Course

Introduction to Indigenous Studies

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Course Code
INDG 1100
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15 Weeks
Max Class Size
35
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course Designation
None
Industry Designation
None
Typically Offered
To be determined

Overview

Course Description
This course provides students with a basic introduction to Indigenous Studies, key topics relevant to Indigenous Peoples, and themes and topics relevant to Indigenous histories and contemporary practices within Canada. Emphasis is placed on students creating a connection with Indigenous histories, ways of knowing and contemporary Indigenous movements using story, reflection, and personal location.

Key concepts include self-location, colonialism, settler-colonialism, reconciliation, and developing a commitment to indigenization and decolonization. Topics will include Canadian and Indigenous history, Indigenous-Settler relations, and contemporary Indigenous movements. Students will come away from the course with a better understanding of allyship, Indigenous Peoples' experiences in Canada, and Truth and Reconciliation.
Course Content
  • Histories of Indigenous Peoples in North America
  • The scope of Indigenous cultures, languages, and knowledge
  • Dispelling the myth of Indigenous homogeneity
  • Traditional family and community structures
  • Oral knowledge systems and storytelling
  • The role of Indigenous Elders
  • Indigenous worldviews, perspectives, and scholarship
  • Exploring cultural and linguistic diversity
  • Unpacking myths, stereotypes, and racist generalizations about Indigenous Peoples
  • Comparing mainstream media representations, popular culture, and Indigenous self-representations
  • Urban indigeneity
  • Gender and sexuality in Indigenous societies
  • Historical and inter-generational trauma
  • Residential schools
  • The Indian Act and assimilationist policies
  • Indigenous food systems and food security
  • Treaties, rights, and Indigenous communities
  • Unceded territories
  • Peace and friendship treaties
  • Indigenous sovereignty, resistance, and self-government
  • Reconciliation and healing processes
  • Decolonization and Indigenization
Learning Activities

The course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some or all of the following:

  • Visits from Indigenous Elders
  • Lecture
  • Audio-visual presentations
  • Small group discussion
  • Seminar presentations
  • Classroom discussion
  • Guest lectures
Means of Assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.

Example evaluation scheme:

  • Reflective journals 25%
  • Land-based assignment 25%
  • Research Paper 30%
  • Participation and Discussion 20%

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with college policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Recognize the diversity of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, their histories, cultures and traditions;
  • Identify impacts of past, current, and ongoing colonialism of Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian context;
  • Describe and critically assess colonial and Eurocentric racism towards Indigenous Peoples;
  • Unpack political, social, and economic motives behind the creation of cultural stereotypes;
  • Acknowledge Indigenous contributions to current Canadian Culture and society;
  • Explore the importance of Indigenous languages for the retention and transmission of culture;
  • Apply Indigenous knowledges, histories and ways of knowing to the analysis of contemporary issues.
Textbook Materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.

Example texts may include:

Frideres, James S. 2019. Indigenous Peoples in the Twenty-First Century. Current Edition. Oxford University Press.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. 2013. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.

Kovach, Margaret. 2021. Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts. Current Edition. University of Toronto Press.

McCall, Sophie. 2017. Read, Listen, Tell. Indigenous Stories from Turtle Island. Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

Peters, Evelyn and Chris Anderson. 2014. Indigenous in the City: Contemporary Identities and Cultural Innovation. University of British Columbia Press.

Tomsons, Sandra and Lorraine Mayer, eds. 2013. Philosophy and Aboriginal Rights: Critical dialogues. Current Edition. Oxford University Press.

Vowell, Chelsea. 2016. Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada. Current Edition. Portage and Main Press.

Requisites

Prerequisites

No prerequisite courses.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for INDG 1100
Alexander College (ALEX) ALEX ANTH 1XX (3)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO IST 120 (3)
College of New Caledonia (CNC) CNC ABST 101 (3)
Coquitlam College (COQU) COQU ANTH 100 (3)
Emily Carr University of Art & Design (EC) EC SOCS 100 lev (3)
Fraser International College (FIC) FIC INDG 101 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG ABST 1102 (3)
LaSalle College Vancouver (LCV) LCV INDG 1XX (3)
Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) NVIT FNST 100 (3)
Northern Lights College (NLC) NLC FNST 100 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC INDG 100 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU INDG 101 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU ANTH 2XXX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU GENS 1XX (3)
University Canada West (UCW) UCW SJCJ 1XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO INDG_O 100 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV FNIS_V 100 (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC FNST 1XX (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV IPK 102 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC IS 101 (1.5)
Vancouver Community College (VCC) VCC INDG 1XXX (3)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025