Gender Identity in Native America
ES 499
Where I Come From Is Like This: Overview of American Indian Traditional and
Contemporary Gender Diversity
Allison Davis-White Eyes
Office: 150 Kerr Admin
Email: Allison.Davis-Whiteeyes@oregonstate.edu
Phone: 541-737-9030
Office Hours: By appointment
Angi Baxter
Office: 150 Kerr Admin
Email: baxtera@onid.orst.edu
Phone: 541-760-2618
Office Hours: By appointment
COURSE VALUES STATEMENT:
This class fosters respectful communication regarding differences. Therefore, statements,
attitudes, and behaviors that could be perceived as disrespectful to someone’s background,
culture or identity will not be tolerated nor reinforced. Age, ability, color/ethnicity/race, gender
identity/expression, immigration status, marital/parental status, military/veteran status, national
origin, political affiliation, religious/spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic
status are examples. This policy is in accordance with university regulations.
TEXT:
Books:
Laura F. Klein & Lillian A. Ackerman: Women and Power in Native North America
“Complimentary But Equal Gender Status in the Plateau,” pg 75-100
“First Among Equals? The Changing Status of Seneca Women,” pg 101-112
“The Gender Status of Navajo Women,” pg 159-176
“Women’s Status Among the Muskogee and Cherokee,” pg 214-229
Andrea Smith: Conquest
“Sexual Violence as a Tool of Genocide,” pg 7-33
“Boarding School Abuses and the Case of Reparations,” pg 35-54
“Better Dead than Pregnant: The Colonization of Native Women’s Reproductive
Health,” pg 79-107
“Anticolonial Responses to Gender Violence,” pg 137-175
Course packet will contain the following publications to be read for class:
Billson, Janet Standing Tradition on It’s Head: Role Reversal Among Blood Indians
Bird, Elizabeth Gendered Construction of the American Indian in Popular Culture
Gunn Allen, Paula The Sacred Hoop,
“Grandmother of the Sun-Ritual Gynocracy in Native America”
“Lesbians in American Indian Culture”
Krech, Paul: Envisioning a Healthy Future: Rebecoming of Native American Men
Williams, Walter Spirit and the Flesh
“Of Religions and Dreams: The Spiritual Basis of the Berdache Tradition”
“Indian Acculturation and Decline of the Berdache Tradition”
“The Berdache Tradition and Gay American Indians Today”
Online readings are available on blackboard:
Beck, Peggy: The Sacred
“Definitions of Religion and the Sacred”
“Girls Puberty Ceremonies”
Churchill, Ward Indians R Us; Reflections of the Mens Movement
Chrystos “Not Vanishing” (poetry)
Deloria, Vine: Indians in Unexpected Places,
“Athletics”
Gunn Allen, Paula The Sacred Hoop,
“Where I Come From is Like This”
“How the West was Really Won”
“Lesbians in American Indian Culture”
Jaimes, Annette American Indian Women at the Center of Indigenous Resistance
Guest Speakers:
Cecelia Fire Thunder, (Oglala Sioux) Past Tribal Chairperson of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
First female Chairperson of The Oglala Sioux Tribe.
William Johnson Jr. (Nez Perce) Elder of Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce Indians
Gail Woodside (Apache) Traditionalist
Brian Decker, (MARS, Male Advocates for Responsible Sexuality)
Chrystos, (Native Poet & Activist)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In the past 20 years interest in the history and cultures of American Indian gender relations has
increased. Yet with a few exceptions, books and articles that focus on gender have not adequately
portrayed the complexity of such relationships. Despite the plethora of works that have been
written about American Indians, the various roles of men, women and native peoples identifying
as LGBTQ have gone unappreciated and have been essentialized, thus missing the multifaceted
and complex roles gender plays in the political, religious, social and economic lives of tribal
people.
Utilizing an ethnohistorical approach, this course will explore gender in American Indian
communities from the following perspectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The politics and methodologies involved when writing about gender in Native societies.
Giving voice to the various genders.
Defining the roles of women, men and LGBTQ Natives.
