Syllabus F/W 2023-24 HIST 4508: Cultures and Colonialism

York University

Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Department of History

 

AP/HIST 4508           Cultures and Colonialism: Canada 1650-1990

                                                ** DRAFT SYLLABUS**

 

Course Time and Location:    Monday, 2:30-5:30 RS 101

                                                In person

Course Director:                     C. Elizabeth Best, Department of History

                                                2128 Vari Hall, Tel: 416: 736-5123, ext. 66960

                                                Email: cbest123@yorku.ca

                                                Office Hours: By appointment, online (Zoom)

 

Course Description:

            This course interrogates the relationship between Canadian history and colonialism between 1600-1990 from an Indigenous perspective. Canadian history as a profession struggles to ask sophisticated questions about documentary and archival sources as they relate to Indigenous peoples’ histories. Canadian history is colonization. This course challenges students to reframe “Canadian” history as a short chapter in the long history of Turtle Island. Indigenous nationhood, sovereignty, self-government, migration, culture, and spirituality existed long before the state of Canada.  Indigenous Research Methods and art are central themes of this course. Students will explore Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing. Course readings explore colonization by theme and region. Students are encouraged to develop their own definition of colonialism based on the course readings, assignments, and in conversation with their peers. The people covered in this course are principally from North America, mainly Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Mississauga, and Algonquin), Haudenosaunee, and Métis.

            This course is discussion based. Readings include monographs and articles. Students will come to class prepared to discuss weekly required reading. One (or two) student(s) will be assigned “Discussion Lead(s),” for one week. Discussion Lead(s) will teach the class about the required, and supplementary reading. The Course Director will develop lectures based on the needs of the Discussion Lead(s). Questions to keep in mind when reading are:

 

·       Who is the author? What does it mean to “locate” yourself? What do you know about the author? How did you learn about the author? Is a perspective missing from the narrative?

·       What evidence does the author use? Is the evidence compelling?

·       Did the author outline a framework? What is the author’s framework?

·       What is colonialism? How does the author define colonialism? Does this book contribute to the field? How does this book contribute to the field?

·       What did you learn from this reading? Do you have questions? Did you enjoy the book?

 

Each student brings a different experience and way of knowing to the classroom. Diversity is central. Students are encouraged to share their experiences and ways of knowing. We will work together to enrich our understanding of historical research, analysis, communication, and writing. Course goals include:

 

·       Critical reading: identify main argument and assess evidence to develop sophisticated opinions.

·       Clear, concise, and coherent writing and verbal skills. Assignments encourage students to develop sustainable research and communication skills.

·       Respectful listening of diverse positions and opinions.

·       Practice building relationship, community, and reciprocity (Indigenous Research Methods).

 

Key Books:

1.     Absolon, Kathleen, E. Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

2.     Younging, Gregory. Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Canada: Brush Education Inc, 2018.

3.     Hill, Susan, M. The Clay We Are Made Of: Haudenosaunee Land Tenure on the Grand River. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2017.

4.     Campbell, Maria. Halfbreed. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1973.

5.     Manuel, Arthur and Derrickson, Ronald. Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2015.

 

www.Goodminds.com

 

Digitally Accessible Books & Articles through York Library

Younging, Gregory. Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Canada: Brush Education Inc, 2018.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991028848129705164

Echo-Hawk, Roger, C. “Ancient History in the New World: Integrating Oral Traditions and the Archeological Record in Deep Time,” American Antiquity, 65(2), 2000, 267-290.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_proquest_journals_203263360

Bohaker, Heidi. "‘Nindoodemag’: The Significance of Algonquian Kinship Networks in the Eastern Great Lakes Region, 1600 - 1701.” The William and Mary Quarterly, 63, no. 1 (January 2006): 23 - 52.

https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/stable/3491724?sid=primo

Steckley, John. “Kateri Tegakwitha (She Moves Things): Mohawk/ Algonquin (1656 – 1680)” in Beyond Their Years Five Native Women’s Stories. Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 1999.

https://books-scholarsportal-info.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/gibson_crkn/2009-12-01/5/412237

Van Kirk, Sylvia. “The Role of Women in the Fur-Trade Society of Western Canada, 1670-1830.” Frontiers, Vol 7(3) 1984.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_proquest_journals_2205485064

Paul, Daniel, N. We Were Not the Savages: Collision Between European and Native American Civilizations. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991030766919705164

Roy, Susan. These Mysterious People: Shaping History and Archeology in a Northwest Coast Community. Quebec: McGill-Queen’s Press, 2016.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991036280776605164

Hill, Susan M. “Kontinonhsyonni – The Women Who Make the House,” in The Clay We Are Made of: Haudenosaunee Land Tenure on the Grand River. Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba Press, 2017.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9780887554575

Carter, Sarah. Capturing Women: The Manipulation of Cultural Imagery in Canada’s Prairie West. Montreal: McGill’s-University Press, 1997.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9780228006886

Labelle, Kathryn Magee. “Introduction” and “Cécile Gannendâris (? – 1669),” in Daughters of Aataentsic: Life Stories from Seven Generations. Montreal, PQ: McGillQueen’s University Press, 2021.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9780228006886

Smith, Donald. “Literary Celebrity: George Copway, or Kahgegagahbowh (1818 – 1869),” in Mississauga Portraits : Ojibwe Voices from Nineteenth-Century Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2013

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_proquest_ebookcentralchapters_4669816_10_199

Kugel, Rebecca. “Religion Mixed with Politics: The 1836 Conversion of Mang’osid of Fond Du Lac.” Ethnohistory 37, no. 2 (April 1, 1990): 126–157.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_37354236

Henry, G and Schweitzer, I. Afterlives of Indigenous Archives: Essays in honor of the Occom Circle. Hanover: Dartmouth College Press, 2019.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991030961419705164

Craft, Aimée. Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: an Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One. Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing Limited, 2014. 

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/26r5oc/alma991036306537805164

Macdougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Métis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan, Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2012.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991000552509705164

Anderson, Chris. “Metis:” Race, Recognition, and the Struggle for Indigenous Peoplehood. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2014.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma9945730463505156

Gaudry, Adam. “Communing with the Dead: The ‘New Métis,’ Métis Identity Appropriation, and the Displacement of Living Métis Culture,” American Indian Quarterly, 42, no.2: 162 – 190, 2018.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/j50f41/cdi_proquest_journals_2036385811

Manuel, Arthur and Derrickson, Ronald. Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2015.
https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/26r5oc/alma991036342134905164

Downey, Allan. The Creator’s Game: Lacrosse, Identity, and Indigenous Nationhood. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2018.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/26r5oc/alma99465517002181

Simpson, Audra. Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States. London: Duke University Press, 2014.

https://ocul-yor.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_YOR/1jocqcq/alma991036294205005164

 

Books Available at York University Libraries

Always check eclass or talk to Course Director before purchasing a book outside of the key books section.

Absolon, Kathleen, E. Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

Adams, Howard. Prison of Grass: Canada from the native point of view. Toronto: General Publishing, 1975.

Anderson, Chris. “Metis:” Race, Recognition, and the Struggle for Indigenous Peoplehood. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2014.

Anderson, Kim. Life Stages and Native Women: Memory: Teachings, and Story Medicine. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2011.

Bownlie, Robin Jarvis. A Fatherly Eye: Indian Agents, Government Power, and Aboriginal Resistance in Ontario, 1918-1939. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Campbell, Maria. Halfbreed. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1973.

Chacaby, Ma-Nee. A Two Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2016.

Green, Joyce. Making Space for Indigenous Feminism. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2007.

Macdougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Métis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan, Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2012.

Manuel, Arthur and Derrickson, Ronald. Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2015.

Roy, Susan. These Mysterious People: Shaping History and Archeology in a Northwest Coast Community. Quebec: McGill-Queen’s Press, 2016.

Simpson, Audra. Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States. London: Duke University Press, 2014.

Smith, Donald. “Literary Celebrity: George Copway, or Kahgegagahbowh (1818 – 1869),” in Mississauga Portraits : Ojibwe Voices from Nineteenth-Century Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2013, pp: 164 – 211.

Smithers, Gregory D. Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America. Boston: Beacon Press, 2022.

