syllabus-h361

This is an introductory course examining the cultural, economic, political, and social continuity and change of American Indian communities from 1890 to the present. More about specific content will be discussed during the first several days of class.

Course Guidelines: You are responsible for the college policies included in the college catalog and the student handbook. You are also responsible for comprehending and following the specific standards and policies established for this course.

Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is imperative. Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. You will be allowed 3 absences in the MWF class and 2 absences in the TR class. The only official excused absences are for MCC sponsored activities or religious days, but they require advanced written notice. If you are absent when you are to give an oral assignment or presentation you will be given a zero for that exercise -- THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP PRESENTATIONS. You will receive no credit for the class participation portion of your final grade if you have more than 3 MWF or 2 TR absences. You may also be dropped from the class for excessive absences.

Late Work Policy: All written work must be turned in on the date it is due whether you are absent or not. Student's grade will be lowered one grade step per class period late on any written assignment. Remember, there are NO late oral assignments. All written work must be typed, double-spaced with 1" margins, and adhere to the principles of college writing. See: "Good Writing or Pet Peeves and Higher Grades". Make-up lecture quizzes must be arranged by the student within a week of the original test date.

Classroom Procedure: The process of learning will be cumulative, but the instructor will also endeavor to obtain "gestalt." In each unit of study you will be expected to show a grasp of the essential elements taught in previous units as well as the one under investigation. The instructional style will be balanced between lecture, open discussion, and learning activities. You are expected to behave in a mature, responsible, and professional manner--Keeping an open mind to new ideas and opinions and respecting the values and privileges of all concerned. Just being in the classroom does not satisfy the participation requirement of this course! You are expected to be actively involved, verbally and nonverbally, in the various topic discussions and learning activities, showing interest and a willingness to share.

Cell Phones, Pagers, Food & Drink: Please turn the sound off on your phone and pager before entering class. Do not talk on your phone during class: I will ask you to leave for the day. School policy does not allow food in the classrooms, and drinks must be in a spill proof container.

Disabilities: If you have a disability, including a learning disability, that may have an impact on your work and for which you may require accommodations, please notify the Recourses and Disability Office at 461-7447. I am willing to make reasonable accommodations, so see me as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/services/disability/

Assignments:

1. Thought Paper on your College Education: 5%
Short Paper Assignment

2. Two Critical Thinking Essays: 40%
The Critical Thinking essays will be 2000(+) word essays on assigned topics. A handout describing each assignment will be given in class and posted on the web at the appropriate time.
A place for help: "How to Write the Perfect History Essay"

3. Three Academic Book Reviews: 30%
You will choose three of the seven assigned readings from which you will compose formal academic book reviews. A place for help: "How to Write a Book Review "

4. Various in-class group assignments and presentations: 10%
These will be described in class.

5.Class Participation: 5%
Participation in class discussions and attendance record.

6. Final In-class Essay Exam: 10%
You will be given three possible essay questions to study two weeks before the final exam period. The final exam will be one of the questions.

Grading System:Mr. Peterson will use the following grading system. There will be no exceptions or substitutions to it. Your oral and written work will be assigned a letter grade. The respective values for each letter grade are indicated below.

A = 4.0	A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.4	B = 3.0	B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.4	C = 2.0	C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.4	D = 1.0	D- = 0.7
F = 0.3

If you have any questions and/or concern about your classroom performances and/or earned grades, please make an appointment to confer with Mr. Peterson as soon as possible. This course requires more than a casual effort and deals with specific terminology and the ability to apply your learning to course projects. I will use the following criteria in evaluating your work during this course.

A = Exceptionally well prepared and executed completion of assigned work indicating effort, individualized style, and demonstrating a thorough grasp of large portions of the course material.
B = Creative, well-prepared work, demonstrating unusual effort, talent, or grasp of the material that is distinctly superior to an average or C effort.
C = Satisfactory completion of assigned work at a level of effort and competency normally expected of the majority of students (basic completion, average performance, and reasonable effort).
D = Unsatisfactory completion of work indicating misperceived objectives or failure to grasp key concepts but with reasonable effort.
F = Failure to complete assignments through a lack of reasonable effort, or failure to attain passing average on either exams or assignments.

