Description and Goals:

Tradition and renewal are the major themes we will use to study Native American literature over the course of the semester.  Traditional native "literature" is oral, spoken in a tribal language, and comes alive through the interaction of speaker and audience.  We'll have access to some of these performances through video footage and audio recordings.  But our primary focus will be on contemporary Native literature written in English, which draws on stories and traditions that have been passed down for generations.  Over the course of the semester, we'll analyze literary texts from a range of genres, read books by some amazing writers, and learn about different tribal cultures, languages, and histories.  English majors and minors, as well as Liberal Arts and Purdue students interested in multiculturalism, will find this course especially valuable.  

Students taking this course will

• develop an appreciation for Native American literatures and cultures,
• learn to read literature carefully and analytically,
• improve their oral and written communication skills,
• broaden their knowledge of diversity.

 
Required Texts:

1.  Thomas King (Cherokee), The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative (2005)

2.  Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo),  Ceremony (1977)

3.  Diane Glancy (Cherokee),  Pushing the Bear (1996)

4.  LeAnne Howe (Choctaw),  Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story (2007)

5.  Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe),  The Bingo Palace (1994)

6.  Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d'Alene),  Ten Little Indians (2003)

These paperback texts are available at Von's Books, 315 W. State Street (765-743-1915).

Contact Information for Professor Peterson:

Office: 324A Heavilon Hall
Office Hours:  Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m., and Fridays, 11-12
Office Phone: (765) 494-3741
Click here to email Professor Peterson.

 

This page was last updated on 25 August 2008.  Send questions/comments to Nancy J. Peterson.