Steckley, John. “Kateri Tegakwitha (She Moves Things): Mohawk/ Algonquin (1656 – 1680)” in Beyond Their Years Five Native Women’s Stories. Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 1999.

Younging, Gregory. Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Canada: Brush Education Inc, 2018.

 

Accessible Online

Marius, R., & Page M. E. A Short Guide to Writing About History. Illinois: Pearson Education Incorporated, 2012.

Tri-Council Policy Statement, TCPS 2 (2018)- Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada

https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/tcps2-eptc2_2018_chapter9-chapitre9.html

Sinclair, Murray. Canada, Aboriginal Peoples, and Residential Schools: They Came for the Children. Winnipeg: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012.

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525

Robert Innes, “Elder Brother as theoretical framework,” in Chris Andersen and Jean M. O’Brien (eds), Sources and Methods in Indigenous Studies New York, NY: Routledge, 2017, pp: 135 – 142. https://gladue.usask.ca/node/629

Cardinal, Harold. The Unjust Society: The Tragedy of Canada’s Indians. Edmonton: Hurtig Ltd., Publishers, 1969.

 

Grade Breakdown:

The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at York (e.g. A+ =9, A=8, B+=7, C+=5, etc.). Assignments and tests will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g. A+ = 90 to 100; A = 80-89, B+=75-79, B=70-74; C+=65-69, C+60-64, etc.).

For a full description of York’s grading system, see https://www.yorku.ca/laps/hist/academic-resources/academic-advising/grading-system/

The grade for the course will be based on the following percentages:

 

Indigenous Art Reflection Paper                    15%

Book Review                                                  15%

Research Essay (in stages)                             40%

Participation                                                   30%

 

Assignment Descriptions:

The assignments are briefly described here – more detail will follow as the course progresses. All written assignments must be typed. Save your rough notes or rough/progressive drafts of your assignments to protect yourself from intellectual property issues or computer problems. All written assignments must follow the Chicago Manual of Style and contain an introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion. Internal paragraphs should each contain a point that supports the thesis statement. All paragraphs should have at least three sentences.

 

·       Indigenous Art Reflection Paper, 15% due 23 October 2023

Visit at least one (1) Indigenous art event, business, movie, concert, or exhibit online or in person between 11 September – 20 October 2023. Choose an event from the list on eclass and look for updates in announcements online. Events may include but are not limited to: installation openings, panel discussions, powwow, gallery shows, ImagineNative, movies, tv shows, clothing stories, art collective stores, museums, concerts, book signings, book readings, poetry slams, etc. Choose an event that is open to the public. Online options are available. Online art exhibits, panels, or events are encouraged. The length of the reflection paper is 3-5 pages (750-1250 words). Reflection papers are a common Indigenous research method. Refer to the course outline for books related to methods and writing. All papers will be written in paragraph form (full sentences) with an introduction and conclusion.

Your paper will answer basic questions: who, what, when, where, and why? Who are you? Locate yourself. What is your relationship to land? How do you want to introduce yourself to the Course Director in writing? Once you locate yourself, describe your visit. Did you enjoy your visit? Do you have questions about the event? Do some research about a theme that stood out to you. These events often represent many nations in the urban context of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond. Who are the hosts? Which nation(s) were represented? Which nations were not represented? Did you learn anything new? Can you connect the event to a theme in the course? You may choose to share your experience with your colleagues. What do you want to tell your peers about the event? How are art and history connected? Why is material culture important? What is the significance of regalia, dancing, music, and/or land? Pictures encouraged.

 

Events (in person): Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Powwow 23 September, 2023  ImagineNative Film Festival 17-29 October 2023 (tickets available 2 October), The Indigenous Collection at the Art Gallery Ontario (online and in person).

Indigenous owned businesses (in person and online): Aanii.shop 28 Bathurst Street Toronto Unit 5105, wildflowergoods.com/pages/contact 90 Nassau St. Toronto Kensington Market, Pacha Arts.com.

Online: ImagineNative Online, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) at Home, Art Gallery of Ontario Indigenous Collection.

