Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - HIST 427 D100

Topics in Indigenous Histories (4)

Indigenous & Christianity

Class Number: 5807

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units including nine units of lower division history.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examination of selected themes in the history of Aboriginal peoples. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 427 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught.

COURSE DETAILS:

This seminar investigates the diverse forms of religious interaction and change experienced by the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas following their encounters with Catholic and Protestant Christianities under European colonization.  Ours is an open-ended exercise in anthropological history, with an aim of understanding the interactive emergence and mobility of religion and culture. The points of view and actions of Indigenous Peoples as receivers, users and re-makers of local Christianities, and as purveyors and promoters of would-be universal brands of Christianity, will hold our interest. Our readings will range widely across North and South America from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries, and at times stray beyond in search of comparative insights. Along the way, we will also discuss a selection of methods and “thinking tools” employed by historians in the study of the past.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The course requirements of History 427 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 attain a deep, discerning appreciation of the complexities of religious and cultural 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 25%
  • Introduction of a Weekly Reading 5%
  • Primary Source Analysis 25%
  • Prospectus 5%
  • Final paper 40%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All course readings will be available either through SFU Library or posted on Canvas.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.