Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - HIST 424 D100

Problems in the Cultural History of Canada (4)

Indigenous-Newcomer Relations

Class Number: 4361

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 101, 102W.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Selected problems in Canadian ideas and attitudes on such topics as the arts, religion, education, minority and native cultures, nationalism, and Canadian historiography. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 424 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught.

COURSE DETAILS:

Indigenous-Newcomer Relations

Canadian history has been, and continues to be, profoundly shaped by the changing relationships between Indigenous peoples and newcomers to what is now Canada. Contact made between Europeans and the native inhabitants of this land in the early modern period can be seen as less an event than the beginning of an ongoing process of cultural encounter. The native/newcomer dynamic has demonstrated a powerful resiliency in framing understandings of the Canadian nation state despite cultural mixing, intermarriage, the emergence of new peoples and identities like the Métis, assimilation programs, and other phenomena that challenge the explanatory utility of this dichotomy. Through discussion of readings on various seminar topics, we will explore the multi-faceted contours of Indigenous-newcomer relationships. Along the way we will also think about how historical writing about Indigenous-newcomer relations continues to itself change over time.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The course requirements of History 424 will help you achieve the educational goals of undergraduate courses in the Department of History.  By the end of the course, you will be able

  • to understand broad patterns and diversities of Indigenous and settler experiences in Canada
  • to attain a deep, discerning appreciation of the complexities and dynamics of encounter and change in a colonial environment
  • to engage with and critique complex historical evidence as well as diverse theoretical and ideological perspectives

Grading

  • Seminar participation 40%
  • Primary source analysis 20%
  • Final paper 40%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Journal articles available electronically from the SFU library through the course syllabus.
  • Selected readings available on Canvas.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.