Course Syllabus

English/Language Arts Summer Institute 2005

Toksook Bay, Alaska

July 12th to July 20th, 2005

Travel Dates are: July 11th and July 21st, 2005

SYLLABUS

SEE BELOW FOR THE SYLLABUS OF THE 2005 ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS INSTITUTE

“Creating text through landscape, culture and community”
Instructors: Cathy Moses and Andrea Dewees

Please note that all of the activities described below are subject to change. The instructors reserve the right to modify this syllabus as needed due to weather conditions (marked with *), the tide schedule, elder prerogative or other uncontrollable events.  

 Monday, July 11th:

Visiting participants arrive and settle in. Introductions and dinner with instructors, elders, visiting participants and Toksook Bay participants. After dinner walk in village (*) and talking circle and sharing of family photos.

Tuesday, July 12th:

Morning: Story from elder

Introduction to working groups, qaspeqs, mask making, presentations and talking circles, introduction to “indigenous literatures” as genre.

Afternoon: beach walk (*), group photo and talking circle at the end of the day.

Listening: Song from "mengluni" by Pamyua.

Reflection: What are your initial impressions of your surroundings?

Reading: Selection from A Yupiaq Worldview: A Pathway to Ecology and Spirit. (31 pages)

Viewing: Video on mask-making

Wednesday, July 13th:

Morning: Outdoor walk (*) or storyknife/games outside with elder.

Text discussion.

Afternoon: Class will split into two groups: one group meeting with Cathy and Darlene to begin qaspeqs and masks, the other group meeting with Andrea for introduction to www.alaskool.org and the Alaska Native Knowledge Network web site.

Evening: Yup’ik dance practice (yuraq) and talking circle.

Reflection: How do we teach Indigenous literature in the classroom?

Readings: Selections from “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian in Guatemala.” (4 pages) and "Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective" by Leslie Marmon Silko (10 pages)

Thursday, July 14th:

Text discussion. Groups switch to work with either Andrea or Cathy on qaspeqs and masks or class lesson on indigenous literature using reference books.

Afternoon: Visit and stories with elder. Outdoor activity (*).

Evening talking circle.

Film & Discussion: Smoke Signals

Reflection: Differences and similarities between the oral literature of the elders, cultural production (music and film) and written, canonical literature.

Friday, July 15th:

(*) the activities below, or, visit with a local family (*)

Morning: Tundra walk, geology and botany (*).

Afternoon/evening: Work on qaspeqs and masks or class activity.

Evening talking circle.

Reading and discussion: Selection from Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. (13 pages)

Reflection: How can literature frame discussions about culture and difference?

Saturday, July 16th:

(*) the activities below, or, visit with a local family (*)

Morning: Elder visit

Afternoon: Preparations for community potluck, work time for qaspeqs and masks and literature lesson. Talking circle.

Reading: Selections from Lakota Woman and Raising Ourselves: A Gwich'in Coming of Age Story from the Yukon River. (27 pages total)

Reflection: How can we incorporate literature to talk about substance abuse and community problems?

Evening: “The Whale Rider” screening.

Sunday, July 17th:

Sunday morning mass (optional).

Work time for projects, yuraq.

Monday, July 18th:

Morning: Boat or hike to Umkumiut

Evening: Games, Yup’ik Dance Practice and talking circle

Tuesday, July 19th:

Morning: Fishing or sightseeing

Evening: Return to Toksook Bay.

Reflection: How is “place” represented in literature? What was it like to be at Umkumiut?

Wednesday, July 20th:

Morning: Talking circle and sharing of literature lesson, masks and qaspeqs. Evaluations.

Afternoon: Short walk, preparations for potluck.

Evening: Potluck and dancing, final group photo with masks and qaspeqs.

Thursday, July 21st:

Morning talking circle.

Participants depart.

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