Introduction to
Native American Studies
REL 3900 - Special Projects in Religion
ENGL 4690 - Special Topics in Underrepresented Literature
Course Information
ENGL 4690 CRN:
REL 3900 CRN:
Class Meets:
Location:
Instructor Information
Name:
Office:
Office Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
14125
14259
MW 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Martin 224
Dr. Rose Gubele
Martin 336D
660-543-4648
gubele@ucmo.edu
MW 12-1:30, TR 1-3, and by appointment
Course Description:
This course serves as an introduction to Native American Studies, designed for students who
wish to pursue a minor in the field. It is cross-listed as ENGL 4690 and REL 3900. The class
focuses on key issues in the field, including: land and tribal identity; history, colonial and precolonial; tribal sovereignty; Native American languages, and the emphasis on language
preservation and revitalization; tribal literatures and the establishment of a Native American
canon; tribal art, and the preservation and teaching of artistic techniques.
Texts and Materials:
Kidwell, Clara Sue and Alan Velie, eds. Native American Studies. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P,
2005. Print. ISBN#-13: 978-0-8032-2776-7
Additional Readings are available on Blackboard.
Attendance Policy:
Regular attendance at class meetings is a requirement of this course. Students who miss class
often tend to receive lower grades than students who attend regularly. In addition, I will only
allow students to make up missed work if they have provided me with documentation (an
electronic message from Student Experience and Engagement will suffice.) Students must take
the initiative to ask about missed work on the day they return to class and ask a classmate for a
copy of his or her notes.
In sum: if you miss a class, you may only make up the work if you provide a written excuse of
some kind and ask me about it on the day that you return to class.
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Assignments and Grades:
There are 1000 points possible in the course. The grade breakdown is as follows:
Assignments
Points
Terminology Test
Group Presentation
Trading Moon Event Response
Prospectus
Annotated Bibliography
100
150
50
75
175
Research Paper
Midterm
Final Exam
200
100
150
Total
Grade Breakdown
900-1000
A
800-890
B
700-790
C
600-690
D
1000
All assignments will be explained in greater detail on separate assignment sheets, but below is a
brief overview:
 Terminology Test: Native American Studies has a unique terminology, as do all fields. In
order to discuss issues relevant to the field, students will first need to understand the lingo.
 Group Presentation: Students will present and lead discussion of contemporary issues in
Native American Studies. A signup sheet will be circulated during week 2, and students may
choose their topics from the provided list. Additional topics may be proposed. This
assignment asks students to research, present material to the class, and lead class discussion.
Each student is expected to prepare a presentation that is ten minutes in length for
undergraduates and fifteen minutes in length for graduate students (includes class
discussion).
 Trading Moon Event Response: We will be holding the First Annual Trading Moon
Pow Wow on Saturday, November 14, 2015, noon-10 pm. That week, there will also be
crafts lessons and other events (more information to come). Students are required to attend
the Pow Wow or one of the events and write a two-page response in which they discuss their
experiences.
 Prospectus: Each student must write a one to two-page prospectus in which they propose a
topic for their research paper. The prospectus receives a separate grade. However, students
who fail to pass the prospectus assignment may not receive a grade for their research paper.
This assignment can be resubmitted an unlimited number of times.
 Annotated Bibliography: Each student must compile an Annotated Bibliography of 15
sources (20 for graduate students) relevant to their Research Paper topic. Not all of these
sources must be used on the Research Paper.
 Research Paper: Students are expected to complete a research paper on any topic related
to Native American Studies. Students must receive a passing grade on their Prospectus
assignment before they can submit this paper. The paper must be 15 pages for undergrads
and 25 for grads.
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Midterm: Students will be asked to answer one timed essay question during class. The
essay must be a minimum of 500 words. This is a closed-book exam, but students will be
permitted to bring one page of notes.
Final Exam: The final exam will follow the same format as the midterm. It will be
cumulative.
Library:
Get help @ your library! You may access your library account, the online catalog, and
electronic databases from James C. Kirkpatrick Library’s website at http://library.ucmo.edu. For
research assistance you may contact the Reference Desk:
 Phone: (660) 543-4154
 Email: reference@libserv.ucmo.edu
 AIM: JCKLReference
 RefChat: http//library.ucmo.edu/chat
University Policies and Notices:
Academic Honesty I will enforce UCM’s Academic Honesty Policy as described in the
Student Calendar/Handbook. Acts of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, all of the actions listed below:
 Plagiarism (downloading essays from the internet, copying essays from journals, or copying
a friend’s essays, and submitting them for credit).
 Patch Writing (blending un-cited quotes with original prose).
