ENGL 1028: Honors Composition II

Native American Literature

Dr. Michael Cody

Office: 211 Burleson Hall

Office Telephone: 439-6678

Office Hours: MWF 9:30-10:30,

MW 1:00-2:30, & other times by appt.

E-mail: codym@etsu.edu

http://faculty.etsu.edu/codym/  

English Department: 439-4339

Course Description: Writing essays based on critical readings of various texts; presupposes competency in grammar, mechanics, and organizational skills; develops advanced degrees of stylistic and formal fluency and critical sophistication.

Purpose & Objectives:  To explore the existing and developing literary traditions that are part of Native American culture.  Students will survey essays, fiction, poetry, and drama by Native American authors in an effort, first, to dispel the damaging stereotypes—both negative and positive—that have long affected views of "Indians" and, second, to discover how contemporary authors, especially, are writing to create a clearer image of native peoples and cultures as they exist.

Major Topics:  Native American oratory in creation myths, trickster tales, and narratives of contact with Europeans; 19^th-century Indian removal and the contest over the American West; literature of the "Native American Renaissance" in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries.

Readings:  selections from the Native American oral tradition and 19^th-century protest writings (handouts & on the web);

Nothing but the Truth: An Anthology of Native American Literature.  Ed. John Purdy and James Ruppert.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2001.

Evaluation:  Course requirements include one research paper of approximately 2500 words due near the end of the session, three short papers of approximately 700 words in response to assigned topics (due periodically throughout the session), regular reading quizzes, class participation, and a final exam.

• 25% for the research paper—This will be an argumentative paper probably related to a particular tribal group. It might also be in regards to a particular event in Native American history—the Trail of Tears, for example;
• 45% for the short papers—assigned topics related to our reading and class discussions;
• 10% for reading quizzes and in-class written responses to class activities;
• 10% for class participation—each of you begins with a "C" here, which will go up or down in accordance with your contribution to class activities and attendance;
• 10% for the final exam.

Late papers will be accepted, but a penalty of ½ letter grade will be assessed for each class period a given paper is late.  Missed quizzes may be made up by e-mailing me; these make-up quizzes will be in a format different from the ones administered in class.

Attendance:  You are expected to attend every class meeting. Attendance affects your ability to meet course requirements; it also affects your class participation grade. For this class, you may miss up to three (3) classes with little or no affect on your final participation grade; each absence beyond this number lowers this grade. IMPORTANT: It is Department of English policy that no absences are identified as either "excused" or "unexcused"; therefore, absences should be conserved for necessity. REALLY IMPORTANT: It is Department of English policy for a MWF class that more than nine (9) absences—again, there are no excused/unexcused distinctions—results in automatic failure of the course.

Rules:

·        Plagiarism will not be tolerated. A single instance of proven willful plagiarism will result in automatic failure of the course. See your student handbook for other possible penalties. Whenever you're in doubt about whether or not something you're doing in an essay constitutes plagiarism, ask me.

·        Come to class on time, and bring your book, paper, and writing utensils.

·        Do not talk among yourselves when I have the floor.

·        Do not talk among yourselves when one of your classmates has the floor.

·        Do not ridicule or attack a classmate who voices an opinion with which you disagree. Let's be civil, even in our disagreements.

·        Be adults. Whenever we discuss topics in class that may offer varying degrees of religious, racial, and sexual material, I expect you to join in our conversations in a mature fashion. Be able to distinguish between the ideas of a character or narrative voice in a work and those of the author and your instructor.  If you have any problems with certain materials, please feel free to come talk to me in conference.

·        Although I discourage bringing children to class, well children are allowed if the child's presence has been cleared with me beforehand.

·        Absolutely no cell phones, beepers, and alarm watches should sing out in class. Turn off cell phones before class; either set beepers to vibrate or turn them off before class. If you're expecting a call/contact you simply can't miss, take an absence.  What's the point in a watch alarm that sounds in the middle of class?

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to perform your best in this class—outside of working hard—is to stay in touch with me.  I can't help you if I don't know what problems you're having with meeting course requirements.  I'm available to you through e-mail, telephone, and personal conference.

Opportunities for extra credit will be offered through out-of-class experiences with Native American films and music, as well as attendance at any content-related events that might take place locally during the semester.

Schedule of Meetings & Readings

1/12—Meet & greet; introduction to the course: syllabus, week-one handout, some discussion of early materials

1/14—Skinwalkers

1/16—Skinwalkers; last day to make course changes via GoldLink

1/19—Martin Luther King Jr. Day

1/21—Brian Swann 172-89; Paula Gunn Allen 62-81

1/23—Creation myths and trickster tales (handout)

1/26—Prose of encounter and coexistence (handout)

1/28—Poetry by and about . . . (handout); N. Scott Momaday 82-93; "An Old-Time Indian Attack . . ." (Unknown) 166-71

1/30—"Timeline" 620-32; Charles Eastman Ohiyesa 54-61; Essay #1 Assigned

2/2—Vine DeLoria Jr. 39-53; Simon J. Ortiz 120-25

2/4—Kimberly Blaeser 412-15; Momaday 510-15; Wendy Rose 531-34; James Welsh 560-63

2/6—"Fiction" (Louis Owens) 190-93; D'Arcy McNickle 305-12

2/9—Zitkala-Sa 406-11; E. Pauline Johnson 282-88; Last day to drop without grade of "W"

2/11—Joy Harjo 474-86; Ortiz 515-20; Leslie Marmon Silko 535-52

2/13—Ortiz 321-25; Silko 159-65 & 358-74

2/16—Louise Erdrich 232-39; Susan Pérez Castillo 15-22

2/18—Erdrich 464-74; Gunn Allen 430-35; Linda Hogan 487-500; Essay #2 Assigned

2/20—Gunn Allen 255-62; Hogan 266-81

2/23—Required Conferences

2/25—Required Conferences

2/27—No Class ! I'm out of town today.

3/1-5—Spring Break!

3/8—Elizabeth Cook-Lynn 23-38; Mary Tallmountain 375-90; Last day to drop using GoldLink

3/10—Tallmountain 553-56; Blaeser 435-41; Maurice Kenny 500-09

3/12—Gordon Henry 263-65; Thomas King 289-304

3/15—Anna Lee Walters 396-405; Owens 326-32

3/17—Sherman Alexie 416-30; Essay #3 Assigned

3/19—Alexie 194-211

3/22—Smoke Signals (in-class film)

3/24—Smoke Signals (in-class film)

3/26—Sarris 141-58 & 345-57; Essay #4 Assigned

3/29—Carter Revard 126-40 & 333-44

3/31—Revard 520-30; Luci Tapahonso 556-60

4/2—Tapahonso 391-95

4/5—Eric Gansworth 240-49; Jim Northrup 313-20

4/7—Ray A. Young Bear 566-90; Peter Blue Cloud 442-56; Joseph Bruchac 457-61

4/9—Good Friday

4/12—David L. Moore 94-119; Gerald Vizenor 591-619

4/14—Required Conferences

4/16—Required Conferences

4/19—Beth Brant 212-17; Cook-Lynn 218-31; Diane Glancy 250-54

4/21—Chrystos 462; Nora Dauenhaur 463; Joyce carlEtta Mandrake 510; Roberta Hill Whiteman 563-65

4/23—Classes End!

Final Exam: 3:50-5:50 Wednesday, 28 April