in Media

Historical Overview—p. xvii--xxix in Native American Literature and

“ Indian’s Today, The Real and the Unreal” Vine Deloria Jr. p. 7
“ For Indians No Thanksgiving” Micheal Dorris p. 16
“ The Truth Is” and “The Two Lives” Linda Hogan p. 23/ p. 26
“ Dear John Wayne” Louise Erdrich p. 42
“ Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question” Diane Burns p. 49
“ Adventures of an Indian Princess” Patricia Riley p. 63

Weeks: 4-8: The First American Literature: Traditional Oral Narratives/ The Spirit World:
Creation Stories:
“ The Iroquois Creation Story” Harriet Converse and Arthur Park, trans. p. 81
“ Origin of the Long House” Seneca Myths -- Arthur Parker p. 93
“ Council of the Great Peace” Arthur Parker p. 98
“ Dine (Navajo) Creation Story” Hastin Tlo’tsi hee and Aileen O’Brian, trans. p. 103
“ White Bead Woman Marries the Sun and the Story of the Twin Brothers” unknown origin p. 109

Other Sacred Traditional Stories and Legends:
“ Seal and Her Younger Brother Lived There” Victoria Howard, trans. --Handout
“ Red Willow” Karl Kroeber trans. -- Handout

Native American Medicine:
“ Origin of the False Face Company”—Arthur Parker p. 86
“ A Prayer of the Night Chant”—origin unknown p. 122
“ The Sun Dance”—Luther Standing Bear p. 125
“ Alone on a Hilltop” John Fire Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes p. 134
“ Old Man Sweat Lodge” Phil George p. 144
“ All My Relations” Linda Hogan p. 140

Trickster Tales:
“ Coyote and the Shadow People” Archie Phinney --Handout
“ Raven Steals the Light” Haida Myth p. 156
“ Nanabozo and the Gambler” Gerald Vizener p. 161
“ The Origin of Eternal Death”: Blackfoot Myth p. 146
Excerpts from “The Winnebego Trickster Cycle”—Felix White Sr. trans.—Handout

Traditional Story Telling: Group Story Telling Assignment and Web Page Design

Weeks 8-10: Boarding Schools

Video: “Carlisle School: Save the Man, Kill the Indian”

“First Days at Carlisle” Luther Standing Bear p. 598
“ The School Days of an Indian Girl” Zitkala-Sa p. 611
“ Lakota Language” Albert White Hat p. 592
“ Indian Education” Sherman Alexie p. 626
“ Metamorphosis” Joy Harjo p. 679
“ Indian Boarding School: The Runaways” Louise Erdrich p. 624

Weeks 11-13: Literature of Resistance and Testimony

“An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man- William Apess p. 666
“ An Address to the Whites” Elias Boudinot p. 192
“ Cherokee Memorial” –Cherokee Council --.
“ The Navajo Long Walk” Howard W. Gorman p. 219
“ Voices of the Invisible” Debra CallingThunder p. 226
“ Buried Alive” Sarah Winnemucca p. 236
“ In 1864” Luci Tapahonso p. 214

Weeks 13-16: Contemporary Native American Literature

Video: “Searching for a Native American Identity: Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris”

Video: “Smoke Signals”

Tracks --Louise Erdrich

Selected poems and additional readings will be assigned if time permits.

Class Presentations

Videos, cassettes, Internet sites, guest speakers and a field trip will enhance the classroom experience, when appropriate.