ENGL 103 A23: Case Studies in Research: Cree Literature

A. Van Essen

Indigenous scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith asserts, “Research” “is probably one of the dirtiest words in the indigenous world’s vocabulary”. Given the context of historical and ongoing colonialism in Canada, what does it mean to do research respectfully? How do we read, write about, and discuss Cree and Métis literature with care and respect? In this course, these questions will serve an anchor as we pursue literary research through case studies in Cree and Métis literature. Research helps us to understand texts in particular locations, histories, contexts, and debates. Students can expect to learn about, and put into practice, the stages in a research process, from identifying a research question or problem, to finding and evaluating useful supplementary materials, and learning about how to place their ideas in conversation with the knowledge they build from research.