Our students came back genuinely transformed by the experience.”
Since the introduction of Askin’s course, which had been the only
course focused on American Indians offered at the Catholic college, an American Indian arts course has been introduced and an American Indian history course is being considered.
Three books Askin uses in her course:
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Penguin, 1986: This book follows a young American Indian as he returns from World War II. How he copes with his people, maintaining the culture, alcoholism and the pains of war offer intense and compelling insight into American Indian issues.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, Grove Press, 2004: This collection of 22 short stories based on the Spokane Indian Reservation is often humorous and insightful. It views American Indian lives from a contemporary standpoint and addresses the issues facing reservation life today.
Deer Woman, From Nothing But the Truth: An Anthology of Native American Literature by Paula Gunn Allen, Prentice Hall 2001: A short story that focuses on the oral tradition of Native people.
— By Nicole Roberge
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