Course Schedule:
Week of #1 COURSE INTRODUCTION Read: Syllabus Iverson, Introduction pgs. 1-7 "Bring Our Schools Out . . .", Time	Week #2 1890-1920 Read: Iverson, Ch. 1, pgs. 8-52 Moses, First 1/2 of book. "Only Connect" by Bill Cronon College Ed. Thought Paper Due	Week #3 1890-1920 Read: Moses, Last 1/2 of book.
Week #4 1920-1932 Read: Iverson, Ch. 2, pgs. 53-76 Black Elk &Neihardt, First 1/2 of book.	Week #5 1933-1940 Read: Iverson, Ch. 3, pgs. 77-102 Black Elk &Neihardt, Last 1/2 of book.	Week #6 1941-1961 Read: Iverson, Ch. 4, pgs. 103-138 Momaday, 1st Critical Thinking Essay Due
Week #7 1962-1980 Read: Iverson, Ch. 5, pgs. 139-174 Momaday,	Week #8 1962-1980 Read: Smith and Warrior, 1st Book Review Due and Review Presentation Discussions	Week #9 A.I.M. Read: Smith and Warrior,
Week #10 1981-2000 Read: Iverson, Ch. 6, pgs. 175-209 Deloria	Week #11 1981-2000 Read: Deloria, 2nd Book Review Due and Review Presentation Discussions	Week #12 Coyote Read: Moore
Week #13 Coyote Read: Moore	Week #14 2nd Critical Thinking Essay Due	Week #15 Film: Smoke Signals 3rd Book Review Due and Review Presentation Discussions
Week #16 Course Wrap-up	Final Exam Week

Office: Palo Verde Building #P248	Office Hours: MTWRF 11:00-12:00am or by appointment. See Daily Schedule
Telephone: 480-654-7722
Homepage: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~vocewld/
E-Mail: vocewld@mesacc.edu (This is the surest means to get my prompt attention.)

	Peter Iverson "We Are Still Here": American Indians in the Twentieth Century. Harlan Davidson, Inc., 1998 "Clearly the best treatment of twentieth-century Native American history available. It is melodiously written. Themes are clear, and the Native voice is almost always present, something most textual approaches cannot claim." -John R. WunderAmazon.com Review
	Nicholas Black Elk and John G. Neihardt, Black Elk Speaks : Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, State University of New York Press (August 2008) [1932] The narratives of Black Elk are riveting as he describes the confusion, terror, anger, rebellion and flight of his people. His dreams and visions become the legend and the legacy of the Lakota Sioux, from the four horsemen to the Ghost Dance. This is a story told by a man of power, and it is mesmerizing.
	Vine Deloria Jr. Red Earth, White Lies : Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact. New York: Scribner, 1995. Deloria examines modern science as it relates to Native American oral history and exposes the myth of scientific fact, defending Indian accounts of natural history population movement. Booknews, Inc., February 1, 1996.
	Paul Chaat Smith and Robert Allen Warrior, Like a Hurricane : The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee. New York: New Press, 1996. Smith, an activist, and Warrior, a history professor at Stanford University, focus on three main events that held the attention of people all over the world: the gutsy takeover of Alcatraz, the spontaneous occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., and the traumatic siege at Wounded Knee. Booklist , July 19, 1996
	N. Scott Momaday, The Man Made of Words : Essays, Stories, Passages. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. This collection of essays reveal how consistent Momaday's stately, oratorical voice has been during his 30-year career. Consistent, too, has been his concern for humanity's place in the natural world and for the spiritual messages Native American traditions offer an alienated society. Booklist , April 15, 1997
	Christopher Moore, Coyote Blue. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994. A stunningly original novel from the author of Practical Demonkeeping. Sam Hunter, born Samson Hunts Alone, was forced to run away from the reservation when he was only 15. Twenty years later, safely ensconced in his yuppie persona as an insurance salesman, Sam's doing fine--until Coyote, an ancient god and trickster, enters the scene.
	L. G. Moses, Wild West Shows and the Images of American Indians, 1883-1933. University of New Mexico Press, 1999. ... examines the lives and experiences of the show Indians from their own point of view, relieving them of the status of unwitting victims of exploitative white entrepreneurs. The New York Times Book Review.