In this seminar students will be introduced to a variety of different media depicting the present-day situation of Native Americans living in present-day United States. Many Native Americans live on reservations in remote parts of the USA. Therefore, many Natives remain invisible to mainstream U.S.-American society. Whenever they appear in our collective memory, they are frequently reduced to stereotypes like bloodthirsty savages, exotic Pocahontas-like females or mascots for sport teams like the Washington Redskins or Cleveland Indians. In our discussions we will critically observe these depictions and how Native Americans are struggeling against them. Furthermore, we will look at selected civil rights efforts of Native Americans to preserve their culture and to achieve political and social regocnition. Goal of this seminar is to give students an insight into the current situation of one of the most disadvantaged minority groups living in the U.S.. We will look at hopes, dreams, and wishes of young Native Americans and at some historical events leading to their present-day situation.
Students are asked to purchase the following material:
A class reader which will be available at the Shug&Real Copyshop on Reckhammerweg after the first class meeting.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Andersen, 2015. |
