USD COURSES RELATED TO NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES

Photo Courtesy of USD May Collection

     Anthropology

     English

     History

     Law

     Theology & Religious Studies

     Sociology

Anthropology

Anthropology 120: North American Indian Cultures

A survey of prehistory, history, social organization, economy, worldview, and contemporary issues of American Indian and Inuit groups across North America (north of Mexico) from ethnohistorical and applied anthropology perspectives. Regional adaptations stemming from environmental and intercultural linkages are highlighted.

Anthropology 121: California & Great Basin Indian Cultures

This course presents an overview of the environment and cultural history of native California and the neighboring Great Basin region plus close examination of Yurok, Washoe, Pomo, Yokoch, Mono, Chumash, Kumeyaay cultures and contemporary issues. Lecture-discussions, ethnographies, biographies, slides, film, and field trips are included.

Anthropology 123: Southwest Indian Cultures

A survey of the ethnography of Native Americans in the Greater Southwest (the American Southwest and the Mexican Northwest). Emphasis on the interplay of each culture with its ecological environment and surrounding cultures, particularly the historically dominant colonial European settlers.

Anthropology 130: Southwestern Archaeology

Examines the development and changing face of human adaptation in the southwestern part of North America since the earliest human occupations. Emphasizes views based on archeological evidence. The course seeks to highlight the diversity of environmental zones and shifting strategies of resource utilization seen in the region that date from prehistoric times to the end of the 19th Century.

Combines theory, practice and critique to present the history of museums, the development of curation and conservation practices, and the theory of exhibition design. Incorporates a hands-on approach using the resources of USD's David W. May Indian Artifacts Collections. Field trips to local museums are a requisite of the course.

Students research, design, and install an exhibition in the David W. May Indian Gallery (Founders Hall 102). Using the 1,600 plus objects in the May Collection, students in the course will select an exhibit theme, determine the objects to be included, conduct library background research, write label copy, design the cases and case furniture-including graphics, install the exhibit, and orchestrate the exhibit opening (poster, invitations, catering, and entertainment).

Anthropology 153: Plants & Animals in Southwest Mythology

An exploration of the role specific plants and animals as metaphors play in the mythology (sacred texts) of various Southwest Indian cultures. Knowing the biology of the particular organism as well as the unique cultures that told the stories will open up the deeper, often elusive meanings of individual myths.

Anthropology 154: Origin Myths of the Southwest

A survey of the mythology of four major groups of native Americans from the Greater Southwest--Yumans, Pimans, Puebloans, and Athabascans or Apacheans.

Anthropology 161: Shamans, Art & Creativity

An investigation of the phenomenon of art in human society from earliest times to the present. The course considers art as an integral part of culture and examines the role of the shaman in art’s origins. The course samples a wide range of art traditions in their cultural context, such as that of the Huichols of northwestern Mexico, the Balinese of Indonesia, and the Tungus reindeer herders of Siberia.

Anthropology 171: Indigenous Religions

An examination of the elements, forms, and symbolism of religion among indigenous peoples, role of religion in society, and anthropological theories of belief systems.

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English

English 25: Native American Literature
                  Sr. Mary Hotz

Read and study novels written by Native Americans about Native American experiences. Books are selected from "the three waves" in Native American literature as identified by Paula Gunn Allen. The three waves move from recovery from the long war and the reservation era, through renewal and a reassertion of Native identity, to an articulation of Native American identity as constituted by "inclusion, incorporation and transformation of alien elements into elements of ceremonial significance." Authors to be read include D'Arcy McNickle, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdich, and Michael Dorris.

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History

History 180:History of the American West

This course surveys the history of the trans-Mississippi West, from pre-Columbian times to the present. Topics include: pre-contact Indian peoples; the competition between European empires over the American West; American expansion and conquest; the fur, mining, ranching, and farming “frontiers;” the railroad and populism; the growth of the urban West; World War II; the historical experience of workers, women, and Mexican-, Asian-, Native-, and African-Americans; environmental issues, such as conservation, preservation, the dust bowl, and water politics; and representation of the West in American popular culture.

History 189: California History

Covers California’s past from its earliest settlements to modern times. The course begins with California’s geographical setting, aboriginal culture, and contact with the European world. A survey of Spanish backgrounds includes missions and missionaries, ranchos, pueblos, and foreign visitors. Changes under the government of Mexico lead to California’s conquest by the United States. During the second half, lectures cover generally the effects of the Gold Rush; problems of statehood; constitutional developments; land, labor, and Indian policies; transportation, immigration; agriculture and industry; California during wartime, water projects; political issues; cultural accomplishments, racial diversity and recent trends. Meets the requirements of California history standards for various teaching credentials.

History 381: American Indian History

This course surveys American Indian history from Pre- Columbian times to the present. Topics include: pre- Columbian Native America; Spanish, English, and French invasions; Indians and the colonial period; Indian Removal; Indians and American expansion in the Far West; the reservation system, allotment, and federal Indian education; the Indian New Deal; termination, relocation, and the growth of urban Native America; and Indian militancy, cultural accommodation and revitalization, and the ongoing struggle for sovereignty.

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Law

Upper Division: Native American Law

Examines the policies, laws, treaties, and cases that have shaped United States law as applied to Native Americans.

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Theology & Religious Studies

Religious Studies 112: Introduction to World Religions

A survey of the major religious tradition of the world, focusing on an understanding of the religious world views and practices that shape culture across the globe. Selected readings from these traditions, which will include Christianity, the religions of India and East Asia, Judaism, Islam, and the religions of indigenous oral cultures.

Religious Studies 120: Native American Religious Traditions
                                    Dr. Kathleen M. Dugan

An historical and systematic investigation into the spiritual contribution of Native Americans, their ethos and their meaning for Christianity and the future of humanity.
 

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Sociology

Sociology 131: Race and Ethnic Relations

An introduction to theory and research relative to minority group relations in the United States and elsewhere, with particular emphasis upon patterns, problems, and consequencesof social interaction and cultural diversity among different racial, national, religious, and socioeconomic groups.

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