Academic Catalogs

ENGL A155: Indigenous Literatures of North America

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Eff Term Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 11/12/2025
Top Code 150100 - English
Units 3 Total Units 
Hours Lecture Hours 54
Total Outside of Class Hours 108
Total Student Learning Hours 108
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Open Entry/Open Exit No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)
  • Area 3 Arts and Humanities 3A Theory (OC1)
Associate Science Local General Education (GE)
  • Area 3B Humanities (OSC2)

Course Description

Read, analyze, and write on the complex identities represented in the indigenous literatures of North America. Explore how society, culture, politics, and art have shaped and/or been shaped by indigenous texts. Formulate and produce written analyses of representative works. Enrollment Limitation: Same as ENGL A155H; students who complete ENGL A155 may not enroll in or receive credit for ENGL A155H. ADVISORY: ENGL A100. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Supported by this course: Write analytical arguments about indigenous literature and its historical, philosophical, cultural, and aesthetic influences

Course Objectives

  • Demonstrate familiarity with the origins, diversity, and contemporary forms of indigenous literatures in what is now called North America
  • Evaluate the important features of the history and experiences of indigenous peoples of North America and situate individual texts within those histories.
  • Read texts that reflect a diversity of geographical origins, cultural traditions, values, and experiences.
  • Identify and describe the characteristics or conventions of various literary genres and movements within indigenous literatures.
  • Write analytical arguments about various works in a variety of forms (including but not limited to poetry, prose, and oral story-telling)
  • Research and/or apply the ideas of appropriate primary and secondary sources to inform interpretations of literary works.

Lecture Content

The following outline reflects major historical, cultural, and aesthetic topics related to indigenous literatures. The texts listed here are representative readings based on these topics. Instructors may choose other literary texts that also explore these topics.

  1. Pre-contact indigenous American civilizations and literary production

    1. Major tribal groups and linguistic regions

    2. Creation myths and religious beliefs

    3. Traditional songs and stories

    4. Topics might include: Anthropology/History of which groups settled where, what we know about ways of life/way of life is not monolithic and introduction to key Indigenous ideas: Earth as Mother, Animals as Equals, Humans as Caretakers of Earth. Curatorial Issues, Undervalued stories.

    5. Creation Myths and origins stories might include: “How the grandfather Peyote Came to the Indian People” Sioux.  “Creation of first man and first woman” Navajo.  “The White Dawn of the Hopi” Hopi.  “Old Man Coyote Makes the World”  Crow. 

    6.  Trickster Stories:  representative texts might include the Winnebago Trickster cycle.  And texts containing mythologies about The Old Man and Coyote.  

  2. Post-contact autobiographical narratives

    1. Early accounts of first contact with European civilizations

    2. Nineteenth century autobiographical narratives

    3. Nineteenth century songs and stories

    4. Impact of pan-Indian ghost dance religion and rebellion

    5. Readings might include: Elias Boudinot (writer of first Indigenous newspaper "The Cherokee Phoenix"). John Rollin Ridge ("The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta, the Celebrated California Bandit," 1854). S. Alice Callahan (first novel written by Native American women "Wynema: A Child of the Forest," 1891). Sarah Winnemucca ("“Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims”). 

  3. Indigenous responses to North American governmental policies

    1. Contributions of indigenous civilizations to the character and survival of European colonial enterprises

      1. Readings might include: William Apess (A Son of the Forest: The Experience of A Native of the Forest, 1829). George Copway (The Life, History, and Travels of Kah-ge-ga-gahbowh, 1847). Black Hawk (Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kiakaik or Black Hawk, 1833).

    2. Origin and development of Euro-American stereotypes about indigenous peoples

    3. Oppressive and genocidal policies toward indigenous peoples in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries

    4. Oral vs. written traditions

    5. Characteristics of oral literatures

    6. Characteristics of written literatures

    7. Continuing influence of oral and written literatures in contemporary indigenous literatures

  4. Recent and contemporary literary works by indigenous authors

    1. Novels and short-stories: Ceremony Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich’s The Round House, There There by Tommy Orange.

    2. Poetry (Tommy Pico’s Nature Poem, Natalie Diaz’s Postcolonial Love Poem, Layli Long Soldier, Whereas, Joy Harjo)

    3. Non-fiction essays and autobiographies

    4. Significance and influence of indigenous literatures on contemporary American, European, and World literatures

  5. Issues of identity and diversity in indigenous communities in North America as expressed in literary productions

    1. Connections to traditional tribal lands, traditions, and sovereignty

    2. Issues of mixed-heritages: color consciousness and categorization

    3. Role of gender in indigenous communities and literatures

    4. Representations of sexuality and sexual orientation in indigenous literatures (e.g. Two-Spirit)

    5. Economic and class issues within indigenous communities and literatures

    6. Texts might include:  Mixed Blood Literature: Norbert Hill and Kathleen Ratree (The Great Vanishing Act: Blood Quantum and the Future of Native Nations, 2017). Memoir: Shonda Buchanan (Black Indian 2019) and Terese Marie Mailhot (Heart Berries, 2018) Modernity/Pow Wow: Tommy Orange (There, There, 2018). More potential fiction and poetry resources at: FirstNations.org

  6. Critical Reading strategies:

    1. Close reading of written and visual texts

    2. Description versus analysis

    3. Application of theory

    4. Evaluation of representations of indigeneity within their historical contexts

    5. Comparison and contrast of representations of disability

    6. Putting texts in dialogue

  7. Writing strategies 

    1. Analytical interpretation

    2. Argumentation

    3. Summary and description

    4. Evaluation and application

    5. Thesis development

    6. Basic research skills and MLA citation

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture and application of ideas, discussion, instructor feedback on written papers and discussion, exams, peer feedback.

Reading Assignments

Students will spend a minimum of 4-6 hours per week outside of class researching writers and secondary sources, reading literary works--including but not limited to poems, plays, and prose--and critical analyses relevant to these texts.

Writing Assignments

Writing Assignments Students will average about 2 hours per week writing--a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt.double spaced typed) about indigenous literatures (a) a minimum of 2000 words(10 pages) of the writing must be in the form of analytical essays, (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will spend a minimum of between 4-6 hours each week or writing assignments--including(but not limited to) essays, summaries, reading responses, research essays using secondary sources and take-home exams.

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

108

Methods of Student Evaluation

  • Midterm Exam
  • Final Exam
  • Short Quizzes
  • Written Assignments
  • Essay Examinations
  • Projects (Individual/Group)
  • Problem Solving Exercises
  • Oral Presentations
  • Skills Demonstration

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Scheduled written examinations, including a midterm and final exam; short written discussions of the works and ideas related to them, weekly quizzes.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Write a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt. double-spaced typed) about texts by indigenous writers or about indigenous experiences: (a) a minimum of 2000 words (10 pages) of the writing must be in the form of analytical essays, (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.

Resources Subscreen

  • Textbook: Tommy Orange. Wandering Stars. Knopf (2024).
  • Textbook: Joy Harjo (Editor). When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry. WW Norton (2020).
  • Textbook: Alan R. Velie. American Indian Literature: An Anthology. University of Oklahoma Press (1991 (Classic)).
  • Textbook: Nguyen, Viet Thanh. The Sympathizer. Grove Press (2016 (Classic)).
  • Textbook: Joy Harjo (Editor). Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry. WW Norton (2021).
  • Textbook: Cedar Sigo. Siren of Atlantis. Wave Books (2025).

Eligible Discipline(s)

  • English: Master’s degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above AND master’s degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.