 

·       Book Review, 15% due 4 December 2023

A variety of books are listed as supplementary to increase the number of books available to the class (library and online). Select one of the books listed in the course outline to review. Read the book thoroughly. The written book review will be 3-5 pages (750-1250 words, double-spaced 12 point font, one inch margins). In this assignment you will analyze, evaluate, and review the book and discuss the book in the context of the weekly themes. Discuss the thesis, central arguments, scope, sources. Synthesize how this book contributes to Indigenous research methods and historiography. You are encouraged to consult additional sources, however you must critically analyze one monograph from start to finish before more support is necessary. Imagine you are writing a book review for publication. Use active voice. Be concise. Edit. Edit again. Read book reviews as a research habit (google or York library search). Book reviews are research tools. Students are encouraged to choose a book from the week they are assigned Discussion Lead.

 

·       Research Essay, 40%

You are a film-maker, a land-claims researcher, curriculum writer or a curator. You have been commissioned by an Indigenous community to make a film, prepare a land-claim, write a textbook, or create a museum exhibit. This assignment requires that you write a research essay of 12-15 pages (3000 to 3750 words) to serve as the foundation for an ongoing project. You will outline how your project will connect with the general public, and is commissioned by, or in cooperation with, an Indigenous community. You choose the project. The project can be but is not limited to: a museum exhibit, a website, a documentary, a feature film, a set of historical plaques, a monument, a land-claim, or other forms of active history. Use the syllabus as a starting point to choose a theme you are interested in. Read the references and notes sections of the books you are interested in to find other sources. Discuss themes not listed with the Course Director. Periodization of your project should be within the course outline (1600-1990). Practice centering Indigenous perspectives in consultation. You will work on the project in stages. Each stage must be completed and approved by the Course Director before you can move to the next stage.

a) Proposal (5%) due 15 January, 2024

b) Ethics application (5%), due 29 January, 2024

c) Annotated bibliography (5%), due 5 February, 2024

d) Detailed outline (5%), due 12 February 2024

e) Completed paper (20%), due 4 March, 2024

 

·       Participation, 30%

a)     Weekly Participation: (10%)

Discussion is a central component of this course. Active participation and critical analysis of the assigned material is essential. Read the assigned pages on your own time, in advance of our class meeting. Come to class prepared to share your interpretation of the reading material out loud in dialogue with your colleagues. Evaluation of discussion grades are based on 1) active, regular participation; 2) improvement over time; 3) clear and direct engagement with the assigned reading and weekly theme; 4) respectful interactions with peers which develop constructive discussion such as asking for clarification, thoughtful questions, and building on your peers’ comments. Respect is key. Consider weekly meetings to be our best effort to combine our collective knowledge through conversation. The focus of weekly participation is to practice skills necessary for Indigenous and non-Indigenous historical methods such as storytelling, oral history, guest lectures, round tables, panel discussions, speeches, relationship building, reciprocity, and community. Active listening is an asset.

b) Discussion Lead: (15%)

One or two students will be assigned each week. The Discussion Lead will post (eclass) a public one-page review of the reading on the Friday preceding Monday class. One page review will direct class discussion. The review will: introduce the author, list the thesis, describe the reading, list the evidence, and direct the class to the most important pages. Discussion Lead will end the review with 4-8 open-ended questions about big themes. The Discussion Lead will present their interpretation of the readings to open discussion (10 minutes or less). The number of weekly Discussion Lead(s) depends on enrollment. Students will be assigned their Discussion Lead assignments in class on 18 September 2023.

·       Research Project Presentation: (5%)

Each student will present their research project to the class. The final two classes are reserved for student presentations. Each presentation will be 10 minutes or less.

 

Late Policy:

Completing and handing in assignments is the responsibility of the student. Late assignments shall receive a 5% reduction plus an additional 5% reduction for every 24 hours they are late. That said, unexpected issues do arise. Extensions may be granted occasionally. Please confirm an extension via email, even if you speak to the Course Director in person. Always follow up with an email confirmation. The following restrictions apply to extension requests 1) no extension shall be granted 24 hours before an assignment is due; 2) you must formally request all extensions by email specifying the proposed date and time by which you will submit the assignment; 3) all extensions must be approved by the Course Director.

