Aboriginal Studies

Director

Merle Richards

General Information

Administrative Assistant

Leslie Wenzl

905-688-5550, extension 4112

Welch Hall 109

The Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education offers a program leading to a Certificate in Aboriginal Language. The program provides an in-depth study of an Aboriginal language and culture from beginner to advanced level.

The requirements for admission to the certificate program are the same as admission to a degree program. See "Certificate Requirements" under Academic Regulations.

Aboriginal Studies courses may be taken for credit as electives in any degree program. Language courses in Mohawk and Cayuga satisfy the Language Requirement for Humanities majors. ABST 2F90, 2F91 or 2F92 may be taken as a credit in History.

Certificate in Aboriginal Language

The Certificate is awarded upon completion of the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:

	ABST 1P01, 1P02, 2F01 and 3F01
	two credits from ABST 2F91, 2F97, 4F01

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course

* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

ABST 1F90

Introduction to Aboriginal Studies

Native cultures in contemporary North America. Diverse and common features of different nations; effects of geography, politics, history and language use.

Lectures/seminar, 3 hours per week.

ABST 1P01

Introduction to Mohawk I

Common sentence forms and vocabulary taught by audio-lingual methods. Listening, reading and writing of stories recorded by native speakers. Materials chosen for cultural and linguistic content. About one-third of class time is devoted to study of the Mohawk culture.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

ABST 1P02

Introduction to Mohawk II

Extended dialogues and storytelling to increase fluency in speech and reading. Transcription of and response to recorded language samples to extend writing in the Mohawk language.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 1P01.

ABST 1P03

Introduction to Cayuga I

Common sentence forms and vocabulary taught by audio-lingual methods. Listening, reading and writing of stories recorded by native speakers are used. Materials are chosen for cultural and linguistic content. About one-third of class time is devoted to study of the Iroquois culture.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

ABST 1P04

Introduction to Cayuga II

Extended dialogues and storytelling to increase fluency in speech and reading. Transcription of and response to recorded language samples to extend writing in the Cayuga language.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 1P03.

ABST 2F01

Intermediate Mohawk

Development of communication abilities and acquisition of the punctual, indefinite and perfect verb forms; transitive pronouns, noun incorporation and locatives. Extension of literacy and oral skills through taped and written traditional stories.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 1P02.

ABST 2F90

Studies in Hodinohsonni History I

History of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the historical perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M90.

ABST 2F91

Studies in Aboriginal History (in Mohawk)

History of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the historical perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Note: this course is taught in Mohawk.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M91.

ABST 2F92

Studies in Hodinohsonni History II

Independent study in an area of mutual interest to the student and the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M92.

ABST 2F96

Studies in Hodinohsonni Culture I

Culture of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the cultural perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M96.

ABST 2F97

Studies in Aboriginal Culture (in Mohawk)

Culture of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the cultural perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Note: this course is taught in Mohawk.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M97.

ABST 2F98

Studies in Hodinohsonni Culture II

Independent study in an area of mutual interest to the student and the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ABST 2M98.

ABST 2M90-2M95

Studies in Aboriginal History

Variable topics course that surveys the history of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the historical perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

ABST 2M96-2M99

Studies in Aboriginal Culture

Variable topics course that surveys the culture of a selected Aboriginal society emphasizing the cultural perceptions, developments and interpretations of that society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

ABST 2P03

Intermediate Cayuga I

Application of literacy skills and extension of vocabulary and listening skills by reading taped stories and legends and responding orally to audio-taped exercises and in writing to printed exercises.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 1P04.

ABST 2P04

Intermediate Cayuga II

Development of communication abilities and acquisition of the grammatical forms of future, aorist, indefinite and perfect tenses; transitive pronouns, noun incorporation and locatives.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 2P03.

#ABST 2P96

Aboriginal Theatre

(also offered as DART 2P96)

Theatrical, dramatic and performative representation of Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian experience.

Prerequisite: DART 1F93 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in DART 2F97.

ABST 3F01

Advanced Mohawk

Focus on the Great Law and the Code of Handsome Lake. Study of the elevated language and contemporary significance of these works from a Mohawk perspective.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 2F01.

ABST 3F03

Advanced Cayuga

Focus on the Great Law and the Code of Handsome Lake. Study of the elevated language and contemporary significance of these works from a Cayuga perspective.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 2P04.

#ABST 3P46

Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian Society

(also offered as SOCI 3P46)

Relationship between Canada's Aboriginal peoples and selected institutions in Canadian society such as education, industry and government. Topics include the European impact on indigenous culture, the conflict between traditional life styles and Canadian institutions and the responses of Aboriginal peoples.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: SOCI 1F90, 2P82 or permission of the instructor.

Note: students minoring in Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

ABST 4F01

The Iroquois Spirit

Three main cultural traditions of contemporary and traditional Iroquois: the Teharonhyawkoh - The Myth of the Earth Grasper (an extensive treatise on Iroquoian Cosmology), the Kaya-nere'kowa -Constitution of the Great Law and the Kariwiyo - the Code of Handsome Lake.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: ABST 3F01 or 3F03.

Note: this course will be conducted partially in the Mohawk language and utilize guest speakers who are recognized experts on the Iroquoian tradition.