CRES 282 - Indigenous Joy

This course examines how Indigenous peoples across the Americas have created and sustained vibrant communities, cultural practices, and visions for the future despite ongoing colonial violence. Moving beyond frameworks of victimhood and oppression, we explore the generative philosophies, creative expressions, and political strategies through which Indigenous peoples have built joy, meaning, and diverse futures for their communities. The course begins by interrogating the term “Indigenous” as a category to examine how this identity has been constructed, contested, and reclaimed. We then turn to Indigenous intellectual traditions, autobiographical practices, and cosmovisions that center relationality, reciprocity, and collective wellbeing. Through concepts like sumak kawsay (good living), cuerpo-territorio (body-territory), and mandar obedeciendo (leading by obeying), and examples of resurgent creativity and activism, students will engage with Indigenous-led alternatives to Western models of nation, politics, development, relationships of care, and futures.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group II
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing
Instructional Method: Conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Evaluate data and/or sources.
Analyze institutions, formations, languages, structures, or processes, whether social, political, religious, economic, cultural, intellectual or other.
Think in sophisticated ways about causation, social and/or historical change, human cognition, or the relationship between individuals and society, or engage with social, political, religious or economic theory in other areas.