Winter 2016 English 332.001 American Indian Literature Dr. Toni A. Čuljak Time: M T W Th 1:00-1:50 Location: 102 Dean Hall Office: LL 403D (See note under office hours) Phone: 963-1531 E-mail: culjakt @ cwu.edu Office hours: T Th 2:00-3:00 and by appointment (regular office hours will be held in the 2nd floor Dean lounge; by appointment hours will be held in LL403D) Required texts: Erdrich, Louise, Tracks, New York: Harper Collins, 1988. King, Tom, Green Grass, Running Water, 1993. Matthews, John Joseph, Sundown, Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 1934. Silko, Leslie Marmon, Ceremony, New York: Penguin, 1988. Additional readings available on English 332 Canvas site Description: This course explores the literary traditions within the culture context of the first peoples of North America. Many of the works of contemporary American Indian writers are grounded in the American Indian oral tradition of myth and legend and explore a variety of subjects including traditional ritual and ceremony, contemporary Indian society, and significant events in (post-contact) American Indian history. We will read and analyze contemporary short fiction and novels in a broad context of Indian history and culture and, hopefully, demonstrate our understanding in creative ways. Assignments and Grading Percentages: Two Critical/analytical papers: 25% (each) Reading Quizzes 20% Creative project: 10% General attendance and class involvement/participation: 20%
Learner Outcomes Students should understand and be able to discuss the relationship of culture to literary expression, critique, and evaluation. Students should be familiar with and be able to discuss some significant characteristics of American Indian literary traditions in terms of specific works. Students should be able to discuss a text s and/or writer s difference and specificity (the cultures in, with, and/or against which the text was written, read, critiqued) as well as its/his/her commonality aesthetic and political with other, similar texts and/or writers. Students should demonstrate the ability to write a literary essay exploring issues of culture and difference. Assessments Quizzes and Literary Essays Class discussions Quizzes and Literary Essays Literary essays Papers: You will be assigned two critical, analytical papers. The papers are designed to demonstrate your ability to read closely, think critically, and write coherently on an assigned topic. All papers are due at the start of the class period listed as the due date. You are expected to deliver them in person. I assume no responsibility for papers that have not been given to me personally. Papers should be cleanly and clearly typewritten. You should make two copies of your paper and retain one for your records. Late papers will be penalized ½ grade per day. Papers may not be revised or resubmitted for grades. Quizzes: Quizzes on lecture and reading materials will be given on a regular basis. They may take the form of short answer, T/F, multiple choice, essay questions or a combination of these options. Creative Project: One goal of the course is to immerse you in the worlds created by contemporary American Indian writers and to understand the culture which gives of rise to those worlds. That understanding requires a leap of the imagination. This leap will be the source of the creative project. Details to follow. Disability Support Services: Students with disabilities who wish to set up academic adjustments in this class should give each instructor a copy of their Confirmation of Eligibility for Academic Adjustments from Disability Support Services Office as soon as possible so we can discuss how the approved adjustments will be implemented in this class. Students
without this form should contact the Disability Support Services Office, Bouillon 205 or dssrecept@cwu.edu or 963-2171. Academic Misconduct: You are expected to do your own work. A student who copies another individual's work (including a fellow student's work), with or without permission, is guilty of cheating. In my courses, the penalty for cheating is failure in this course and a charge of academic misconduct. The penalty for allowing another student to copy your work is failure in this course and a charge of academic misconduct. Unless noted, the paper assignments in this course are not designed to require the use of outside sources. Failure to properly document ideas or written work attributable to another author is plagiarism. The penalty for plagiarism is failure in the course and a charge of academic misconduct. Please see the CWU policy manual (section CWUP 5-90- 010(4)) and the CWU Student Conduct Code (II.B) for additional information. Attendance, Participation, and Classroom Etiquette: I function on the principle that essential demonstrations of adult responsibility and maturity are punctuality and preparedness. Your participation grade will reflect your respectful and informed contributions to classroom discussions. You are expected to attend class (to arrive on time and remain until class is dismissed). Attendance is taken via a sign-in sheet. Students are responsible for signing the sheet each day. Frequent tardiness will have a negative effect on your class participation grade. If you must miss class for medical or personal reasons, you are expected to notify one of your instructors by telephone, via e-mail, in writing, or in person as to when and why you will be (or have been) absent. My office telephone is equipped with voice mail so that you may leave word at any time. Student athletes are expected to provide your instructor with a list of dates on which you will be absent for sports events. For all students, more than six absences whether "excused" or "unexcused" will result in your failure in the in-class portion of this course. This does not mean that you are entitled to miss six class periods, rather that we make allowances for the vagaries of life including illness and emergencies. If it becomes apparent that your attendance threatens your potential to pass this course, we will attempt to arrange a meeting with you to discuss your options. You are also expected to be prepared, to complete reading assignments, writing assignments, study questions, etc. and to participate actively in class. High grades in class participation are achieved by active learning, not by your mere presence in a classroom. You are also expected to behave respectfully and appropriately with your classmates and professor. You should not have private conversations during class time. Cell Phones and Computers: Turn your cell phone off and leave it in your bag or pocket. Please obtain permission from instructor(s) to use laptops, recorders, etc. If it is necessary to keep the phone on due to an emergency situation, please inform me before class of the potential emergency, put the phone on vibrate and, if necessary, leave the classroom quietly and quickly to take the call.
