Native Religions Syllabus

This course will introduce you to the history and contemporary realities of Native American life in North America. We will evaluate and analyze the rich cultural, ceremonial, and ideological diversity of Native American religious traditions in diverse contexts: from the Northeast to the Great Plains, from the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest. In addition to distinct tribal traditions, we will discuss several pan-Indian religious movements, including the Ghost Dance and the Native American Church. We will analyze how historical experiences, such as contact with Euro-American missionaries, settlers, and soldiers, the dispossession of tribal lands and cultural genocide, affect communal religious life over time. Throughout, we will develop and analyze theories and methods in the study of Native American religious traditions.

 

This syllabus was created for the Young Scholars in American Religion program.

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