California University of Pennsylvania
Guidelines for New Course Proposals
University Course Syllabus
Department of History, Politics and
Society
UCC Approval date: 9/20/2019

A.

Protocol
Course Name: Indians of North America
Course Number: ANT 280
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Maximum Class Size (face-to-face): 50
Maximum Class Size (online): 50

B.

Objectives of the Course

Upon completion of course, students will be able:
1.

To recognize one’s own cultural background and views including biases and prejudices towards other
groups, while comparing and contrasting them with the values, beliefs, and practices of other cultural
groups.
2. To outline diversity, either historically or cross-culturally, for Native American groups.
3. To explain how Native Americans define social constructs (e.g. gender roles, gender attribution, gender
ideology and gender identity) and how these are expressed.
4. To identify and explain the social behavior of Native Americans.
5. To explain why tensions exist between cultural groups and how such tensions are expressed, such as
attribution and ideology.
6. To outline the diversity of American Indian cultures.
7. To recognize and analyze how cultural differences impacted the behavior of native peoples.
8. To discuss, explore or utilize the scientific method to understand human behavior and address the question
of ‘why do people do what they do?’ in relation to the study of indigenous peoples of the Americas.
9. To identify major concepts in one or more social science disciplines and provide insight into the breadth of
these disciplines and their relationship to other disciplines
10. To recognize how critical analysis and reasoning are used to address problems in the social sciences.

C.

Catalog Description:

This course is a Holistic study (historical, cultural and environmental) of selective Native American cultural groups
from cultural areas in North America, with an emphasis upon populations living in the United States and Canada. In
addition, a brief overview of the prehistory of each cultural area is provided in order to help develop an historical
context for each of the cultural groups to be examined.

D.

1.

Outline of the Course:
Cultural Areas of North America:
The Culture Area Scheme

2. Cultural Components:

1) Social Organization:
Kinship/descent
Economics systems
Political systems Gender
Relations
2) Human Ecology/Subsistence:
Foragers
Farming
Health Related Issue
3) Religion and the Supernatural:
Ritual
Supernatural and Traditional Healers

a) Who are the Indians
4. Arrival of Europeans:
5. Native American Case Studies:
a) The Arctic Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Arctic
Prehistory of the Arctic
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Arctic
The Netsilik, the Kuskowagamiut, the Aleuts
b) The Subarctic Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Subarctic
Prehistory of the Subarctic
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Subarctic
The Chipewyan and Cree
c) The Northwest Coastal Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Northwest Coastal Notes
Prehistory of the Northwest Coastal
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Northwest Coastal
The Kwakiutl and Tlingit
d) The California Region:
Geography and Ecology of California
Prehistory of California
General Sketch of Native Peoples of California
The Pomos and Yurok
e) The Great Basin Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Great Basin
Prehistory of the Great Basin
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Great Basin
The Shoshones, the Cahuilla, the Paiute

f) The Greater Southwest Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Greater
Southwest
Prehistory of the Greater Southwest
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Greater Southwest
Hopi, the Navajo, the Zunis
g) The Great Plains Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Great Plains
Prehistory of the Great Plains
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Great Plains
The Crows the Hidatsas the Cheyenne

Geography and Ecology of the Northeast
Prehistory of the Northeast
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Northeast
The Hurons the Iroquois the Ottawas
i) The Southeast Region:
Geography and Ecology of the Southeast
Prehistory of the Southeast
General Sketch of Native Peoples in the
Southeast
The Cherokee, Natchez, Choctaws
6. Contemporary Native American Political and Identity Issues
E.

Teaching Methodology (face to face or classroom)
A variety of teaching methodologies may be used in teaching this course. They include, but are not limited to:
lectures, PowerPoint images, assigned readings, case studies, multi-media presentations, group discussions, and
guest speakers. Emphasis will be placed on engaging the learner for involvement and active participation in the
learning process.
Teaching Methodology (online)
A variety of teaching methodologies may be used in teaching this course. They include, but are not limited to:
lecture notes, assigned readings, case studies, PowerPoint images, Flash movie, individual and group p rojec ts ,
online communication strategies (i.e., email, discussion board and chat rooms), and incorporation of Internet
resources. Emphasis will be placed on engaging the learner for involvement and active participation in the learning
process.

F.

Text:
The instructor may choose texts such as:
North American Indians: A Comprehensive Account - Alice Kehoe
Native Roots: How the Indians Enriched America - Jack Weatherford

G.

Assessment Activities (face to face or classroom). Individual instructors may customize different activities.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Performance assessment tasks
Weekly assignments and reports
Exams and/or quizzes
Individual/Group projects
Case studies
Research Reports
Article/Book Critiques

Assessment Activities (online). Individual instructors may customize different activities.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Performance assessment tasks
Weekly assignments and reports
Threaded online discussions
Exams and/or quizzes
Individual/Group projects
Case studies

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

H.

OSD
Revised June 2015
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students reserve the right to decide when to self-identify and when to request accommodations. Students requesting
approval for reasonable accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Students are
expected to adhere to OSD procedures for self-identifying, providing documentation and requesting accommodations in a
timely manner.
Students will present the OSD Accommodation Approval Notice to faculty when requesting accommodations that involve
the faculty.
Contact Information:
•
•
•
•
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Location:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Web Site:

Carter Hall - G-35
(724) 938-5781
(724) 938-4599
osdmail@calu.edu
http://www.calu.edu/osd

I. Title IX Syllabus Addendum

California University of Pennsylvania
Reporting Obligations of Faculty Members under Title IX
of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681, et seq.

