Introduction to Indigenous Literatures in Canada

This course examines Indigenous novels, traditional stories, poetry, short stories, and plays from various time periods, written by Métis, Inuit, and First Nations authors. We will study the themes, aesthetics, and politics of the texts, using a combination of culturally specific and pan-Indigenous approaches. With the goal of developing a broader understanding of the powerful anti-colonial sentiment at the core of Indigenous cultural production, the course will also consider the texts in the light of Indigenous-authored criticism. Participants will examine textual and theoretical approaches to topics such as colonialism and resistance, storytelling and orality, traditional and contemporary stories, land and language, residential schools and “reconciliation,” sexuality and gender, spirituality, community and nationhood. The course will also consider the role that Indigenous literatures play in shaping both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perceptions of identity. Some of the works and themes we will study are disturbing—please talk to the instructor at the beginning of the course if you have any concerns in this regard.