We use words like decolonize, disrupt, genocide, racism, missionization, de-centering and a multitude of similar words in the classroom on a regular basis, but teaching Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir moves the discussion from theory to reality in ways that are effective, but deeply complex. Non-native students have commented on the stark portrayals of Indigenous trauma as almost overwhelming, express anger that they have never been taught this history, and often experience a kind of paralysis regarding their own complicity and yes, "white guilt." Indigenous professors have stated that they love the text, but find it personally difficult to teach given their own tribal histories. Native and non-native professors want to know if they should post trigger warnings in their syllabi, how to address student resistance to this relatively new perspective on California missions and want ways to provide context about historical trauma without perpetuating Indigenous Californians as victims in need of rescue by white saviors. In this talk, I use my conversations and correspondence with university faculty as well as my own 10+ years of experience engaging with readers to suggest pedagogical possibilities that enrich classroom discussion, and utilize the book to its fullest potential. These strategies may be mapped onto similar texts as well.
Admission/Cost: FREE Please Register
Location:
Degheri Alumni Center
USD
San Diego, CA
Wednesday, April 24 - 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM
