Contemporary Representations of Indigenous Peoples in North America

Description

The reality of contemporary indigenous life is too often ignored,or understood through the distorted lens of the 19^th century "Indian" we have all been introduced to by Hollywood. The course will provide an overview of that reality, focusing on forms of resistance both to the still difficult living conditions of many indigenous people, and to the problematic representation of these people in mainstream media. We will explore the works of contemporary indigenous musicians, visual artists, film makers, comedians, etc. and how they retell the history of North American colonization as well as challenge preconceptions of what it means to be indigenous today.