Weekly Schedule for 495E

Tentative Schedule

SP = Student Presentation (see assignment sheet)

Date	Before class, you should	In class, we will	In class, you will turn in
Week One 24 August Writing the Environment: Geography, Landscape, and Regionalism in Literature		~ make introductions. ~ go over the syllabus. ~ introduce Collaborative Letter, Student Presentation, and Group Project assignments. ~ introduce terms: regionalism, landscape, environment, ecology, ecocide, cultural studies.
26 August	~ read Silko, "The People and the Land ARE Inseparable" and "Interior and Exterior Landscapes"; James, "We Are the Caribou People"; Salinas, "Still Grieving over the Loss of Our Land." (electronic reserve) ~ read Creation Stories (handout)	~ discuss readings.	~ Short Writing (optional).
Week Two 31 August Ecocide and Native America	~ read selections from Ecocide of Native America (Introduction and Chapters 1; 5-9).	~ discuss readings.	~ Short Writing 1.
2 September	~ read selections from Struggle for the Land (Preface, Introduction; the first two chapters of Part II; all three chapters of Pari III).	~ discuss readings. ~ meet in groups.
Week Three 7 September	KEEP READING!	MONDAY/TUESDAY CLASS EXCHANGE DAY	NO CLASS
9 September		~ meeet with Daryl Baldwin, Director of The Myaamia Project.	~ Short Writing 2
Week Four 14 September The Historical Novel	~ read Mean Spirit (the first half).	~ introduce Mean Spirit. ~ discuss the Indian Removal Act (SP--Heather). ~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss land trusts, capitalism, and autonomy.	~ Short Writing 3.
16 September	~ complete Mean Spirit.	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss the Dawes Act. ~ discuss assimilation and cultural identity.
Week Five 21 September		~ complete our discussion of Mean Spirit. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Chickasaw (SP--Natalie).	~ Short Writing 4.
23 September	~ read Tracks (the first half)	~ introduce Tracks. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Ojibwe/Anishanaabeg (SP--Meredith). ~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss the land and cultural practices.
Week Six 28 September	~ finish Tracks.	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss smallpox and Native America (SP--Ashley). ~ discuss narrative and environmental cycles.
30 September		~ conclude our discussion of Tracks. ~ discuss the demise of the buffalo (SP--Tracy). ~ introduce Ceremony.
Week Seven 5 October	~ read Ceremony (1-62).	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Laguna Pueblo (SP--Becky). ~ discuss cultural and environmental destruction in the 20th century.	~ Short Writing 5
7 October	KEEP READING!	NO CLASS
Week Eight 12 October	~ read Ceremony (63-178).	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss Native American participation in wars and the military (SP--Rachel). ~ discuss native spaces: reservation and prisons.	~ Paper I
14 October	~ finish Ceremony. ~ read Ortiz poems (reserve)	~ finish our discussion of Ceremony. ~ discuss Ortiz poems. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Acoma Pueblo (SP--Allison).	~ Short Writing 6.
Week Nine 19 October Contemporary Environmental Struggles	~ read All Our Relations (all of it).	~ discuss readings. ~ discuss literature as activism. ~ discuss Winona LaDuke as environmental activist (SP--Angela).	~ Short Writing 7.
21 October	~ read excerpts from Dwellings (reserve).	~ discuss readings. ~ discuss the personal essay as literature. ~ discuss the Bureau of Indian Affairs (SP--Michelle).
Week Ten 26 October	~ read Green Grass, Running Water (1-107).	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss the environment and creation. ~ discuss treaties between the United States and Native American peoples (SP--Christy).	~ Short Writing 8.
28 October	~ read Green Grass, Running Water (111-250).	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss water rights. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Blackfoot (SP--TJ).
Week Eleven 2 November	~ finish Green Grass, Running Water.	~ conclude our discussion of the novel. ~ discuss history and popular culture. ~ discuss the Cherokee (SP--Laurie). ~ discuss Pan-Indianism.	~ Collaborative Letter
4 November	KEEP READING!	NO CLASS
Week Twelve 9 November	~ read Solar Storms (the first half).	~ discuss the novel. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Cree (SP--Nate).	~ Short Writing 9.
11 November	~ finish Solar Storms.	~ finish our discussion of the novel. ~ discuss the American Indian Movement (SP--Casey).
Week Thirteen 16 November Environmental Memoirs and Life Writing	~ read The Woman Who Watches Over the World (all of it).	~ discuss the memoir. ~ discuss environment and illness. ~ discuss the Massacre at Wounded Knee (SP--Joanna).
18 November		~ finish our discussion of Hogan's memoir. ~ discuss alcoholism and Native America (SP--Adam).	~ Paper II.
Week Fourteen 23 November	~ read The Way to Rainy Mountain (the whole thing.).	~ discuss the sacred land and cultural memory. ~ discuss the history and culture of the Kiowa.	~ Short Writing 10.
25 November	NO CLASS	HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Week Fifteen 30 November	~ read Islands and Books in Ojibwe Country (all of it).	~ discuss essays. ~ discuss the demise of Native American languages.
2 December	~ read Bennett, "The Puyallup Tribe Rose from the Ashes." (reserve)	~ discuss reading. ~ discuss the future of the environment and cultural survival.	~ Short Writing 11.
Week Sixteen 7 December	~ complete your final projects.	~ present final projects.	~ Short Writing 12.
9 December	~ complete your final projects.	~ present final projects.	~ Short Writing 12.
FINALS WEEK	Final Projects are due at the appointed exam time (Wednesday at 9:45 am) in the lobby of King Library.