History 130-A: Special Topic: Introduction to Native North American History & Beyond

This course introduces the study of Indigenous history and both its established and innovative themes. In doing so, the class foregrounds methods and sources, which together represent a major through-line of and within Indigenous histories. Students will be introduced to such topics as travel, trade, and technology. The central questions for this class are: what is Indigenous history? What are the methods and sources used to produce and center narratives of Indigenous peoples? In addressing these questions, students will learn that the study of Indigenous history necessitates an understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and ways of moving through their world. Additionally, the study of Indigenous history is often expansive and has taken a global approach. To this end, this class centers Native local histories, while also engaging with a larger geographic scope. Not only does such an approach show the expansiveness and interconnectedness of Indigenous histories, but it also reveals the ways in which Native local history ties into broader themes within the study of Indigenous peoples. Applies toward the North American/United States geographical area for the History (Global) major. May be taken for credit toward the Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies major or minor.