ojiigcor@yorku.ca

This course seeks to interrogate the relationship between cultures and colonialism between 1600 – 1900 from an Indigenous perspective.  Since the 1970s, historians have tried to be more sensitive to Indigenous views, mainly by asking more sophisticated questions about archival and documentary sources. Many historians continue to use tried and tested conventional colonial records but many have also adopted an ‘Indigenous perspective’ to write Indigenous history – this concept will be explored throughout the course. Readings have been selected that explore various means of colonization such as exploration, conflict, trade, religion, missionization, literacy, artifact collection, and treaties, with the intent to explore Indigenous peoples’ response thus investigating their culture.  The people covered in this course are principally from the northeast of North America, mainly Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potowatomi, Mississauga and Algonquin), but also briefly covers Wendat (Huron), Mohawk, and later in the course the Métis.

*TENTATIVE*

We will read selected chapters from a number of books. The majority of the books are freely available online through Scott library and links to each reading will be in the eclass.  The few books that are not digitally nor physically available through library services will be available for purchase in the York bookstore. I encourage you to search for used copies in stores and on the internet (www.amazon.ca and www.abebooks.com) and checking online availability (such as Google Books and Project Gutenberg). Also check the course site before purchasing books. This course focuses on multiple chapters (at least 3) from each of the following:

Hamilton, Michelle A. Collections and Objections Aboriginal Material Culture in Southern Ontario, 1791-1914. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010.

Krasowski, Sheldon. No Surrender: The Land Remains Indigenous. Regina, SK: University of Regina Press, 2019.

Miller, Bruce Granville. Oral History on Trial: Recognizing Aboriginal Narratives in the Courts. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2011.

Miller, J. R. (James Rodger). Compact, Contract, Covenant: Aboriginal Treaty-Making in Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2009.

Morin, Jean-Pierre. Solemn Words and Foundational Documents : an Annotated Discussion of Indigenous-Crown Treaties in Canada, 1752-1923. 2018.

Ray, Arthur J. Telling it to the Judge: Taking Native History to Court. Montreal, PQ: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2011.

The course is primarily discussion-based, but occasionally I will lecture to provide some background context to better understand our subject and occasionally we may host guest speakers. Readings include both monographs and articles.  Each week students will read the same material, but each week one student will lead the discussion on one of the readings to teach fellow students about their reading. Questions to keep in mind when reading for the course are:

• Whose perspective is at the centre of the story, or from what vantage point is the story being told?
• What is considered worthy of inclusion in the history and why?
• Are there different ways of understanding and representing the past, especially between Indigenous and European cultures?
• What are the main theoretical approaches of historians of Indigenous peoples?
• Are there central concepts to understanding the history of Indigenous peoples?

This course is a seminar and participation is a major factor in student’s grade. Be prepared to participate.

I assume that each student brings a different background and different knowledge to the course, and while that can be challenging, it also provides us with great benefits.  We will try to work together to enrich our knowledge and understanding of the craft of historical research, analysis, and writing. We will work specifically at:

• Reading critically to identify an author’s main argument and assess the evidence used to support it;
• Writing clearly and analytically, synthesising secondary literature thematically and articulating a strong argument. The assignments are devised to encourage you to write frequently and efficiently;
• Listening respectfully to all opinions; and
• Expressing and sharing ideas clearly in online class discussions.

This course is a seminar and participation is a major factor in student’s grade. Be prepared to participate.