Course Description: This course explores historical and legal contexts in which Native Americans have practiced their religions in the United States. Making reference to the cultural background of Native traditions, and the history of First Amendment law, the course explores landmark court cases in Sacred Lands, Peyotism, Free Exercise in prisons, and sacralized traditional practices (whaling, fishing, hunting) and critically examines the conceptual framework of "religion" as it has been applied to the practice of Native American traditions. Service projects will integrate academic learning and student involvement in matters of particular concern to contemporary native communities.

Course Project: Native American communities consistently link cultural learning in the oral tradition with expectations of responsibility to the community. In our own academic context, academic civic engagement can provide a nourishing link between community service projects and classroom inquiry by structuring reflection on that experience such that it becomes part of the transforming learning of the course. Students will identify concrete efforts by native people in those communities, students will conduct research projects into the complex circumstances of those issues. In the final segment of the course, in-class project presentations will instruct the class about each issue. As the primary "deliverable" for the project, student will submit html-format case studies for a web-based portal exploring these issues. In addition Take home final exam essays will structure each student's own integration of knowledge gleaned through academic civic engagement and other course knowledge.

Contact Information: Michael McNally, Associate Professor of Religion

Religion Department