Texting in class is absolutely not tolerated. If we find you using your phone/texting in class you will be asked to gather your things and leave the room immediately. If you have an issue, please see Professor Carroll or Culjak after class or during their respective office hours. If you use a computer, use it only for taking class notes. If I find you using your computer to surf the net or complete assignments for other classes, etc., you will be asked to gather your things and leave the room immediately. Violation of cell phone and computer use requirements will negatively affect participation grade, and being asked to leave due to such violations will count as a class absence. High Administrator from the Office of Judicial Affairs cutting heart from student who plagiarized, texted during class, or otherwise violated class policies. Incompletes: In accordance with university policy, incompletes are given solely as a response to emergency situations and at the discretion of the instructor. They are not given to provide a student an opportunity to raise a failing grade; in order to receive an incomplete, a student must be passing at the time of the request. It is the student's responsibility to contact the professor and make arrangements to complete the course. To earn a grade, a student must complete the work for the course as prescribed by the instructor by the indicated date on the Lapse Deadline (see the CWU policy manual, section CWUP 5-90-010(25)). You paid for the course; finish it. Use of CWU email: All official communications with current students is supposed to be sent to the students CWU email accounts. Many students use an alternate email account or alternate service provider for their email; however, the new university policy is that all course information (assignments, changes to the syllabus, etc.) be sent through the Outlook system. You are expected to check your CWU email account on a daily basis.
Winter 2016 English 332.001 American Indian Literature (Subject to change) Reading should be completed by the day listed on the syllabus. Week 1 1/5 T Introduction (course requirements, expectations, overview) 1/6 W An abbreviated history of Indians in post-contact America 1/7 Th American Indian Literary history (PowerPoint) Week 2 Matthews and American Modernism 1/11 M Historical context and the Osage Matthews, Sundown, 1-87 1/12 T Matthews, Sundown, 87-138 1/13 W Matthews, Sundown, 139-186 1/14 Th Matthews, Sundown, 187--244 Week 3 1/18 M Martin Luther King Day - NO CLASS 1/19 T Matthews, Sundown, 245-312 1/20 W Matthews, Sundown discussion 1/21 Th Matthews, Sundown discussion Week 4 Ritual and Ceremony 1/25 M Silko and Cultural context: Healing ceremonies Silko, Ceremony, 1-77 1/26 T Historical context: American Indians in WW II Silko, Ceremony, 78-153 1/27 W Silko, Ceremony, 154-201 1/28 Th Silko, Ceremony, 201-262 Week 5 Postmodernism, Dialogics, and Contemporary Indian Fiction 2/1 M Silko, Ceremony, discussion 2/2 T Silko, Ceremony, discussion 2/3 W Disease, Allotment and the Anishinabe (Chippewa) Erdrich, Tracks, 1-95 2/3 Th Tricksters, Transformers and Culture Heroes Erdrich, Tracks, 96-165 Week 6 Tricksters, Transformers and Culture Heroes Redux 2/8 M Erdrich, Tracks discussion 2/9 T Erdrich, Tracks discussion 2/10 W Four Old Indians and Creation The Woman Who Fell from the Sky
2/11 Th Who are all these people? Literary and Historical Allusions in King King, Green Grass, Running Water, 1-107 Week 7 2/15 M Presidents Day- NO CLASS 2/16 T King, Green Grass, Running Water, 111-163 Paper one due 2/17 W King, Green Grass, Running Water, 163-216 2/18 Th King, Green Grass, Running Water, 217-285 Week 8 2/22 M King, Green Grass, Running Water, 285-346 2/23 T King, Green Grass, Running Water, 346-406 2/24 W King, Green Grass, Running Water, 406-469 2/25 Th Discussion Week 9 Poetry and Short Fiction 2/29 M Erdrich, Indian Boarding School: The Runaways, Dear John Wayne (Canvas) 3/1 T Hogan, Tear ; Alexie, How to Write the Great American Indian Novel (Canvas) 3/2 W Rose, Three Thousand Dollar Death Chant (Canvas) 3/3 Th Harjo, She Had Some Horses Paper 2 Due Week 10 Poetry and Short Fiction 3/7 M Alexie, What You Pawn, I Will Redeem (Canvas) 3/8 T Hogan, Making Do (Canvas) 3/9 W Caldwell, Cooking Woman (Canvas) 3/10 Th King, A Short History of Indians in Canada, A Seat in the Garden (Canvas) Exam Week 3/14 M Creative Project presentations 12:00-2:00PM NOTE: Additional readings as assigned either posted on Canvas or via link from Canvas