California University of Pennsylvania and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive educational
environment for all students. In order to meet this commitment and to comply with the Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 and guidance from the Office of Civil Rights, the University requires faculty members to report
incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Dr. John A. Burnett, Special
Assistant to the President for EEEO, Office of Social Equity, South Hall 112, Burnett@calu.edu, 724-938-4014. The only
exceptions to the faculty member’s reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by a
student during a classroom discussion, in a writing assignment for a class, or as part of a University-approved research
project. Faculty members are obligated to report sexual violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child
(person under 18 years of age) when the abuse allegedly occurred to the person designated in the University protection of
minors policy.
The University’s information regarding the reporting of sexual violence and the resources that are available to victims of
sexual violence is set forth at:
•

•
•
•
•
•

Office of Social Equity, South Hall 112, 724-938-4014
o Social Equity Home Page
www.calu.edu/SocialEquity
o Social Equity Policies
www.calu.edu/SEpolicies
o Social Equity Complaint Form
www.calu.edu/SEcomplaint
Counseling Center, Carter Hall G53, 724-938-4056
End Violence Center, Carter Hall G94, 724-938-5707
Student Affairs, Natali Student Center 311, 724-938-4439
Wellness Center, Carter Hall G53, 724-938-4232
Women’s Center, Natali Student Center 117, 724-938-5857

•

J.

Threat Response Assessment and Intervention Team (T.R.A.I.T.) & Dept. of Public Safety & University
Police, Pollock Maintenance Building, 724-938-4299
o EMERGENCY: From any on-campus phone & Dial H-E-L-P or go to any public pay phone & Dial *1.
(*Identify the situation as an emergency and an officer will be dispatched immediately.)

Supportive Instructional Materials, e.g. library materials, web sites, etc.

American Indian Studies: A Bibliographic Guide. in process Guide to Research on North American Indians. 1983
Indians of North America: Methods and Sources for Library Research. 1983
American Indian Almanac.
The Native American Almanac.
The Native North American Almanac. 1994
Atlas of American Indian Affairs. 1990
Atlas of the North American Indian. 1985
American Indian Women: A Guide to Research.
An Annotated Bibliography of American Indian and Eskimo Autobiographies. 1981.
A Bibliographical Guide to the History of Indian-White Relations in the United States. 1977.
Bibliographical Series / The Newberry Library Center for the History of the American Indian.
A Bibliography of Contemporary North American Indians: Selected and Partially Annotated with Study Guide. 1976.
Bibliography of Social Science Research and Writings on American Indians. 1979.
Bibliography on the Native American. 1975.
A Biobibliography of Native American Writers, 1772-1924. 1981.
The Blackfeet: An Annotated Bibliography. 1988
Ethnographic Bibliography of North America.. 1975
Images of the Other: A Guide to Microform Manuscripts on Indian-White Relations. 1991
Indian-White Relations in the United States: A Bibliography of Works Published 1975-1980. 1982.
Native American Periodicals and Newspapers, 1828-1982:
Native Americans: An Annotated Bibliography. 1991
Southwest Native American Arts and Material Culture: A Guide to Research. Ref Z 1209.2 .U52 S686 1991
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Tribes of North America. 1979.
Dictionary of Indian Tribes of the Americas. 1980.
Dictionary of Native American Mythology. 1992
Handbook of American Indians. (1978-1981). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian. 9 volumes.
Handbook of the American Frontier: Four Centuries of Indian-White Relations.
Indian Place-Names: Their Origin, Evolution, and Meanings, 1968.
Indian Tribes of North America. Govt Docs SI 2.3:145
Word Dance: The Language of Native American Culture. 1994
American Indian Intellectuals. 1976.
American Indian Painters: A Biographical Directory. 1968.
Biographical Dictionary of Indians of the Americas. B56 1983
Dictionary of Indians of North America.
Great North American Indians: Profiles in Life and Leadership. 1977.
Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. 1993
Native North American Literature: Biographic and Critical Information on Writers and Orators from the United States and
Canada from Historical Times to the Present. 1994
Who was Who in Native American History: Indians and Non-Indians from Early Contacts through 1900. R 1990

Additional Information for Course Proposals
J.

K.

Proposed Instructors: Any qualified faculty aproved by the Department of History, Politics, Law, and Society.

Rationale for the Course:
This course will provide students with an understanding of the rich diversity of American Indian culture and history.

L.

Specialized Equipment or Supplies Needed: None

M.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences:
1.

Does the course require additional human resources? (Please explain)
No, this course does not require additional human resources.
2. Does the course require additional physical resources? (Please explain)
No, this course does not require additional physical resources.
3. Does the course change the requirements in any particular major?
(Please explain)
No, this course does not change the requirements in any particular major.
4. Does the course replace an existing course? (If so, list the course and attach a Course Deletion sheet)
No, this course does not replace an existing course.
5. How often will the course be taught?
This course will be taught every forth semester.
6. Does the course duplicate an existing course in another Department or College? (If the possibility exists, indicate
course discipline, number, and name)
No, this course does not duplicate an existing course in another Department or College.
N.

If the proposed course includes substantial material that is traditionally taught in another discipline, you must
request a statement of support from the department chair that houses that discipline.

O.

Please identify if you are proposing to have this course considered as a menu course for General Education. If
yes, justify and demonstrate the reasons based on the categories for General Education. The General Education
Committee must consider and approve the course proposal before consideration by the UCC.
This course had been approved previously as a multicultural awareness course under the old General Education
An application will be made for approval as a social science course, as well as listing as an ethics/multicultural
list option under the new Gen Ed plan.