Religious Studies: 193 Religion and Ecology in
Environmental Studies: 189
Professor Inés Talamantez
Class: MWF 12:00-12:50 Location: Buchanan 1940
Office: HSSB 3069 Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays
10:00-11:00, or by appointment
Phone: (805) 893-4326
Email: talamant@religion.ucsb.edu
Course
Description:
This course will analyze specific themes critical to the understanding of indigenous ways of knowing and the impact of colonialism. We will explore the major factors contributing to the intellectual history of Indigenous America and the contemporary ecological and environmental concerns. The course addresses questions of de-colonization, values, and consciousness raising for balanced living including a discussion of efficient energy use, an evaluation of health risks, and concerns for a sustainable community. Topics include: how perceptions of nature have changed across cultures and over time, how media affects the contemporary American experience both within our inner human nature and the natural world, and how we experience ourselves and the world.
Course
Requirements:
Class attendance is required, along with a one page summary of weekly readings due on Fridays. The final paper that is required must be written in essay format and will focus on the course reading and lectures, you may choose your own topics from the assigned readings. Also the final paper will be presented orally at the end of the course and turned in immediately before presentation. You will be asked to develop a synthesis based on what you have learned in this course and provide a conclusion for further research. You will be expected to present a theme that is critical to the principles developed in this class.
Grading:
The reading summaries and attendance = 50% of your grade
The final paper with the oral presentation = 50 points or 40% of your grade
Required Texts:
Richard Nelson, Make
Prayers to the Raven: A Koyukon View of the
Oscar Kawagley, A Yupiaq Worldview: A Pathway to Ecology and
Spirit
Scott Basso, Wisdom Sits In Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western
Apache
Course Lectures
and
Jan 5: Course Introduction
Jan 7: The Watchful World: Animals and Plants
Jan 9: People, Animals, and Plants
Jan 12: Earth, Sky, and Plants
Jan 14: Earth, Animals, and Fish
Jan 16: The Bird World
Jan 19: HOLIDAY: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 21: The Small Mammals
Jan 23: Predatory Animals
Jan 26: The Large Mammals
Jan 28: Ecological Patterns and Conservation Practices
Jan 30: Ancestral Wisdom
Feb 2: Stalking With Stories
Feb 4: Naming the Landscape
Feb 6: Wisdom Sits In Places
Feb 9: Apache Religious Traditions and Healing
Feb 11: Transpossession
Feb 13: Rites of Passage
Feb 16: HOLIDAY: Presidents Day
Feb 18: Yupiaq Worldview: The Meeting of Old and New
Feb 20: Akiak and the Yupiit Nation
Feb 23: Yupiaq Science, Technology, and Survival
Feb 25: Education and Science in a
Feb 27: Yupiaq Cultural Adaptation
Mar 2: Film
Mar 4: Local Environmental Concerns: Coal Oil Point Reserve
Mar 6: Course Summary
Mar 9: Oral Presentations Group 1
Mar 11: Oral Presentations Group 2
Mar 13: Oral Presentations Group 3