ANT 426 Topics in
Anthropology: Native North American Folklore - Syllabus
Web-based course
3 credits.
Pauleena MacDougall, Instructor. Office hours by appointment.
110 South Stevens Hall.
Office phone: 581-1848.
E-mail:
pauleena@maine.edu
Course Objectives: Students will learn to compare and
contrast ideas, to communicate effectively orally and in written
assignments, and students will learn to prepare an organized
presentation. Students will learn the anthropological approach to
collection and analysis of Native American folklore, types and
genres with a special emphasis on the Native people of the Northeast
region. We will begin by looking at current folkloric theory as it
applies to Native American folklore with an overview of the major
cultural areas of North America. We will then look more in depth at
the folklore of the northeast region.
Texts: Alice Beck Kehoe, Shamans and Religion:An
anthropological Exploration in Critical Thinking. (Waveland Press, U
Wisconsin, 2000) S&R
Larry Evers and Barre Toelken, Native American Oral Traditions.
(Utah State University Press, 2001). NAOT
Molly Spotted Elk, Katahdin Wigwam’s Tales of the Abenaki Tribes
Northeast Folklore volume XXXVII: 2003.KWTA
Additional articles assigned. See your First Class folder.
Grade:
2 research papers (10pp) and
10 minute presentation each 1/4
You must have your presentation completed in time to mail it to me
one week before I show it on the web page. It can be a video tape,
or audio tape with slides or other illustrations. Presentation due:
mail to instructor by week 12.
Final Paper due week 15.
Class discussion. (1/4)
Class discussions. Every week you will be given questions for
discussion. I expect you to answer these questions and also respond
to the other students’ answers in the discussion folder. I also want
you to talk about what you think about the readings—what you
learned, what surprised you, what you agree or disagree with and how
the readings reflect some of the theoretical approaches we are
studying in this course. I will review these for participation. More
participation=higher grade. I do not grade discussion on "right or
wrong" answers, but on the interest you express in the course.
Research papers:
Paper #1 will require some library research. Based on your readings,
search the bibliography (at the end of your books, for example) for
some articles by anthropologists that address some of the issues
we’ve discussed in the Anthropology and Folklore Section. Look for
works that help you understand the theoretical underpinnings of
folklore research. Comment on how these approaches might be useful
to folklorists and to Native people.
This paper is due week 8.
Paper #2 will be an analysis of folklore within the Maine-Maritimes
group: Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Abenaki. You are
encouraged to do primary research, including oral interviews if
appropriate, take advantage of the materials in the Northeast
Archives of Folklore and Oral History and the Special Collections
section of the University Libraries, search the bibliography
provided, the Human Relations Area Files (in Reference), or the
World Wide Web (with caution). In addition, you may wish to visit
the Wabanaki Center on campus, the Hudson Museum on campus, the
Wabanaki Museum at Pleasant Point and the Penobscot Nation Museum on
Indian Island.
This paper is due finals week.
Note: If you do oral history research, you will need to see me first
about appropriate permissions.
Research topics must be pre-approved by the instructor.
Check your syllabus for dates to turn in topic, bibliography, draft,
and final paper.
Week 1. Definitions: Folklore and Anthropology
Introduction
From Entertainment to Realization in Navajo fieldwork
Mound Builders video. Answer the questions posted in this week’s
folder and post your answers in the discussion folder.
Week 2. Definitions: Folklore and Anthropology
Discussion: Answer the following question.
What is the purpose of the editors in putting this volume together?
What problems in Native American folklore are they hoping to solve?
How does Kroeber suggest that Native American literature can best be
understood and appreciated?
Video: Southeast
Week 3. Pictographs and culture areas
Readings and discussion: Read "Reading Martha Lamont’s Crow Story
Today" in NAOT
This is a complex article, but in the end the author describes some
unique attributes of Lushootseed oral narrative. Can you identify
these? How are they culturally linked?
Video: Southwest
Week 4. Definitions Folklore and Anthropology
Structuralism
Franz Boas Indian Mythologies
Read: "Collaborative Sociological Research among the Ohono O’odham"
Discussion: Answer the following question: Compare the reaction to
fieldwork problems that Ofelia and Jane talk about (pp140-148). Why
do they experience different problems and how do they solve them?
How much cultural knowledge is required?
For class discussion: After reading this article, how would you go
about designing a fieldwork project involving people in your own or
another culture?
Be ready to discuss a possible topic for your FIRST paper.
Video: Northwest Coast
Week 5. Native American Folklore
Creation myths
Dell Hymes, ethnopoetics and Cultee's Salmon myth
Read Salmon myth handout. Read Molina & Evers "Like This It Stays in
Your Hands"
***SEND bibliography for your paper to the instructor.
Discussion: Answer the following question
How would you assess the success of the collaboration in translation
of the talk of the deer singer in this article? What problems did
you have in understanding the speech of the deer singer, even when
translated into English? How can an anthropologist deal with this
issue?
Video: Plains I
Week 6. Native American Folklore
What is shamanism?
Readings: Read: pp37-102 in Shamans and Religion
Discussion: Answer the following question: Do you think the author
has a valid point about the misuse of the term shaman? Why or why
not? Be prepared to discuss your proposed topic for your research
project with the class and the professor.
Video: Plains II
Week 7. Folklore and Material Culture
Read KWTA: The Copper Mountain and answer the following questions.
What is the purpose of this story? What did you learn about
Penobscot culture from this story?
Video: Northeast
Week 8. Native American Folklore
Powwows: View the 2 videos about Ojibwe Powwows, and answer the
questions posted in this week’s folder for discussion.
Paper # 1 is due.
Read: Read KWTA: The adventures of Mategwes and answer the following
questions : What do you understand Mategwes’ character to be? What
kind of a role does he play in Penobscot culture?
Week 9. Native American Folklore
Culture areas and creation stories
Read "The Life and Traditions of the Red Man" on First Class
Discussion: Answer the following question: How does the Gluskabe
tradition of the origin of man differ from that of western religious
traditions? What can you glean about Penobscot culture from the
writing of Joseph Nicolar? Are these ancient or 19th century
concepts? What evidence can you give to support your answer?
Week 10. Folklore in Maine (and Eastern Canada)
Homework: read: KWTA: Read Wahlemahtusgil answer the following
question. Why is sweet grass significant enough to have an origin
story? What is the purpose of an origin story?
Week 11. Folklore in Maine (and Eastern Canada)
Homework: Read: KWTA: Wuchosen and Kisus. Describe the two main
characters. Why are they important? What do you think the function
of the story is?
Week 12. Folklore in Maine (and Eastern Canada)
The Supernatural World of Gluskabe and other beings
Read an article from the bibliography and compare it to the stories
you have read so far. How are they similar? How different? Does the
nature of the collector shape the story? How?
***Mail Student Presentations to Instructor
Week 13. Folklore in Maine (and Eastern Canada)
Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot traditions
Ethnopoetics: practical structuralism, Kabasseh, The Sturgeon, A
Penobscot tale
Student presentations
Read KWTA:
How Gluskabe made the first man.
Is this story the same as the one in Nicolar?
Why do you think that is so?
Week 14. Folklore in Maine (and Eastern Canada)
Read KWTA: Plump-Plump. Where have we seen this character before?
What is different about this story? What did you learn about
traditional gender roles from this article?
Student presentations
Week 15.
Final Research Paper #2 is Due
