The Buffalo Hunt
George Catlin: The Buffalo Hunt

Ant/Nas/Ams 343: Peoples and Cultures of Native North America

FALL SEMESTER 2008

 

Fr. Raymond Bucko, S.J.
Harper Living/Learning Student Center 3040
Tuesday 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Thursday 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Course Schedule

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course examines how Western social science has studied and understood the many different cultures encountered in North America by Europeans. We will also examine the history of Indian-European contact with a focus on its effects on both Native and Euro-American cultures through history. We will use linguistics to learn about the wide variety of languages present on the continent, archaeology to examine ancient cultures of North America, and cultural anthropology to examine the different peoples living within North America. We also consider contemporary issues such as exploitation of Native religious ceremonies, reburial of archaeological remains and land rights using a multiplicity of voices reflecting Native and non-Native perspectives.

COURSE GOALS:

Thorough the reading of a textbook, a mystery novel, an ethnographic novel, a history, and viewing three films this course studend will be able to do the following:
  • Explain the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Natives of North America by studying the history and culture of Indian peoples organized according to the ten culture areas utilized by cultural anthropologists.
  • Describe Native peoples as peoples of the present who both maintain strong links to the past and also continue to adapt to present circumstances and that these people are not simply people of the paste.
  • Analyze criticaly the images of Native peoples produced by non-Natives as well as Native peoples themselves.
  • Understand the complex interrelations of indigenous and European peoples from the time of the European incursion until the present.
  • Enumerate contemporary issues of importance to Native communities today and understand the ethical and moral importance of the interrelationship between Indian and non-Indian segments of the contemporary populations of the United States.
  • Employ the basic tools used by anthropologists to understand and analyze diverse cultures.

    • COURSE FORMAT:

    The course will be divided into lectures, discussions and presentations. Students are expected to keep up with readings and participate in class as well as on the Internet using a workspace. The workspace contains the syllabus as well as a forum for student interaction and a place to accumulate other resources which will enhance our learning experience. As part of class participation, you are asked to fill out surveys, visit research sites, and suggest topics for class discussion as well as to point out new Internet sites which you find helpful for our study.

    COURSE TEXTS:

    These required texts can be obtained through the bookstore:

    • Alexi, Sherman The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
    • Hillerman, Tony Talking God
    • Kehoe, Alice North American Indians Third Edition

    USEFUL SITES:

    StudentAdvantage provides a free "Guide to the Disciplines" on their web site. This site includes a guide to Native American Studies. The best way to use this site is to "surf the folders" rather than use the search engine. This site also provides guides to other disciplines. These sites were screened by a teams of researchers for suitability for academic research. Fr. Bucko, S.J. headed the team for the Native American Section.

    OTHER REQUIRED READINGS:

    All assigned readings, if not from the required textbooks are on the BSCW or on reserve in the library.

    COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
    1. Attendance: I have placed the attendance requirements for this class below.
    2. Quizzes: You will take periodic quizzes on the visual presentations, assigned reading as well as the course lecutres. This is intended to encourage you to review your notes and keeping up with the course readings.
    3. ACTIVE Class participation: You are expected to read the texts, and respond to assigned questions on the BSCW BEFORE each class. Readings and assignments are due on the date they are listed on the Course Schedule. Thus, the readings for September 14th are to be read for the class to be held on September 14th. Participation includes the following:
      • speaking in class,
      • adding internet sites relevant to our course of studies to the BSCW,
      • using the academic resources of the college such as writing center and office hours which the professor holds,
      • responding to your classmates and professor's comments on the BSCW and the Course Discussion List (ant343@creighton.edu). You are also expected to check the on-line Course Schedule when and if the professor negotiates any changes. Attendance, deep thought, attentiveness, and interest are all vital to your success in class but represent passive participation. Active participation is any public act that enhances the educational experience for everyone in the class. You will be asked to evaluate our own participation performance twice during the semester. It pays to examine the self-evaluation form ahead of time to see the criteria for evaluation. The professor will take your own evaluation into consideration when formulating your participation grade
    4. Culture Area Presentation: The members of the class will be divided into 10 culture area working groups. You may not belong to a culture area group that encompasses the area in which you were raised (I grew up in New Jersey so I would be disqulified from the Northeast culture area). At the end of the semester each group will present its research on a specific culture area. Students will produce an electonic "study guide" for the class and distriubt it by way of the BSCW. If you give a visual presentation to the class that material should also be updloaded to the proper folder on the BSCW.
    5. Weekley Comments on News Articles: You are requred to commet on current news events involving Native people. Be sure to make substantial cooments each week, avoiding summary statements like "I agree" or "This is too bad." This activity counts for part of your active participation grade, giving students who perfer to speak less in class an opportunity to express more electronically. The expectation is that you will comment on each of the articles BEFORE the class on which the comment is due. Later comments are not as valuable as we will discuss the articles in class also.
    6. Midterm and Final examinations.

