The premise of this course is that historiography (the writing of history) is not an objective exercise but a site of conflict between historians with different perspectives. Keeping this point in mind, we will examine how writers and filmmakers have represented the history of settler colonialism in North America and often done so with dramatically dissimilar agendas. These agendas have serious ramifications and implications; they not only affect how we understand the past in the present but also shape how we conceive of the present through the lessons of the past.
Our main focus will be the film genre known as the “Western,” perhaps the most famous genre in America cinema. We will also analyse short stories and poems by Indigenous writers, as well as read excerpts of critical work on American history and nationalism. By the end of the semester, we will understand the Western as a set of aesthetic conventions open to ideological manipulation.
The use of generative-AI is prohibited. Students caught using AI will lose significant marks.
N.B. Unfortunately, students will be responsible for accessing the films we will discuss in class. Most are available as DVDs at UM’s library.
- Teacher: dandufournaud, Dufournaud Daniel