ETS 280 - NATIVE AMERICAN IDENTITIES AND CULTURE
Tuesdays and Thursdays
2:30 pm -3:45 pm
Room: FA 253
Fall 2014 • University of Nevada, Reno
Debra Harry, Ph.D.
Office/Mailbox: GRI, MSS RM 124
Office Hours:
Weekdays, By appointment
Office Phone: 775-338-5983
Email:
dharry@unr.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND CORE OBJECTIVES
This course will introduce students to a comparative analysis of Indigenous and Western/settler
worldviews in relation to land and human rights issues. This course will also provide students
with the opportunity to examine with a critical lens, historical and contemporary issues
impacting Indigenous Peoples with an emphasis on the Numu (Northern Paiute) and Newe
(Western Shoshone) Nations, and other Indigenous Peoples within a local, national and
international framework. Students will explore issues related to Indigenous Peoples land and
treaty rights, and right of self-determination. Students will also examine key concepts such as
“inherent rights”, “Doctrine of Discovery”, “self-determination”, “cultural identity” and
“biocolonialism” as underlying themes in relation to Indigenous peoples’ historical and
contemporary issues. This course will also engage students to examine key developments of US
federal Indian laws and policies and their impacts on Indigenous Nations today. The final
component of this course will provide students with an overview of the chronology of
Indigenous Peoples’ advocacy and work within various international fora, and other
contemporary issues impacting Indigenous Peoples.
This course satisfies Core Objective 10 of the Silver Core Curriculum:
CO10. Diversity and Equity: Students will demonstrate an understanding of diversity
through courses that focus on topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion,
physical ability, language, and/or social class with an emphasis on the analysis of equity.
Students will apply and evaluate approaches or modes of inquiry used to analyze diversity
and equity and the social barriers to these goals.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Examine and provide a comparative analysis concerning indigenous peoples’ perspectives
and worldviews, and contrast them to settler society paradigms.
2. Identify and examine with a critical lens, impacts of key laws and policies and its impacts on
Indigenous Peoples from a historical and contemporary context.
3. Identify and explain the complex linkages between Indigenous Peoples’ rights and interests
in relation to globalization.
4. Synthesize the course materials into a coherent whole, and make connections between the
issues of Indigenous Peoples and other national, regional or global developments.
READINGS
 Articles and other short readings are listed in detail on the schedule.
NOTE: Students should review the course WebCampus page as well as this syllabus in the first
week of class and check WebCampus at least once a week for new information and
announcements during the semester. The majority of readings will be posted on WebCampus
denoted by (WC) in the required reading for each week.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance: I expect you to attend class faithfully, to arrive on time, and to stay the full class
period. A sign-in sheet will be available for you to sign during class to document your
attendance. Arriving late or leaving early will affect your attendance grade.
Participation: Participation includes completing the readings, active participation in class
discussions, and active participation and completion of any and all in-class activities.
Essays: There will be two short essays required in the course.
Exams: There will be an in-class exam for each Course Unit (three in total). In addition, there
will be a final in class written exam during the final course. These exams will require you to
demonstrate careful reading and to synthesize this with your broader learning in the class.
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Absences: I require a 1-day advance notice for absences that will require you to miss a
scheduled in-class essay or exam due to observance of a religious holiday or other Universitysanctioned function. If you miss an in-class essay or exam due to illness or other significant
event, you may make up the missed course work upon presentation of a doctor’s note, or proof
of some other significant and compelling reason that explains your absence. In no case will an
exam be given to a student prior to its scheduled time/date.
GRADING SCALE
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Participation – 10% of grade
Attendance - 15% of grade (28 classes)
In-Class Exams (3) - 30% of grade
Short Essays (2) - 20% of grade
Final Exam - (25% of grade)
I use a standard grading scale with percentages rounded to the nearest whole number.
93-100% = A
90-92% = A-
87-89% = B+
83-86% = B
80-82% = B-
77-79% = C+
73-76% = C
70-72% = C-
60-69% = D
0-59% = F
POLICIES
Principles of Respectful Discussion
This course will provide a wealth of information on topics that allows us to see ourselves and
our world from a different vantage point. To facilitate this process, we invite and encourage
debate, discussion, dissention, and a general free exchange of ideas. I expect members of the
class to interact with intellectual collegiality and respect for one another. Any speech that is
deliberately demeaning or targeted to inflict harm on anyone in the class will not be tolerated.
Students will be evaluated strictly on their ability to engage in critical academic analysis and not
on their political positions. In keeping with this philosophy, we place a higher value on ideas
that are grounded in scholarly analysis and discourse.
