History 259-B: Special Topic in U.S. History: American Indian Nations, 1830 to Present

How did American Indian nations navigate the turbulent nineteenth and twentieth centuries that brought a flood of intruders into their homelands, and how did they remake themselves into the vibrant and richly diverse peoples that they are in the twenty-first century? Beginning with the turmoil surrounding Indian Removal policy in the 1830s and extending to present-day struggles of Indian nations to control their own destinies, this course serves as an introduction to American Indian history from the perspective of indigenous survivance. Including such themes as cultural resistance and political resurgence in the face of U.S. settler colonialism, this course focuses on the interface between the development of Federal Indian policy and American Indian resistance to U.S. initiatives. It will also consider major shifts in American Indian sovereignty, including through the federal court system, from the 19th to the 21st centuries. In the process, we will ask: what is sovereignty to Native peoples? This course stresses the integrity, adaptability, and representation of American Indian nations, and the centrality of ever-emergent American Indian identity to the experiences of many peoples and nations. Each week, we will consider important historical moments for Indigenous peoples and strive to connect those histories to the contemporary Indigenous world. Applies toward the North American/United States geographical area for the History (Global) major. May be elected as Indigeneity, Race, & Ethnic Studies 200.