 

Religious Observance Accommodation: https://w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/wa/regobs

 

The History Department: The department’s email for general inquiries is lapshist@yorku.ca and main phone number is 416-736-5123.

 

The History Department website:  Upcoming events, resources for undergraduate history students, faculty and staff information, and much more: https://www.yorku.ca/laps/hist/

 

Undergraduate Program in History: links to information on history major career paths, degree programs (what is required for majors, minors, etc.), and degree checklists:

https://www.yorku.ca/laps/hist/undergrad/

 

History Advising Hours: The Undergraduate Program Director is Prof. Jennifer Bonnell and she can be contacted at dushist@yorku.ca.  As well as answering questions by email, you can book a remote advising appointment: https://www.yorku.ca/laps/hist/academic-resources/academic-advising/.

Please note that no grade information will be discussed via email. 

 

The Writing Centre: One-to-one help with a writing instructor on any writing assignment. You will need to enroll to set up your appointment, though they also offer some drop-in sessions. The enrollment link and further information is found at https://www.yorku.ca/laps/writing-centre/.  Bring a copy of your assignment to your appointment.

 

York University Libraries:  Links to the main catalogue, e-resources, on-line help chat line with librarian, and many other research aids:  https://www.library.yorku.ca/web/

 

SPARK [Student Papers and Academic Research Kit]:  This is an on-line tutorial that provides handy tips and tools for understanding and successfully completing university-level assignments.  Go to https://spark.library.yorku.ca

 

Student Accessibility Services: https://accessibility.students.yorku.ca/

Student Accessibility Services provides academic accommodation and support to students with disabilities in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities and York University Senate Policy on Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities.

 

York Student Code of Conduct: http://oscr.students.yorku.ca/student-conduct 

 

Academic Honesty Statement:

Violations of the York Senate Policy on Academic Honesty will be treated severely. Recent penalties have included failure in the course, suspension from the University, and withholding or rescinding a York degree, diploma or certificate. Cheating during in-class or take-home examinations, collaborating on written assignments, failing to use quotations marks and citations when using or paraphrasing the printed or electronically disseminated work of others, aiding or abetting academic misconduct, and violating any other part of the Policy on Academic Honesty will result in penalties. For further details, see the relevant part of the York Website: https://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/policies/academic-honesty-senate-policy-on/

 

Use of Generative AI [optional addition to course outlines]

Students may only use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in this course so long as the following two conditions are met:

 

•       Specific generative AI tools are used in accordance with the written guidelines provided for each assessment or activity, and 

 

•       The use of generative AI is documented and cited following citation instructions given in the syllabus. 

 

Use of generative AI outside these two conditions will constitute academic dishonesty under York University's Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. As a student in this course, it is your responsibility to understand when and how generative AI tools can be used to complete your assessments and activities. If you do not know whether an online resource or tool can be used in this course, please contact your instructor for guidance.

 

Academic Integrity Tutorialhttp://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/index.html

 

History department policy on grade reappraisals, including link to the grade reappraisal form: https://www.yorku.ca/laps/hist/academic-resources/academic-advising/grading-system/

 

Fall/Winter 2023-2024 Sessional & Important Dates: https://registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/2023-2024/fall-winter

 

FW 23-24 Important Add/Drop Deadlines: https://registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/2023-2024/fall-winter

 

 

FALL
(TERM F)

YEAR
(TERM Y)

WINTER
(TERM W)

Last date to add a course without permission of instructor (also see Financial Deadlines)

September 20

September 20

January 22

Last date to add a course with permission of instructor (also see Financial Deadlines)

September 28

September 28

January 31

Drop deadline: Last date to drop a course without receiving a grade (also see Financial Deadlines)

November 8

February 8

March 11

Course Withdrawal Period (withdraw from a course and receive a grade of “W” on transcript – see note below)

November 9 - December 5

February 9 - April 8

March 12 - April 8

 

Refund Table (Student Financial Services): https://sfs.yorku.ca/refund/tables/fw23

 

Email Etiquette:

Please be polite and concise in your emails. Include a clear subject line which includes the course title (HIST 4508). Expect 24-48 hours delay in reply via email within university operating hours (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). Use complete sentences, salutation, sign off, full name.