    ATTENDANCE:
    You are allowed (but not encouraged to use) up to three excused absences during the semester. If you exceed two unexcused absences or three excused aabsences or a combination of excused and unexcused absences that totals more than three, you will lose a half a grade for each excessive absence from your final average (thus if your final numerial grade is the equivalent of a B you will receive a C+ for one excessive absence) unless you can demonstrated that you are in a special situation have made arrangements before time with the professor. An excused absence is defined as an absence for a significant reason where the student advises the professor by e-mail or phone before the class takes place and the student substantiates the absence through written documentation which is due within seven days of the absence. A half letter grade will be deducted for each day an assignment is late unless there are special circumstances and the professor is notified no less than 24 hours before the assignment is due. Note that missing the class on the day which an assignment is due does not give you an extension for the assigment. You need to notify the professor why you were absent for that day and turn in your paper that day unless you have made previous arrangments or there are extreme extenuating circumstances.

    ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
    It is required that students exercise academic integrity as outlined in the Creighton University Student Handbook. Students are expected to interact with each other in a way which will enhance the learning experience of all and which is never destructive of other pesons. Because of the importance of acknowledged collaboration, students are required to cite all assistance, including that gained from peers. Students must never plagiarize. The professor maintains an audit policy for this course to both reward extraordinary performance and to guard against misuse of sources. Infringements of academic will be delt with according to Creighton University norms.

    GRADING:

    Grades will be determined in the following manner:

    • Participation
      		•  10%
    • Quizzes
      		•  20%
    • Group Culture Area Presentation
      		•  30%
    • Exams
      		• 40%

    Letter Grades are Awarded as Follows:

    A 100 - 90
    B+ 89 - 85
    B 84 - 80
    C+ 79 - 75
    C 74 - 70
    D 69 - 65
    F Below 65



    FACULTY INFORMATION
    FR. BUCKO, S.J.
    Office: Admin Bldg 433

    Office Hours:
    Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
    Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

    And by appointment

    Phone:
    Office - 402 280- 3587
    Home - 402 280-3115 (do not call after 9:00 PM)

    E-mail Address: bucko@creighton.edu

    SPECIAL NEEDS:

    If you have any special learning needs or are in circumstances which necessitate special consideration, please contact me at the beginning of the semester. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me within the first week of class and also contact Denise Le Clair, Assistant Director of the Office of Disability Accommodations (280-2166). Students who believe that they have a disability that may influence their academic performance, but who have not yet had the disability documented, should immediately contact the Center for Health and Counseling at 280-2735.  The Center for Health and Counseling is located in the Harper Center Room 1034.  

     

    ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE:

    Your first recourse if you are having challenges in a class should be to talk with your professor. Creighton also has resources to help ensure your success in the classroom. If you need help with writing you can contact the writing center for assistance. The Writing Center is located in Creighton Hall Room 136 (first floor). The phone number is 280-4707. If you need help with other skills such as studying, note taking, organization, you can contact the Office of Student Success at 280-5566. The office is located at the Harper Center, Room 4066. Feel free to e-mail Kate Linden if you would rather contact someone directly.

     

    COURSE LECTURES AND READINGS:

    Please refer to the course schedule for class by class information.

     

    The Seal of Creighton University

    This page is managed by
    Rev. Raymond A. Bucko, S.J.
    of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
    at Creighton University.

    E-Mail: bucko@creighton.edu

    Page Last Updated: December 7, 2008