Instructor: Marc Blanchard, Department of Comparative Literature, College of Letters and Science
Description: Recently Americans have had their attention drawn to contested presidential elections in Mexico, where the opposition liberal party lost by a razor slim margin. What was little discussed, however, was the fact that much of the opposition to the two major parties came from various centers of indigenous resistance, especially in the Southern part of the country. It was only when the city of Oaxaca was paralyzed by a strike of teachers, community organizations, and large segments of the indigenous organizations around the city of Oaxaca, that the American and the international press began to notice the new role played by indigenous resistance in Mexico, Latin America, and throughout the world.
Format: In this seminar, students will read and look at documents from the written and electronic media dealing with the phenomenon of ‘world indigenous resistance’ and we will examine how cultures previously excluded from the narrative of world colonial history, are now insisting on having their own political and cultural history restored to view. The seminar will combine retrieval of information about indigenous struggles world-wide with reflection on how this revival should be interpreted. Grading: Grading plan not yet available.
About the Instructor: