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SoSe 20: Between Colonial Domination and Self Determination: Indigenous-Settler Colonial Relations in the 20th Century Revisited

Matthias Voigt

Kommentar

ONLINE COURSE - Indigenous people have the most complex relationship to the American nation state than any other ethnic/racial minority. Indigenous-settler colonial relations have largely been of two inversive and conflictual agendas: Settler colonialists have continually sought to take control over Indigenous lives, lands, and politics. Conversely, Indigenous people have attempted to retain their own cultural identities, their lands (with their economic resources), as well as their political autonomy. Despite forced change and attempts to either eradicate or assimilate Indigeneity, Indigenous people have maintained some agency and power over their lives, making choices that have helped them to retain their cultural identities. This seminar seeks to shed light on Indigenous people’s efforts to maintain their cultural identity and political autonomy during the 20th century. More specifically, this course examines how federal Indian policies have impacted Indigenous people in their daily lives and how Indigenous people have responded to these profound changes, in particular during the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout much of Indigenous-settler colonial relations, federal Indian policies were aimed to assimilate Natives into Americans. Paradoxically, they led to an unintended outcome, namely, Indigenous cultural and political renewal. With the advent of the Indigenous Rights Movement (1969-1978) Native Americans gained a limited degree of self-determination. Nonetheless, they continue to make up America’s most neglected minority, struggling against settler colonial encroachment until the present day. Following a brief overview over Indigenous-settler colonial relations, the course then focuses on major policies, laws, and events of the 20th century such as the Indian New Deal (1934 through 1945), World War II, as well as the latest assimilationist policies commonly known as “termination” (1946-1970s). The seminar then moves on to address the ways in which Indigenous Rights Movement has instigated a profound change in Indigenous-settler colonial relations, leading to a cultural renaissance, political self-determination, and economic growth, thus laying the foundation for Indian Country today. Thematically, this course touches upon the interrelated and overlapping fields of federal Indian policy and Indigenous cultural and political life, covering aspects such as boarding schooling, media stereotypes, military service, and political activism. Methodically, this seminar seeks to provide students with some practical historical skills (e.g. finding sources, confronting historical accounts, writing a paper). Schließen

12 Termine

Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung

Do, 18:00 - 20:00 12 Termine

Do, 23.04.2020 18:00 - 20:00

Dozenten:
Dr. Matthias Voigt