ENGL 6615 - [Indigenous Literary Criticism and Theory]

Fall or Spring. Next Offered: 2020-2021. 4 credits. Student option grading.

C. Warrior.

How do Indigenous authors use form and content to resist the effects of colonization? How do aesthetic and intellectual heritages inform Indigenous literary and artistic works? What political and ethical considerations challenge scholars of Indigenous literatures? To answer these questions, this seminar will focus on a range of readings that critique colonialist representations of Indigenous peoples, and texts that illuminate Indigenous intellectual and philosophical traditions, as well as the growing field of Indigenous literary theory with its positions on sovereignty, nationhood, self-determination, decolonization, Indigenous feminisms, ecocriticism, and trans-Indigenism. Since such theories are often embedded in Indigenous creative works, the reading list will also include poetry, short fiction and film. Assignments will facilitate in-class discussion, and writing towards a conference paper or scholarly journal article.