 Cheating (copying a classmate’s answers to a test question, etc.)
Each student should read UCM’s academic integrity policy, available on Blackboard in the
Course Materials tab.
Student Conduct Each student who enrolls at Central Missouri assumes an obligation to abide
by the rules and regulations of the University as well as the local, state, and federal laws. A
description of student rights and responsibilities is available in the Student Handbook, and
online: http:www.ucmo.edu/student/handbook.cfm
ADA Students with documented disabilities who are seeking academic accommodations should
contact the Office of Accessibility Services, Union 222, (Voice and TTY) 660-543-4421.
Green Dot I support actions of bystander intervention to establish a community of nonviolence.
I believe each student deserves a safe environment to pursue an education and I understand the
devastating impact forms of power-based personal violence (i.e. sexual assault, dating/domestic
violence, and stalking) may have. If you or someone you know has experience some form of
power-based personal violence you can find confidential resources with the following:
• 24 Hour Victim Advocate: The Mentoring, Advocacy and Peer Support office offers as a
confidential resource for those who have experienced sexual violence, harassment, intimate
partner violence and stalking through a 24 hour hotline. Contact the hotline by calling 660441-4855 or visit them at Dockery 212.
• Counseling Center: The Counseling Center offers free confidential personal and social
support through their licensed counselors. Contact them at 660-543-4060 or visit Humphreys
131 to schedule a meeting. Hours: M-F, 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm.
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•

University Health Center: The Health Centers offers non-emergency medical care for injuries
and follow-up appointments. Contact them at 660-543-4770 or visit them at 600
South College Avenue. Hours: M-F, 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm.
Course Objectives:
MoSTEP Competencies—Undergraduate English Classes:
3.5 how to locate and use a variety of print and non-print reference sources.
3.7 how to help students think critically about what they read.
3.8 methods for promoting personalized reactions to reading and the value of sharing those
responses.
4.3 use of evidence and documentation.
4.8 technology used to enhance learning and reflection on learning
4.9 how to help students develop the capacity to listen so they comprehend, analyze, consider,
respond to, and discuss spoken material, non-fiction, fiction, dramatic works, and poetry.
English Program Goals:
 Literature Goal, Level 2 – Students should be able to analyze literature on their own and/or
with the help of scholarly sources for its historical, cultural and/or social influences
 Literature Goal, Level 3 – Students should be able to use an appropriate critical method or
methods in synthesizing personal insight into a literary work with an awareness of the work’s
context in literary history.
 Research Goal, Level 3 – Students should be able to integrate research/documentation
principles, analysis of scholarly sources, and personal beliefs into valid arguments.
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Class Activities
Course Introduction
Natives and Academia
Terminology
Native American Studies
Land and Spirituality
Terminology Test
Labor Day Holiday
Native American History
Prospectus Due
Cultural Conflicts
Sovereignty
Discuss Lyons
Blood Quantum
Indian Identity
Review for Midterm
Discuss Justice
Midterm
Wannabees—Presentations
NAGPRA—Presentations
Casinos—Presentations
Mascots—Presentations
Language Revitalization
Annotated Bib. Due
Language, World View, and
Miscommunication
The Cherokee Phoenix
Native American Literature
Discuss Womack, Harjo, and
Silko
Reading Assignments Due
Powell, “Blood and Scholarship”
Ch 1: Introduction
Ch 2: Land and Identity
Ch 3: Historical Contact and Conflict
Ch 4: Tribal Sovereignty
Lyons, “Rhetorical Sovereignty”
Bizzaro, “Shooting Our Last Arrow” and
“Cherokee Women Scholars’ and Activists’
Statement on Andrea Smith”
Justice, “A Lingering Miseducation”
Ch 5: Language
Kilpatrick, “A Note on Cherokee Theological
Concepts”
Boudinot, “Savage Hostilities”
Ch 6: Literature
Womack, from Red on Red, Silko, “Story
from Bear Country” and Harjo, Poetry
Excerpts
Discuss Driskill and Harjo
Driskill, “Beginning Cherokee” and Harjo,
Joy. “Eagle Poem”
Native American Music
Lee, “Heartspeak”
Native American Art
Ch 7: Art
* * * * * * * Pow Wow November 14th * * * * * * *
Discuss Haas
Haas, “Wampum as Hypertext”
Trading Moon Resp. Due
Beading Workshop
Research Paper Due
11/23-11/25 Fall Break
Discuss Chapter 8
Ch 8: The Current State of Native American
Studies
Review for Final Exam
Final Exam, 3:30-5:30 p.m.