Undergraduate Courses
E234 Native American Literature
In an attempt to draw away from purely anthropological and sociological concerns and to confront American Indian literature as literature, E234 emphasizes the history, forms, and style of Indian narrative, structured fiction, song, and poetry. Students are shown the progress and tradition of such concepts as the sacred hoop, the medicine wheel, unity with nature, and the meaning of the white incursions; they are exposed to Indian variations on such literary features as rhythm, syntax, symbol, metaphor, and allegory; and they are expected to come to a fuller understanding of various themes that are frequently repeated in the literature. Along with traditional and historical materials, the course features contemporary Indian authors such as Silko, Welch, Momaday, Deloria, Storm, Erdrich, Ortiz, Vizenor, Harjo and Owens.Since the course covers such a wide range of materials, ranging from creation stories to modern poetry and fiction, the reading list usually will include at least one anthology containing traditional materials, some autobiographical and historically based narratives, and some novels with contemporary settings.
Possible course texts include:
- Vizenor, Native American Literature
- Velie, American Indian Literature (anthology)
- McLuhan, Touch the Earth (anthology)
- Rosen, The Man to Send Rain Clouds (anthology of contemporary writing)
- Neihardt, Black Elk Speaks (autobiographical narrative)
- Sandoz, Crazy Horse ("epic biography")
- McNickle, The Surrounded (novel)
- Momaday, House Made of Dawn (novel)
- Silko, Ceremony (novel)
- Welch, Winter in the Blood, The Death of Jim Loney (novels)
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