 

Course Outline:

 

11 September 2023                 Week 1: Welcome! Opening.

 

Introduction: Indigenous Research Methods discussion, practice Indigenous research methods, syllabus outline, expectations. What is colonialism?

 

 

18 September 2023                 Week 2: Methodologies Part 1

Required Reading

Tuck, Eve & Yang, Wayne, “Decolonization is not a metaphor,” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, No. 1 (2012): 1-40

 

Absolon, Kathleen, E. Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

 

Supplementary

Younging, Gregory. Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Canada: Brush Education Inc, 2018.

 

 

25 September 2023                 Week 3: Methodologies Part 2

Required Reading

Absolon, Kathleen, E. Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

 

Supplementary

Marius, R., & Page M. E. A Short Guide to Writing About History. Illinois: Pearson Education Incorporated, 2012. (online)

 

 

2 October 2023                       Week 4: Oral History

Required Reading

Echo-Hawk, Roger, C. “Ancient History in the New World: Integrating Oral Traditions and the Archeological Record in Deep Time,” American Antiquity, 65(2), 2000, 267-290.

 

Listen to one hour of Louis Bird tell stories https://www.ourvoices.ca/index/ourvoices-browse-action

 

9 October 2023                       Reading Week – No Classes

 

 

16 October 2023                     Week 5: Great Lakes and the North

Required Reading:

Bohaker, Heidi. "‘Nindoodemag’: The Significance of Algonquian Kinship Networks in the Eastern Great Lakes Region, 1600 - 1701.” The William and Mary Quarterly, 63, no. 1 (January 2006): 23 - 52.

 

Steckley, John. “Kateri Tegakwitha (She Moves Things): Mohawk/ Algonquin (1656 – 1680)” in Beyond Their Years Five Native Women’s Stories. Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 1999.

 

 

23 October 2023                     Week 6: Prairies and the North

First Assignment Due

 

Required Reading

Van Kirk, Sylvia. “The Role of Women in the Fur-Trade Society of Western Canada, 1670-1830.” Frontiers, Vol 7(3) 1984.

 

Supplementary Reading

Macdougall, B., Podruchny, C., St-Onge, N. Contours of a People: Metis Family, Mobility, and History.  Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2012.

 

 

30 October 2023                     Week 7: Coast(s) and the North

Required Reading

Roy, Susan. These Mysterious People: Shaping History and Archeology in a Northwest Coast Community. Quebec: McGill-Queen’s Press, 2016.

 

Supplementary Reading

Paul, Daniel, N. We Were Not the Savages: Collision Between European and Native American Civilizations. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

 

 

6 November 2023                   Week 8: Gender

Required Reading

Hill, Susan M. “Kontinonhsyonni – The Women Who Make the House,” in The Clay We Are Made of: Haudenosaunee Land Tenure on the Grand River. Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba Press, 2017, pp: 53 - 76.

 

Supplementary

Green, Joyce. Making Space for Indigenous Feminism. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2007.

Carter, Sarah. Capturing Women: The Manipulation of Cultural Imagery in Canada’s Prairie West. Montreal: McGill’s-University Press, 1997.

Anderson, Kim. Life Stages and Native Women: Memory: Teachings, and Story Medicine. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2011.

 

 

13 November 2023                 Week 9: Gender

Required Reading

Labelle, Kathryn Magee. “Introduction” and “Cécile Gannendâris (? – 1669),” in Daughters of Aataentsic: Life Stories from Seven Generations. Montreal, PQ: McGillQueen’s University Press, 2021, pp: 3 - 32.

 

Supplementary

Smithers, Gregory D. Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America. Boston: Beacon Press, 2022.

Chacaby, Ma-Nee. A Two Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2016.

 

 

20 November 2023                 Week 10: Art

Required Reading

Metis Fiddling on Film

View and discuss film: “How the Fiddle Flows” NFB, 2002, 48 min

 

Supplementary

Maracle, Lee. I am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism. Canada: Lee Maracle, 1996.

