Indigenous Epistemologies and their Disruptions

Ethnic Studies 270
Spring 2014
Tuesday 1:30AM – 4:30PM, SSB 103 

Ross Frank
Office:   SSB 227
Phone:   534-6646
rfrank@weber.ucsd.edu

Additional course materials available on TED.

 



Course Description

This seminar will explore indigenous epistemologies, their ontological dimensions, the methodological issues surrounding related research, and their significance in relation to the production of knowledge and the histories, presents, and futures of Native American and Indigenous people.  The purpose of this course is to help equip participants to investigate the larger empirical and theoretical implications of alternative systems of knowledge that emerge from global indigeneity.  For the most part, we follow the research of current Native American/Indigenous scholars.

Successful consideration of the dimensions, complexities, and significance of this topic depend on the engaged, imaginative, and generous, participation in all seminar activities.  Students are encouraged to bring their interests, knowledge, experience, and other interpretive materials to the seminar.  Accordingly, course evaluation will be based upon the nature and quality of your participation, in oral and written forms equally.  Weekly assignments will involve presentations and leading class discussions, as well as written analyses that will be shared with the other seminar participants.

 


 

Seminar Texts:

Byrd, Jodi A. The Transit of Empire: Indigenous Critiques of Colonialism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

Dennison, Jean. Colonial Entanglement Constituting a Twenty-First-Century Osage Nation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://www.ucsd.eblib.com/EBLWeb/patron/?target=patron&extendedid=P_1035010_0

Erdrich, Louise. The Round House.  The Round House. New York, NY: Harper, 2012.

Goeman, Mishuana. Mark My Words : Native Women Mapping Our Nations. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

Lonetree, Amy. Decolonizing Museums Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums. 2012. First peoples : new directions in indigenous studies
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://www.ucsd.eblib.com/EBLWeb/patron/?target=patron&extendedid=P_1076066_0

Lyons, Scott Richard. X-Marks Native Signatures of Assent.  Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Restricted to UCSD email login
 http://uclibs.org/PID/170306>.

Miller, Robert J. Reservation "Capitalism" Economic Development in Indian Country. 2012. Native America : yesterday and today
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ucsd/docDetail.action?docID=10545294

Morgensen, Scott Lauria. Spaces between Us : Queer Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Decolonization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

Tallbear, Kimberly. Native American DNA:  Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science.  Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

All articles are available on TED.

 



Organization:

Weekly seminar assignments:

1.     Discussion:  attendance and active participation in the group discussions of the reading during the seminar meetings. 

2.     Response:  beginning Week 2, each week you are not presenting, post a 600-900 word (2-3 page) response to the weekÕs reading to the TED blog by 8PM Monday evening.  Read the posted responses after 8PM Monday evening;

3.     Presentation:  co-lead two seminar discussions during the quarter;

4.     Synthesis:  write two 4-5 page papers each covering the assigned reading for a week in which you presented.  Synthesis papers are due at the beginning of class the week after your presentation and allow you to include reflection on the seminar discussion and previous readings.

 



Guidelines for Response Papers and Seminar Presentations

For each weekÕs reading, your response or synthesis should focus on:

¥  Identify and assess the Indigenous epistemological components present in the monograph.

¥  In weeks where articles are assigned as well, use them to a critically evaluate the important concepts and themes in the reading for that week.

¥  Pay attention to theoretical and methodological choice and innovation.   Are they connected to an Indigenous epistemological stance?  How do they function within other academic discourses?

¥  Consider how might they current weekÕs reading relate to or otherwise illuminate previous readings.

 


 

Syllabus

WEEK ONE:  April 1   Setting the Table

Wolfe, Patrick. ÒSettler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native,Ó in Journal of Genocide Research. 8:4 (2006): 387-409.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623520601056240

Coulthard, Glen S. "Subjects of Empire: Indigenous Peoples and the 'Politics of Recognition' in Canada." Contemporary Political Theory. 6:4 (2007): 437-460.

Tuck, Eve. "Suspending Damage: A Letter to Communities." Harvard Educational Review 79:3  (Fall 2009): 409-28.
http://www.metapress.com/content/n0016675661t3n15/fulltext.pdf

Tuck, Eve, and K. Wayne Yang. ÒDecolonization Is Not a Metaphor.Ó Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society 1:1 (2012): 1-40. http://decolonization.org/index.php/des/article/view/18630.

 


 

WEEK TWO:  April 8   Centering Indigeneity

Byrd, Jodi A. The Transit of Empire: Indigenous Critiques of Colonialism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

 


 

WEEK THREE:  April 15   Promise of Sovereignty

Dennison, Jean. Colonial Entanglement Constituting a Twenty-First-Century Osage Nation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://www.ucsd.eblib.com/EBLWeb/patron/?target=patron&extendedid=P_1035010_0

Simpson, Audra, ÒOn Ethnographic Refusal: Indigeneity, ÔVoice,Õ and Colonial Citizenship.Ó Junctures 9 (2007): 67-80.

 

WEEK FOUR:  April 22   Capital on Native Land

Miller, Robert J. Reservation "Capitalism:" Economic Development in Indian Country.  Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2012.
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ucsd/docDetail.action?docID=10545294

Connolly Miskwish, Michael . ÒEquity and Fairness Taxation and Regulatory Impediments to Tribal Governance In San Diego County,Ó  Beyond Casinos: Indian Sovereignty in the 21st Century Conference,  November 13, 2001, San Diego, California, 1-19.

Connolly Miskwish, Michael . ÒCapturing the Full Benefit of On-Reservation Renewable Energy ,Ò American Bar Association: Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources: Native American Resources Committee Newsletter 7:2 (2010):1-4

 



WEEK FIVE:  April 29  The ColonizerÕs House

Lonetree, Amy. Decolonizing Museums: Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://www.ucsd.eblib.com/EBLWeb/patron/?target=patron&extendedid=P_1076066_0

Cese–a, Mar’a Teresa.  ÒHemispheric Visions and Border Divisions: Differential Decolonizations at the US National Museum of the American Indian.Ó  Comparative American Studies 11:2 (2013):201–219.

 



WEEK SIX:  May 6   The Matter of Place

Goeman, Mishuana. Mark My Words: Native Women Mapping Our Nations. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

Coulthard, Glen. ÒPlace against Empire: Understanding Indigenous Anti-Colonialism,Ó in Affinities: A Journal of Radical Theory, Culture, and Action, 4.2 (2010): 79-83.

 


 

WEEK SEVEN:  May 13   (Critical) Literary Interlude

Erdrich, Louise. The Round House.  New York, NY: Harper, 2012.

 



WEEK EIGHT:  May 20   De/Colonial Biopolitics

Morgensen, Scott Lauria. Spaces between Us: Queer Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Decolonization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

Smith, Andrea. ÒQueer Theory and Native Studies: The Heteronormativity of Settler Colonialism,Ó in GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies  16:1-2 (2010):42-68.

 



WEEK NINE:  May 27   Indigenous Identities

Jacob, Michelle M. Yakima Rising: Indigenous Cultural Revitalization, Activism, and Healing. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2014.

Lyons, Scott Richard. X-Marks Native Signatures of Assent.  Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.  Chapters 1 and 4, available:
Restricted to UCSD email login
http://uclibs.org/PID/170306.

Tsosie, Rebecca. ÒIndigenous Peoples and Epistemic Injustice: Science, Ethics, and Human Rights,Ó in Washington Law Review  87:1133-1201

 



WEEK TEN:  June 3   Telling Origin Stories

Tallbear, Kimberly. Native American DNA:  Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science.  Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

UCSD Repatriation Case