American Studies 353 - SEM: NATIVE LITERACIES TO 1880

In this course we will explore the meaning and use of writing?in many forms?within Native communities in the Americas. We will challenge the conventional understanding of writing by examining texts not usually considered as such?like hieroglyphic codices, wampum belts, khipu, and winter counts?alongside poetry, sermons, memoirs, and treaties. To facilitate this work, the course will be arranged thematically by tribe, technology, or text, rather than chronology, allowing us to deepen our knowledge about the peoples and histories concerned each week. In addition, we will immerse ourselves in current-day debates over language study, textual recovery, cultural heritage, and scholarly ethics. Prerequisite: a course in History, Anthropology, or American Studies. Enrollment limited to 12. (E)

Instructor Permission. Not open to first-years, sophomores