Little Priest Tribal College
Course Syllabus
American Indian History I
AMIS 2500
Fall 2002
Thursday: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Location: Room 107
Instructor: David Lee Smith Office: Indian Studies Department
(402) 878-3313
Office Hours: Tuesday: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Credit: 3 credit hours
Required Text:
Gibson, Arrell Morgan. The American Indian. Lexington: D.C. Heath, 1980.
Brown, Dee. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. An Indian History of the American West. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1970.
Course Description:
Students will study the ideology and the methods used by the Europeans to conquer the American Indian. The time period begins with the year 1492, the year of the invasion, and continues to the tragedy of the Lakota people at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Course Objectives:
This is a study of the ideology the Europeans developed in regard to the Native Americans, from the East Coast to the West Coast. The old rule of divide and conquer was used extensively. The idea of total war developed in the East by the Europeans and spread westward, accumulating in the tragedy of Wounded Knee.
After reading these two books, and listing to the lectures, the student will have a better perspective of the Indian people. The Native American were just outnumbered, and outgunned, and in the process, lost his land. However, the will to survive, moved him the forefront of Indian-White History.
Methods of Discussion and Instructions:
Students will read the chapter outlined, take notes from lectures, participate in classroom discussions, do a written report on one of the various Indian belief systems and an oral presentation on that report. The students will make use of the college library and Internet sites when doing their research.
Requirements:
Classes are mandatory. Any three (3) absences drop you one letter grade. You are responsible for reading assignments and taking notes. You must do a typed research paper, 7-10 pages long with a bibliography. This research paper must include research from three Internet sites and three books or interviews. You will also prepare a 5-8 minute oral presentation on your report. Letter grades will be based on attendance 10%, classroom participation 10%, oral and written research project 40%, final examination 20%, and three quizzes, 300 points. Any late papers or any late tests will be marked down unless the student has a valid reason. The door will be locked at ten minutes after the hour. The instructor will not tolerate lateness in the class.
Attendance 100 points
Classroom participation 100 points
Oral Presentation 150 points
Written research paper 150 points
Three Quizzes 300 points
Final 200 points
Total 1000 points
1000-976 = A
975-951 = A-
950 – 926 = B+
925 – 901 = B
900 – 876 = B-
875 – 851 = C+
850 – 826 = C
825 – 801 = C-
800 – 776 = D+
775 – 751 = D
750 – 726 = D-
725 – 0 = F
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
If you have a disability, please feel free to set up an appointment with me to discuss “reasonable: accommodations which, might be of assistance.” For additional information and/or assistance contact Student Services at extension 105.
Academic Honesty:
You must not, under any circumstances, appropriate and use another’s idea, words, or organization of ideas, as your own (plagiarism: to steal and use the ideas of writings of another as one’s own). It is not only unethical to plagiarize; it’s illegal.
Support Services available to students:
LPTC strives to provide an array of services to assist students. Some of the available resources include a computer lab with ten (10) workstations connected to the Internet and two (2) additional workstations, a small computer learning lab with four (4) workstations, and a college library. In order to assist individuals to perform to their potential, it is important to be aware of any condition, which may require some modification of seating, testing, or their class requirements or practices.
Dates Topics and Assignments
August 29 Review syllabus and requirements of the course. Read chapters one, “The Human Presence,” and chapter two, “Native American cultural Foundations,” in The American Indian. Video: American Indian Origins. Students will do a reaction paper on each video and hand them in during the following class. Class discussion will follow each lecture.
September 5 Read chapter three, “Modern Tribalism,” and chapter four, “The
Tribal Setting in 1500,” in The American Indian. Video: Cahokia.
September 12 Read chapter five, “Spain and the Native Americans, and chapter
six, “France and the Native Americans,” in The American Indian.
Video: Black Robe. Review for Quiz One.
September 19 Read chapter seven, “Holland and the Native Americans,” and chapter eight, “Russia and the Native Americans,” in The American Indian. Library Visit. Quiz One.
September 26 Read chapter nine, “Britons and the Native Americans,” and chapter ten, “Indians and the European Imperial Legacy,” in The American Indians. Video: Indian America.
October 3 Read chapter eleven, “Indians under Anglo-American Dominion 1776-1800,” and chapter twelve, “Anglo-American Dominion 1800-1828,” in The American Indian. Video: Last of the Mohicans. Review for Quiz Two.
October 10 Read chapter one, “Their Manners are Decorous and Praiseworthy,” and chapter two, “The Long Walk of the Navajos,” Quiz Two.
October 17-18 FALL BREAK
October 24 Read chapter three, “Little Crows War”, chapter four, “War Comes to the Cheyenne’s,” and chapter five, “Power River Invasion”. Video: Dakota Conflict.
October 31 Read chapter six, “Red Clouds War”, chapter seven, “The Only
Good Indian is a Dead Indian.” Video: Last Stone at the Little Big Horn.”
November 7 Read chapter eight, “ Donehogawa,” and chapter nine, “Cochise and the Apache Guerrillas.” Video: Cochise. Review for Quiz three.
November 14 Read chapter ten, “Captain Jack,” and chapter eleven, “The War to Save the Buffalo.” Video: The Modocs. Quiz three.
November 21 Read chapter twelve, “The War for the Black Hills,” and chapter thirteen, “The Nez Perce.” Video: Crazy Horse.
November 28 THANSGIVING BREAK
December 5 Read chapter fourteen, “Cheyenne Exodus,” chapter fifteen, “Standing Bear,” and chapter sixteen, “The Utes Must Go.” Video: The Utes.
December 12 Read chapter seventeen, “Apache Chiefs,” chapter eighteen, “Dance of the Ghosts,” and chapter nineteen, “Wounded Knee.” Video: Wounded Knee. Review for Finals.
December 19 FINAL EXAMINATION