Examining the changing definitions of identity, race, class and gender within tribal societies
as a result of colonialism, and.
5. Feminism, subaltern and postcolonial theories as they pertain to Native gender
relationships.
As a living syllabus the course description may change, depending upon the direction of class
discourse, guest lecturers, readings, and assignments. These will be announced in class, thus
class attendance is imperative.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Academic dishonesty:
(a) Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to
claim credit for the work or effort of another person or uses unauthorized information in any
academic work;
(b) Academic dishonesty includes “cheating” (intentional use or attempted use of unauthorized
materials, information, or study aid); fabrication (intentional falsification or invention of any
information); “assisting in dishonesty” (intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help
another commit an act of academic dishonesty); “tampering” (altering or interfering with evaluation
instruments or documents); and “plagiarism” (intentionally or knowingly representing the words or
ideas of another person as one’s own);
(c) Academic dishonesty cases are handled initially by the academic units, but will also be referred
to the Student Conduct Coordinator for action under these rules.
Class Participation:
(a) It is expected that students will be punctual, attend class, and participate in discussion and
all work assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructors whether
there are any changes to class attendance or participation. Students must email both
instructors.
Electronic Media:
(a) The use of laptops is permitted. Cell phones are NOT permitted to be on during class, at
the fifth cell phone ring during the QUARTER, everyone in class loses 1 percent of their
grades. Text messaging and internet surfing is also NOT permitted. There will be no
videotaping of the class and posting to YouTube.
Missed Assignments:
(a) It is the student’s responsibility to notify both instructors of missed assignments. Missed
midterm means that the student will be eligible for 80% of the total points.
Reminder:
Please remember that you are under no obligation to agree with the authors of the readings or
with us as your instructors. Your obligation is to engage with the material of the course and be
able to demonstrate your understanding. Whether you like or agree with this (often controversial!)
material will not affect your grade in this class; the extent of your understanding and integration of
class material will. You are asked to agree on a commitment to encounter and engage course
readings, course goals, and each other with openness, careful and attentive listening, honesty,
and mutual respect.
Accommodations:
Students with documented disabilities who need accommodations, who have any emergency
medical information that the instructor should be aware of, or who need special arrangements in
the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, and
no later than the first week of the term, in order to ensure positive learning outcomes. Students
with family responsibilities which have the potential to affect course participation should speak
with an instructor at the beginning of the term.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Meeting w/ Instructor
You are required to meet with Angi outside of class before April 11th for half hour. This is
part of your participation grade.
Weekly Journal (10% of your total grade)
Every week you are expected to write at least a 1 page journal entry covering the questions
for and reaction to the readings. These will be turned in at the beginning of class every
week starting the 2nd week. Journals will not be accepted late. If you can not come to class,
please email us your journal or drop it off before our scheduled class period.
Research Paper (50% of your total grade)
1st Draft (15%): April 22nd at the beginning of class
First draft of your paper will be a 2 page description of what you want to research
and why.
2nd Draft (15%): May 20th at the beginning of class
Second draft is added to the first draft and is comprised of research and analysis of
the topic in the first draft and be no less than 5 pages. This part of the paper should
include a minimum of 5 scholarly resources relevant to the topic using APA
guidelines for citation.
3rd & Final Draft (20%): June 9th at 5pm in Kerr 150.
The final draft is a rewrite of the first and second drafts incorporating the feedback
provided by the instructors.
Midterm Exam (30% of your total grade)
GRADING
The final grade will be based on the following distribution:
Journal
10%
Research term paper:
1st draft
15%
2nd draft
15%
3rd & Final draft
20%
Attendance and participation
10%
Midterm critique
30%
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week One
Topics Covered
Introduction to writing about gender and race:
Discussion on feminism
Subaltern theory
Post-colonialism
Guest Speaker: Brian Decker
***Journal entry due next class
Readings for Week Two:
Packet: Bird, Elizabeth Gendered Construction of the American Indian in Popular Media
p. 20-42
Online: Gunn Allen, Paula The Sacred Hoop,
“Where I Come From is Like This”
Week Two
Topics Covered
Interrogating stereotypes and representations of American Indian men and women.
