Pacific Northwest Indians
History 399
Spring 2005
Instructor: Prof. Melinda Marie Jetté, PhD
Friday, 12:00-14:50 pm, McKenzie 214
Email:
History Dept Office:541-346-4802, leave a message
Home Tel: 503-653-8893, after 7:00 pm
Office Hours: by appointment
Office: 340W McKenzie
Course Overview
In this course, we will examine the history of Pacific Northwest Indians from the contact period (late 1700s) through the twentieth century.Given the great social changes experienced by indigenous groups as a result of Euro-American resettlement and the growth of the American state over the past two centuries, this course will focus on several related themes:
Representations of Native Americans
Native responses to Euro-American colonization in its varying forms
Evolving conceptions of Indian identity
Euro-American cultural constructions of “the Indian”
U.S. Indian policy and the relationships between federal, state, and tribal governments
Required Texts
The following texts are required texts for this course. The books are available for purchase at the bookstore. All the readings are on reserve at the library:
- Alexandra Harmon,Indians in the Making: Ethnic Relations and Indian Identities around Puget Sound.
- Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket],Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography, edited by Jay Miller.
- Lawney L. Reyes,White Grizzly Bear’s Legacy: Learning to Be Indian.
- Assorted readings accessible through the University of Oregon library e-reserve.
- Weekly course materials—lecture outlines and discussion questions—will be available each Thursday before class through the library e-reserve.
recommended Text
The following text is strongly recommended for this course, especially for non-history majors. It is available for purchase at the bookstore and on reserve at the library.
- Carol Berkin and Betty S. Anderson,The History Handbook.
Class Format
Each class will consist of one lecture of fifty to sixty minutes followed by a short break. The remainder of the class will be devoted to discussions, group activities, in-class assignments, films, and a visit to the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
Course Requirements
Class participation: Students are required to attend all class meetings, complete all readingsin advance, and come to class prepared to discussion the assigned readings. Students are expected to contribute to a positive learning environment. The participation grade will be based on attendance, participation in the in-class discussion, and any in-class assignments. Class participation and attendance will count for 15% of the final grade.
Assessment:Grades:
The final course grade will be determined as follows:
- Participation15%60 pts.A94-100%C+ 77-79%
- Museum essay15%60 pts.A- 90-93%C74-76%
- Book review15%60 pts.B+ 87-89%C-70-73%
- Treaty assignment25%100 pts.B84-86%D60-69%
- Final exam30%120 pts.B-80-83%F59-0%
400 pts.
Assignments and Exams: Students will complete a museum essay (4 pages); a book review essay (4 pages); a treaty assignment (8 pages plus maps and appendices); and a final examination. Separate information sheets for each assignment will be forthcoming.
Students should turn in their assignments as paper documents.Electronic versions will not be accepted unless specifically called for in the assignment sheet.
Retain your notes and all drafts of your assignments in the event that I need to see them after you have handed in your assignments. Failure to do so will automatically lower your mark one full grade (i.e., an “A” will become a “B” and so on).
Late assignments and extensions: Those who choose to exercise a one-week extension may do so. Grades for assignments received after the one-week extension will be reduced by the rate of 2% per day (weekends not included).Students turning in assignments after the one-week grace period will receive agrade only, with no editorial comments. Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date.
Exams:The comprehensive final exam shall be based on the course lectures, the required readings, and the documentary and feature films.
Additional information
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is an academic crime involving the theft of another person’s theories, ideas, phrasing or research without proper citation. Given the seriousness of the offense, I am bound to report it to the Chair of the History Department. For information on proper citation and plagiarism, consult chapter 10 ofThe History Handbook.
Classroom Behavior: Please remember the following when participating in this course: 1) there are no stupid questions; 2) everyone has a right to speak without fear of ridicule; 3) criticism of ideas and theories is expected and should not be taken personally.
It is the responsibility of everyone to be sensitive to the dynamics of in-class discussion and to the sensibilities of everyone present. There is a delicate balance to be struck between criticism of ideas and support for fellow students with varied academic, cultural, personal, and work histories. Developing the skills of listening and of self-criticism are important aspects of academic scholarship, but doing so sometimes requires receiving constructive criticism from others.
Skills: The major objective of this course is the acquisition of analytical skills that will assist you in the future whether or not you continue to study history. For this reason, I will offer constructive criticism to help you improve your analytical skills over the course of the semester. We will focus primarily on the following:
- Close and careful reading of the required texts
- Clarity, precision, and logical development in the writing assignments
Students with disabilities who are registered with the Disabilities Office may wish to speak with me about any specific needs they may have.
Course outline
Week 1: April 1
Pacific Northwest Culture Areas
The Maritime Fur Trade, 1790s-1830s
Readings:
Donald, Fixico. “Ethics and Responsibilities in Writing American Indian History,”American Indian Quarterly20:1 (winter 1996): 29-39 [on e-reserve at U of O library].
Begin readingMourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography.
Week 2: April 8
The Overland Fur Trade, 1810s-1840s
Introduced Infectious Disease, 1790s-1850s
*Visit to U of O’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History*
Readings:
Harmon,Indians in the Making,1-42; Katy Barber, “Narrative Fractures and Fractured Narratives: Celilo Falls in the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center and the Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center,” inThe Great Northwest: The Search for Regional Identity, ed. William G. Robbins (Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2001), 47-65 [on e-reserve at U of O library].
Week 3: April 15
Euro-American Colonization, 1840s
Wars, Treaties, and Removal, 1850s
*Museum Essay Due*
Readings:
Harmon, 43-102.Continue readingMourning Dove.
Week 4: April 22
Wars, Treaties, and Removal, 1860-1870s
Early Reservation Period, 1860-1890s
*Discussion ofMourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography*
Readings:
Harmon, 103-159
Week 5: April 29
The Progressive Era, 1900-1920s
The Indian Reorganization Act and the Great Depression, 1930s
Readings:
Harmon, 160-206.Begin reading Reyes’White Grizzly Bear’s Legacy.
Week 6: May 6
Relocation and Termination, 1950s
Readings:
Harmon, 206-218; E.A Schwartz, “Claims, Termination, Salmon, Restoration,” Chapter 12 inThe Rogue River Indian War and Its Aftermath, 1850-1980(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), 245-268, 318-324 [on e-reserve at U of O library].
Week 7: May 13
Self-Determination, 1960s-1980s
*Discussion of Reyes’White Grizzly Bear’s Legacy*
**Book Review Due**
Readings:
Reyes’White Grizzly Bear’s Legacy.
Week 8: May 20
Struggle for Indian Fishing Rights
*Documentary film,Thieves of Time*
Readings:
Harmon, 218-250.
Week 9: May 27
Urban Indians
*Documentary Film:Faithful to Continuance*
Readings:
Nicholas Rosenthal, “Repositioning Indianness: Native American Organizations in Portland, Oregon, 1959-1975,”Pacific Historical Review71:3 (2002) 415-438 [on e-reserve at U of O library].
Week 10: June 3
Religious Freedom and Treaty Rights
*Treaty Assignment Due*
**Feature Film,Smoke Signals**
Readings:
Wunder, John R. “Pacific Northwest Indians and the Bill of Rights.” InTerra Pacific: People and Place in the Northwestern States and Western Canada. Edited by Paul W. Hirt. Pullman: Washington State University Press, 1998, 159-188.
*Final Exam, Wednesday, June 8, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm*