History 3010

Book Presentation

image from the 2010 Native American Literature Symposium

Although it was the first American literature to be created, Native American literature has been the last to be recognized -- and, to some extent, is still waiting for full recognition. Beginning with its first thousand years of oral literature and continuing to the present time with writers in all the genre of literature, Native American is an important element in the literature of this country.

You should work with a text -- fiction or biographical -- written (or told by) a Native American author published since 1900. The text should be at least 300 pages.

Present the book to your colleagues orally and in a 1-page handout:

Your Oral presentation should focus on:

  1. how has this author helped you get to Indian Country?
  2. your reaction to the text--what surprised you? what had you not considered previously?
  3. why or why not are you recommending this book to your colleagues?

Confine your oral presentation to the relevance of the book to issues we have been discussing, to your own reaction to the text, to the help it gives you in understanding major themes, ideas, goals of the class.

Your handout should include:

  1. short biography of author
  2. complete bibliographic citation of text (Chicago Style Manual)

Internet Resources: