ANTHR 2720

From the Swampy Land: Indigenous People of the Ithaca Area

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2021-2022.

Who lived in the Ithaca area before American settlers and Cornell arrived? Where do these indigenous peoples reside today? This class explores the history and culture of the Gayogoho:no (Cayuga), which means people from the mucky land. We will read perspectives by indigenous authors, as well as archaeologists and historians, about past and current events, try to understand reasons why that history has been fragmented and distorted by more recent settlers, and delve into primary sources documenting encounters between settlers and the Gayogoho:no. We will also strive to understand the ongoing connections of the Gayogoho:no to this region despite forced dispossession and several centuries of colonialist exclusion from these lands and waters. 

When Offered Spring.

Breadth Requirement (GHB)
Distribution Category (HA-AS, HST-AS, SCD-AS)

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