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HIST/INST 370 deals with the Métis experience from the fur trade era to the present day. It explores complex discourses on Métis identity, modern Supreme Court rulings, and initiatives concerning social justice. Dr. Frits Pannekoek, who is the course coordinator, course tutor, and course author, hopes that students will enjoy the units on Métis culture that cover clothing design, beadwork, music and literature. As the readings follow the twists and turns of public policy and identify systemic racism, this course will also introduce students to the Métis and Métisse heroes and heroines of the twentieth century.
This three-credit, arts/humanities course for individualized study has no prerequisites, although students are advised to take three credits in either Indigenous studies or Canadian history. As HIST/INST 370 is available for enrollment under two separate disciplines, you can only take the course for one of them. It also offers a Challenge for Credit option.
Who Should Take This Course and Why
Dr. Pannekoek says that HIST/INST 370 “should appeal to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.” He adds that the course aims to facilitate intrigued students’ exploration into Métis history, identity, rights, literature, music, and culture by broadening their understanding of these subjects. Students will learn from, among others, “readings by the most recent historians, and videos of famous Métis musicians,” Dr. Pannekoek explains.
Course, Assignments, and Exam Details
The course is comprised of four units: Métis History and Identities, Métis Rights and the Law, Leadership and Métis People, and Métis Culture.
Students must complete four assignments – each worth 10%, 15%, 15%, and 30% respectively – and a final exam valued at 30% to receive a credit for HIST/INST 370.
Course Tutor’s Advice for the Course
Dr. Pannekoek encourages students to, above all, embrace the content and flexibility that HIST/INST 730 has to offer. Unlike many other courses, he stresses that the carefully selected, quality videos and images are not supplementary materials, but rather mandatory for student learning.
Special attention, he continues, should be paid to AU Elder in Residence Dr. Maria Campbell’s autobiography Halfbreed, which is an essential reading for the course. Dr. Pannekoek elaborates that Dr. Campbell’s work has been instrumental to the development of Indigenous education in Canada.
The first assignment is intended to be short. It allows Dr. Pannekoek to identify areas of improvement so that students can internalize his feedback and perform well on the subsequent assignments.
Questions?
If you have any further questions regarding the course, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Pannekoek at fritsp@athabascau.ca. Happy learning!
