Native History with the University of Minnesota
DISCLAIMER: This is a fake course. It is a mock course / syllabus for a project for HSEM3205H at the University of Minnesota.
AMIN 100:
This half-semester course is designed to give you introductory information to the variety of topics and issues that are present between the University of Minnesota system and Native/Indigenous people. This course will provide assignments in a variety of modalities to allow you to reflect on the ideas in this course. This course is intended for freshmen at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus.
This course will use the terms American Indian, Native, and Indigenous interchangeably as an identifying term for members of this group. I (a white person) have no authority to decide which terms are most appropriate for this community. Different individuals and groups have varying preferences for this term. It is not my intent to use a label that someone deems offensive or inappropriate. That said, intent does not negate the consequences so I welcome feedback and criticsm regarding my terminology.
What is the story?
The story is the relationship between the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Native/Indigenous/American Indian people. The weekly topics scratch the surface on several conversations that must be had to mediate this relationship and to truly honor Native histories and stories, to be aware as University staff and students of the importance of these stories.
Why is it important?
Since the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is the flagship campus of the largest college system in Minnesota that holds itself to anti-racist ideas and advertises itself as a diverse and welcoming campus to all. However, as seen in the modules, the story is not so simple and the University has a history of not being completely honest with regard to its troubling past. Young people are becoming increasingly involved with societal problems through non-electoral means.
Who would tell it–to whom? What format would suit best?
The University (faculty or staff) can use an asynchronous 1 credit course to tell the story. In an ideal world, this course would have input from Native and Indigenous people and the AMIN department leaders. I think asynchronous would be best, as it would not involve as much emotional labor from Native leaders and could be updated easier with new findings and articles from the field.
How does it fit into other stories and patterns we have encountered through the semester?
Especially at the beginning of the semester, we discussed the importance of Native perspectives on the land. I wanted to focus specifically on the University due to its influence as a research institution and for its status as the largest university in Minnesota.