ANT359H5

Sovereignty Matters: Indigenous Politics in North America

Across North America, Indigenous peoples are actively (re)building their nations. This course explores a range of legal and political concerns – e.g., treaties, sovereignty, self-determination, nationhood, citizenship – central to these nation-building projects. It will also explore the wider agonistic field within which these projects unfold. Individuals and groups across North America pretending to be Indigenous; national and international borders; technologies of race; myths of the “Vanishing Indian” – all frustrate Indigenous peoples’ nation-building efforts, including the very recognition of Indigenous nations as political entities. Through close readings of anthropological and related materials, as well as current case studies from across Canada and the US, students will gain insights into some of today’s most pressing concerns for the Indigenous peoples of this continent.