Listed in: Colloquia, as COLQ-256
Lisa Brooks (Section 01)
In 2013, Amherst College acquired one of the most comprehensive collections of Native American writing in the world – nearly 1,500 books ranging from contemporary fiction and poetry to sermons, political tracts and tribal histories from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This is a living collection; it has since grown to over 3,000 volumes. This seminar offers the opportunity to actively engage the literature of this dynamic collection and contribute original research for a Digital Atlas of Native American Intellectual Traditions, an interface that will enable users to visualize books in the KWE Collection within a network of Native authors and communities, mapped across time and space. This course also offers immersion in Indigenous studies methodologies, for those new to the field and for those who already have significant experience or coursework. Participants will build and develop research skills in collaboration, working closely with scholars and librarians as they engage in archival and digital research, print history, land-based learning, and community-based learning, including faculty-led field trips to local tribal nations. In working on collaborative projects, we will also consider ethical questions regarding the distribution of knowledge, the curation of materials, access to the collections, and community-engaged research.
This course is part of a tutorial series that engages Amherst students in substantive research with faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
Open to sophomores and juniors. Limited to 6 students. Spring Semester. Professor Brooks.