Flanagan, Thomas. The Diaries of Louis Riel. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1976.

Or google “the diaries of Louis Riel” to find unedited versions like the link below:

https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/archive/The-Diaries-of-Louis-Riel-2R3BF1OE79H_P.html

Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake. As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017.

 

 

27 November 2023                 Week 11: Religion

Required Reading

Smith, Donald. “Literary Celebrity: George Copway, or Kahgegagahbowh (1818 – 1869),” in Mississauga Portraits : Ojibwe Voices from Nineteenth-Century Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2013, pp: 164 – 211.

 

Kugel, Rebecca. “Religion Mixed with Politics: The 1836 Conversion of Mang’osid of Fond Du Lac.” Ethnohistory 37, no. 2 (April 1, 1990): 126–157.

 

Supplementary Reading:

Sinclair, Murray. Canada, Aboriginal Peoples, and Residential Schools: They Came for the Children. Winnipeg: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012.

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525

 

 

4 December 2023                    Week 12: Ethics In History Research

Second Assignment Due

 

Required Reading:

Tri-Council Policy Statement, TCPS 2 (2018)- Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada

https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/tcps2-eptc2_2018_chapter9-chapitre9.html

 

First Archivist Circle, “Protocols for Native American Archival Materials” https://www2.nau.edu/libnap-p/protocols.html

 

Supplementary Reading:

Henry, G and Schweitzer, I. Afterlives of Indigenous Archives: Essays in honor of the Occom Circle. Hanover: Dartmouth College Press, 2019. (read any essay)

 

19 December to 8 January      Holiday Break

 

8 January 2024                        Week 13: Methodologies

Required Reading

Absolon, Kathleen, E. Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.

 

Robert Innes, “Elder Brother as theoretical framework,” in Chris Andersen and Jean M. O’Brien (eds), Sources and Methods in Indigenous Studies New York, NY: Routledge, 2017, pp: 135 – 142. https://gladue.usask.ca/node/6290

 

Supplementary Reading:

Wilson, Shawn. Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2008. (Foreword available online- use google)

Kovach, Margaret. Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009.

 

15 January 2024                      Week 14: Museums

Research Proposal Due

 

Required Reading                  

Hamilton, Michelle A. Collections and Objections Aboriginal Material Culture in Southern Ontario, 1791-1914 . Montreal, PQ: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010. Ch. 1: “’Bric-A-Brackers and Pot Hunters’ Professionals and the Public,” pp: 20 – 50; Ch. 2: “‘For the General Good of Science’ Historical and Scientific Society Museums,” pp: 51 – 78; Ch. 3: “Aboriginal Responses to Archaeology,” pp: 79 - 106.

 

Supplementary

Hamilton, Michelle A. Collections and Objections Aboriginal Material Culture in Southern Ontario, 1791-1914 . Montreal, PQ: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010. Ch. 4: “Colonialism. Ethnographic Collecting, and Aboriginal Engagement,” pp: 107 - 142.

 

22 January 2024                      Week 15: Treaties Part 1

Required Reading                  

Hill, Susan M. Ch. 1 “Karihwa’onwe – The Original Matters,” in The Clay We Are Made of: Haudenosaunee Land Tenure on the Grand River. Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba Press, 2017, pp: 15 - 52.

 

Supplementary Reading:

Craft, Aimée. Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: an Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One. Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing Limited, 2014. Ch. 3 – Conclusion (pp: 48 – 119) *Pages are smaller with larger font.

 

Morin, Jean-Pierre. Solemn Words and Foundational Documents : an Annotated Discussion of Indigenous-Crown Treaties in Canada, 1752-1923. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2018. “Introduction: Reading a Treaty” pp: 1 – 12; Ch. 1: The Making of the Peace and Friendship Treaties, 1725 – 1779,” pp: 21 – 48.

 

 

29 January 2024                      Week 16: Treaties Part 2

Ethics Application Due

 

Required Reading

Krasowski, Sheldon. No Surrender: The Land Remains Indigenous. Regina, SK: University of Regina Press, 2019. “Introduction: The Numbered Treaties in Historical Context,” pp: 1 – 38; Ch. 1: “Treaties One and Two and the Outside Promises: ‘The Loyalty Which Costs Nothing Is Worth Nothing,’” pp: 39 – 86;. Ch. 2: “Treaty Three: The North-West Angle Treaty: ‘I Take off My Glove to Give you My Hand to Sign the Treaty,’” pp: 87 – 128.

