Modern Discourse: Dispelling Myths About American Indians

This course familiarizes students with the current sociopolitical discourse about American Indians in the United States and how myths and false narratives distort our understanding of these communities. Students will learn about the historical roots of these narratives that give rise to anti-Indigenous rhetoric and the contemporary forms that these narratives take today, such as notions about the political status of American Indians and Tribes; debates over iconography and mascots; denialism regarding episodes of genocide; the concept of biological race and blood quantum; and the contributions Indigenous Peoples have made to modern thought and inventions. The course will provide insight on how these narratives and associated stereotypes operate and embed themselves into the American identity and why it is important to investigate the elements of this rhetoric and reexamine the validity of these narratives.