Squaws and Bucks
Movie:
Pocahontas (deconstructing the colonial mind)
Journal entry due
Readings for Week Three:
Packet: Gunn Allen, Paula: The Sacred Hoop,
“Grandmother of the Sun-Ritual Gynocracy in Native America” p. 85-93
Online: Beck, Peggy The Sacred,
“Definitions of Religion and the Sacred”
“Girls Puberty Ceremonies”
Week Three
Topics Covered
Traditional Cosmology
Everything is in the Balance
Traditional ways of knowing and being
Guest Speaker: Gail Woodside
Journal entry due
Readings for Week Four:
Packet: Krech, Paul Envisioning a Healthy Future: A Re-Becoming of Native American Men
p. 1-19
Online: Churchill, Ward Indians R Us; Reflections of the Mens Movement
Deloria, Vine Indians in Unexpected Places,
“Athletics”
Week Four
Topics Covered
Social, cultural, economic, spiritual, and political traditional men’s roles.
Guest Speaker: William Johnson, Jr.
Movie:
Mohawk Wisdom Keepers
Journal entry due
First draft of research paper due
Readings for Week Five:
Book:
Laura F. Klein & Lillian A. Ackerman: Women and Power in Native North America
“The Gender Status of Navajo Women,” pg 159-176
“Women’s Status Among the Muskogee and Cherokee,” pg 214-229
“Complimentary But Equal Gender Status in the Plateau,” pg 75-100
“First Among Equals? The Changing Status of Seneca Women,” pg 101-112
Week Five
Topics Covered
Social, cultural, economic, spiritual, and political traditional women’s roles.
Guest Speaker: Cecelia Fire Thunder
Journal entry due
Readings for Week Six:
Online:
Gunn Allen, Paula: The Sacred Hoop,
“How the West was Really Won”
“Lesbians in American Indian Culture”
Packet: Williams, Walter Spirit and the Flesh,
“Sacred People: Berdache Mystical Power and Ceremonial Roles” p.101-113
Week Six
Topics Covered
Traditional roles of Lesbian Women in Native culture.
Journal entry due
Midterm Exam
Readings for Week Seven:
Packet: Williams, Walter Spirit and the Flesh,
“Of Bibles and Bureaus: Indian Acculturation and Decline of the Berdache
Tradition” p.114-139
Week Seven
Topics Covered
Traditional Roles of Gay men in Native culture.
Movie:
Unrepentant
Journal entry due
Readings for Week Eight:
Packet: Gunn Allen, Paula The Sacred Hoop,
“When Women Throw Down Bundles Women Make Strong Nations” p.94-100
Online: Jaimes, Annette American Indian Women at the Center of Indigenous Resistance
Week Eight
Topics Covered
World Out of Balance: Colonization and the after effects.
Movie:
Journal entry due
2nd draft of research paper due
Reading for Week Nine:
Packet: Williams, Walter Spirit and the Flesh,
“The Berdache Tradition and Gay American Indians Today” p.140-168
Book:
Smith, Andrea Conquest,
“Better Dead than Pregnant: The Colonization of Native Women’s
Reproductive Health,” pg 79-107
“Anticolonial Responses to Gender Violence,” pg 137-175
Week Nine
Topics Covered
Gender Violence in Indian Country
Movie:
Finding Dawn
Journal entry due
Readings for Week Ten:
Packet:
Billson, Janet Standing Tradition on It’s Head: Role Reversal Among Blood Indians
p. 75-84
Book:
Smith, Andrea Conquest,
“Sexual Violence as a Tool of Genocide” pg 7-33
“Boarding School Abuses and the Case of Reparations,” pg 35-54
Online: Chrystos “Not Vanishing” (poetry)
Week Ten
Topics Covered
American Indian Activism, the Women’s Movement, and the Rise of the Two Spirit
Guest Speaker: Chrystos
Journal entry due
Final:
June 9th at 5pm in Kerr 150