 

Carter, Sarah, Dorothy. First Rider, and Walter. Hildebrandt. The True Spirit and Original Intent of Treaty 7. Montreal, PQ: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1996. Ch. 3: “‘The First Nations’ Perspective on Treaty 7,” pp: 111 – 145; Ch. 5: “Treaty 7 in Its Historical and Political Context,” pp: 191 – 229; Ch. 9: “A Study of the Accounts of Treaty 7 by Hugh Dempsey,” pp: 273 – 291.

 

Supplementary Reading        

Price, Richard, T. The Spirit of the Alberta Indian Treaties. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 1999.

 

 

5 February 2024                      Week 17: Métis Part 1

Annotated Bibliography Due

 

Required Reading

Campbell, Maria. Halfbreed. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1973.

 

Macdougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Métis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan, Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2012. Ch. 1: ‘They are strongly attached to the country of rivers, lakes, and forests,’ pp: 23 – 50; Ch. 2: ‘The bond that connected one human being to another,’ pp: 51 – 85; Ch. 3: ‘To live in the land of my mother,’ pp: 86 – 126; Ch. 6: ‘The Half Breeds of this place always did and always will dance,’ pp: 183 – 212.

 

Supplementary Reading

Anderson, Chris. “Metis:” Race, Recognition, and the Struggle for Indigenous Peoplehood. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2014.

Adams, Howard. Prison of Grass: Canada from the native point of view. Toronto: General Publishing, 1975.

 

 

12 February 2024                    Week 18: Métis Part 2

Detailed Essay Outline Due

 

Required Reading

Gaudry, Adam. “Communing with the Dead: The ‘New Métis,’ Métis Identity Appropriation, and the Displacement of Living Métis Culture,” American Indian Quarterly, 42, no.2: 162 – 190, 2018.

 

Supplementary

Fiola, Chantal. Rekindling the Sacred Fire: Métis Ancestry and Anishinaabe Spirituality. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2015.

 

 19 February 2024                   Reading Week

 

26 February 2024                    Week 19: Indigenous Activism Part 1

Required Reading

Cardinal, Harold. The Unjust Society: The Tragedy of Canada’s Indians. Edmonton: Hurtig Ltd., Publishers, 1969. Accessible online, use google.

 

Supplementary

Edmunds, David R. Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership. Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2007.

Bownlie, Robin Jarvis. A Fatherly Eye: Indian Agents, Government Power, and Aboriginal Resistance in Ontario, 1918-1939. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2003.

 

 

4 March 2024                          Week 20: Indigenous Activism Part 2

Completed Paper Due

 

Required Reading

Manuel, Arthur and Derrickson, Ronald. Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2015.

 

Supplementary

Downey, Allan. The Creator’s Game: Lacrosse, Identity, and Indigenous Nationhood. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2018.

Simpson, Audra. Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States. London: Duke University Press, 2014.

 

 

11 March 2024                        Week 21: Indigenous Child Welfare

Required Reading

https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/sixties_scoop/

 

Anything by Cindy Blackstock (use google)

https://lawjournal.mcgill.ca/article/the-complainant-the-canadian-human-rights-case-on-first-nations-child-welfare/

https://globalnews.ca/tag/cindy-blackstock/

 

Supplementary

Smith, Christine Miskonoodinkwe. These are the Stories: Memories of a 60s Scoop Survivor

Stories of Women who grew up in the Child Welfare System. Owen Sound: Kegedonce Press, 2021.

Johnson, Patrick. Native Children and the Child Welfare System. Ottawa: Government of Canada, 1983.

 

18 March 2024                        Week 22: Presentations

 

25 March 2024                        Week 23: Presentations

 

1 April 2024                            Week 24: Closing.

 

 

8 April 2024                            Week 25: Virtual Office Hours (Zoom)

                       

C. Elizabeth Best