Office Hours and Writing Center: I have a mailbox at MSS301 but do not keep regular office
hours on campus. If you would like to meet outside of classroom hours, please email me to set
up an appointment and I will schedule a time and place to meet.
Email Communication: I make every attempt to respond to emails quickly (within 24 hours, or
48 hours on weekends or when on travel status). You can facilitate my reply by being sure your
email shows your full name and a subject line and by following guidelines for professional
communication.
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Students With Disabilities: I am committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone. If
you need to request accommodations for a disability, please alert me and contact the Disability
Resource Center (Thompson Building Suite 100, 775-784-6000, http://www.unr.edu/drc).
UNR Policy on Audio and Video Recording: “Surreptitious or covert videotaping or
unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and Board of Regents policy. This
class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor.
In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may be given permission to
record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their
comments during class may be recorded.”
Academic Honesty: The University does not tolerate plagiarism, cheating, or any other form of
academic dishonesty. As stated in the University Administrative Manual, plagiarism means
“submitting the language, ideas, thoughts or work of another as one's own; or assisting in the
act of plagiarism by allowing one's work to be used in this fashion.” This refers to material from
any source, including online. Penalties for plagiarism include an F in the course and a report to
Student Judicial Affairs. It is your responsibility to understand and avoid plagiarism and other
academic dishonesty. If you have questions, please discuss with me. Academic Standards are
defined in the University Administrative Manual, 6,502.
Schedule
subject to change at professor’s discretion
I may make minor changes to the syllabus in order to accommodate guest speaker’s availability
or to address other unanticipated needs.
Complete the readings by the date they are listed and be prepared for in class discussion.
Participation will be measured through in class discussion. Readings posted on WebCampus are
designated as (WC).
UNIT 1 - INTRODUCTION
Week 1
Course Introduction and Expectations
08/26/14
Instructor and Student Introductions, Review Syllabus, Introduction,
fundamental concepts, vocabulary, common perceptions of indigenous peoples.
In Class Exercise: “Why are you taking this class? What are your intellectual
aspirations in this course?”
08/28/14
Overview of the State of Indigenous Peoples
Definition of Indigenous Peoples
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Reading: United Nations. The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. NY:
Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2009.
Pps. 12-22, and 33-37.
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/SOWIP_web.pdf
WEEK 2
Local Pyramid Lake Paiute History
09/02/2014
Overview: Pyramid Lake Paiute History
Reading: Ferol Egan, Sand In a Whirlwind: The Paiute Indian War of 1860, Ch. 7
pps 91-96, and Ch. 10 pps 125-155. WC
09/04/2014
View Film, “That Was a Happy Life: A Paiute Woman Remembers,” by Joann
Peden, UNR (1993)
WEEK 3
Western Shoshone Land Struggles
09/09/2014
View the film, “Broken Treaty at Battle Mountain”, by Joel Freedman, Cinnamon
Productions (1973)
09/11/2014
View the film, “To Protect Mother Earth.” (Broken Treaty II), by Joel Freedman,
Cinnamon Productions (1989)
WEEK 4
Indigenous Peoples – Settler World Views
09/16/2014
Overview - Indigenous Peoples and Settler World Views
Reading: John Mohawk, A Seneca Greeting-Relationship Requires Us to Be
Thankful, in Melissa Nelson (Ed.) Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a
Sustainable World, Bear & Company (2008) WC
Reading: Corbin Harney, The Nature Way: Wisdom from a Western Shoshone
Elder, University of Nevada Press (2009) Pps. 80-88. (WC)
09/18/2014
Indigenous Peoples and Settler World Views, Part 2
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Reading: Armstrong, Jeannette, “Sharing One Skin: the Okanagan Community.”
Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.), The Case Against the
Global Economy, San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books (1996). Available on WC
and at the following link:
http://www.dces.wisc.edu/documents/ies112/Armstrong%201996%20sharing%20one%20skin.pdf
Reading: Benjamin Franklin: Remarks concerning the Savages of North America,
available at the following link:
http://www.wampumchronicles.com/benfranklin.html
In Class Exam #1
UNIT 2
The Doctrine of Discovery
WEEK 5
The Doctrine of Discovery
09/23/2014
Overview – Columbus and the Doctrine of Discovery
Reading: Luis Rivera, Ch. 1, The Mythology of the Discovery, pps. 4-14, in A
Violent Evangelism: The Political and Religious Conquest of the Americas (1990)
09/25/2014
Overview: Valladolid Debates
Reading: Valladolid Debates
View at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valladolid_debate
Bartolome de Las Casas, The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account, pps. 2734, pps. 127-130 (WC)
In Class Short Essay Exercise #1 due Tuesday 9/30/2014 at 2:30 pm
WEEK 6
Doctrine of Discovery – Legal Issues
09/30/2014
Overview - The Marshall Trilogy
Reading: d’Errico, Peter, “Four Strikes: Johnson v. M’Intosh is Out,” Indian
Country Today 11 January 2010 (WC)
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10/02/2014
Overview – Historical Timeline of Federal Indian Policy
View film: PBS We Shall Remain: Wounded Knee
WEEK 7
Impact of US Educational Policies on Indigenous Peoples
10/07/2014
Impact of US Educational Policies on Indigenous Peoples
Reading: “Kill the Indian, Save the Man”: Capt. Richard H. Pratt on the Education
of Native Americans” available at the following link:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4929/
10/09/2014
View Film: ‘In the White Man’s image” - UNR KC Multimedia Center
V05897
WEEK 8
Cultural Genocide
10/14/2014
Lecture by Xabier Iruho, Cultural Genocide
Exam Review
10/16/2014
In-Class Exam #2
UNIT 3
Stories of Resistance
WEEK 9
Globalization and Indigenous Peoples
10/21/2014
View Film “Even The Rain” (2011) 1 hr 43 min
10/23/2014
View Film “Even The Rain” (2011) 1 hr 43 min (continued)
Class Simulation and Discussion – based on Even the Rain film.
Noam Chomsky, Prospects for Survival
WEEK 10
Indigenous Peoples Resistance
10/28/2014
Indigenous Peoples Resistance
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Reading: Chapters 13 in Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance to
Globalization; (WC)
10/30/2014
Indigenous Peoples Resistance
Reading: Chapters 23 in Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance to
Globalization; (WC)
Evo Morales: 10 Commandments To Save the Planet, available online at:
http://climateandcapitalism.co m/2008/10/20/evo -mo rales-10-co
mmandments-to -save-the-planet/
WEEK 11
Indigenous Peoples and Biocolonialism
11/04/2014
Overview of Globalization and The Role of Patents in Biocolonialism
Reading: Gold, E. Richard, Body Parts: Property Rights And The Ownership Of
Human Biological Materials, (excerpts from Ch. 4 – The Discourse of Discovery
pp. 64-69, 78-85) (WC)
View Film Clips: The Leech and the Earthworm, IPCB/Yeast Productions, (2003)
11/06/2014
Overview – Genetically Modified Organisms
Viewing Film Clip, Genetic Roulette, Chapter 19
In Class Short Essay Exercise #2
WEEK 12
Indigenous Peoples and Human Genetic Research
11/11/2014
No Class – Veteran’s Day
11/13/2014
Overview – Indigenous Peoples and Human Genetic Research
Reading: Harry, Debra, “Indigenous Peoples and Gene Disputes” 84 ChicagoKent Law Review (2009). (Section II: Common Issues pp. 179-193.) (WC)
View Film Clip: The Gene Hunters, Zef Productions (1990)
Review and In Class Exam #3
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UNIT 4
Indigenous Peoples and Contemporary Issues
WEEK 13
Representations of Indigenous Peoples in Media
11/18/2014
Indigenous Peoples in Film and Literature
Reading: Churchill, Ward, Fantasies of the Master Race (WC)
11/20/2014
Discussion on Stereotypes in the Media
Reading: Hopkins, Ruth. “Tribalism as Pop Culture Phenomenon and the
Perpetuation of Offensive American Indian Stereotypes”, August 19, 2011 at:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/tribalism-as-pop-culturephenomenon-and-the-perpetuation-of-offensive-american-indian-stereotypes48231
WEEK 14
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
11/25/2014
Overview – Development of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples
Reading: Sharon H Venne, The Road To The United Nations And Rights Of
Indigenous Peoples, Griffith Law Review (2011) Vol 20 No 3, P. 557-577 (WC)
11/27/2014
No class – Thanksgiving Holiday
WEEK 15
Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources
12/02/2014
Indigenous Peoples Rights Beyond the UNDRIP
Reading: Declaration of Continuing Independence (1976) See at:
http://www.republicoflakotah.com/2009/1974-declaration-of-independence/
12/04/2014
Overview – Protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Knowledge and Genetic
Resources
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Reading: Harry, Debra, ‘Biocolonialism and Indigenous Knowledge in United
Nations Discourse,’ Griffith Law Review, Volume 20, No. 3, 2011 (WC)
12/09/2014
Review and Preparation for Final Exam
WEEK 16
Final Exam
12/11/2014
Final Exam – 12:30 – 2:00 pm FA 253
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