Indigenous Resistance Writing and Movements (HIST*4080) | College of Arts

Indigenous Resistance Writing and Movements (HIST*4080)

Code and section: HIST*4080*01

Term: Winter 2021

Instructor: TBA

Details

Method of Delivery;

A blend of asynchronous learning, meaning you schedule the place at and time during which you will complete guided activities, and synchronous learning during which the instructor will engage class participants online in real time.

Sample Work Week:

90 minutes of reading
90 minutes of online Q&A

Course Synopsis:

This course explores both individual and collective acts of Indigenous resistance in settler-colonial societies. Diverse forms of resistance will be studied from text-based to action-based movements. Resistance may be examined through notable figures, delegations, marches, occupations, and literature.

Words for Guided Course Reflection:

“Indigenous peoples, by the mere sake of evoking their cultural identities and livelihoods, are changing the world.”

Niigaan Sinclair, “Indigenous Peoples at Work Changing the World,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 2020, https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/indigenous-people-at-work-changi....

Methods of Evaluation and Weights:

  • Question Generator @ 10%

You will be asked to develop 5 questions to help generate scholarly discussion during the Weekly Q&As once each semester. These will be submitted to the instructor the Friday before class for review.
As Question Generator, you will play a vital role in encouraging content discussion by sharing your questions during the assigned class. To ensure you can help direct your peers toward the appropriate answer, you are required to include a written answer to your question. This answer should not exceed 5-10 complete sentences (which can be presented in a bullet-point list). Your submission should adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style’s author-date guidelines and include a reference page.
This activity will test several skills including (but not limited to) content comprehension, written communication, citation, and leadership skills.

  • Weekly Q&A @ 50%

You will be invited to join the instructor and your peers during a weekly Q&A. During this time, you will discuss course content (and quizzes) online and in real time. You will be asked to participate in 10 online meetings. Each meeting is worth 5% of your final grade. Participation in weekly Q&As will develop your group skills (like listening to and supporting others) and your oral communication skills.
If you have not yet participated in or experienced a seminar-like environment, the instructor encourages you to review these engagement tips.

  • Reading Critiques @ 40%

Over the course of Winter Semester, you will be asked to write 4 short critique essays. This essay is to be written in direct response to a reading of your choice.
Each critique should be approximately 1000 words (plus references). Your submissions should adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style’s Author-Date guidelines.
This activity will test several skills including (but not limited to) critical thinking, content comprehension, written communication, and citation.

Advice for Incoming Students:

  1. Bring a copy of the assigned reading and your notes to the weekly Q&A to help you ground the discussion.
  2. Listen actively and support the contributions of other students to create a positive, collaborative learning environment. 
  3. Expand on your course notes by incorporating key material introduced by your classmates through the online forum or during the Weekly Q&A. The instructor recommends scheduling a moment of reflection at the end of each week. Use this moment to:
    • Correct any errors or misinterpreations that appear in your notes; 
    • Create a bullet-point list that includes new, essential information that adds to your notes;
    • Identify any oustanding questions to raise in the next Q&A.

Texts and/or Resources Required Include All or Parts of:

  • Margaret Kovach, Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts (2010)
  • Rick Monture, We Share Our Matters: Two Centuries of Writing and Resistance at Six Nations of Grand River (2015)
  • Victoria and Benjamin LaPoe, Indian Country: Telling a Story in a Digital Age (2017)

*Please note this is a preliminary web description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.
 

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