Introduced this semester as an elective course for undergraduates, its 45 seats were immediately filled.
For the background to this story, see Why FSU's Seminoles Aren't Okay.
September 19, 2006
FSU to teach Seminole history
At FSU, students learn the history of university's namesake tribeNearly 60 years ago, Florida State University students voted to adopt the name "Seminoles" for the school's athletic teams. Now, FSU students are able to learn more about the history and culture of this "unconquered" American Indian tribe through a newly created course, "History of the Seminoles and Southeastern Tribes, Pre-Contact to Present."
Introduced this semester as an elective course for undergraduates, its 45 seats were immediately filled. Comment: FSU begins to do what it could have and should have done decades ago. Yippie.
For the background to this story, see Why FSU's Seminoles Aren't Okay.
Introduced this semester as an elective course for undergraduates, its 45 seats were immediately filled.
For the background to this story, see Why FSU's Seminoles Aren't Okay.
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8 comments:
Writerfella here --
This has all the earmarks of an 'accommodation' to any and all who lodge and have lodged complaints about the school team's name and the mounted simulacrum alleging to be a Native figure. And it is a case where the tests will be given before the course ever finishes its first semester. Will the non-Native students stay enrolled in the course? And how many will contiue to enroll as the course continues to be offered?
Basically, it is a sop, as are such courses offered at the University of Oklahoma but only a few are electives, with the bulk available only under the Indian Studies program for degree candidates. OU even teaches Kiowa language for elective and degree enrollments. The only problem is, Kiowan is taught in the Foreign Languages Department. Ahem!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I know an Odawa speaker who had trouble with a major university's language requirements. They required a certain number of languages be spoken for some particular position, but Odawa "did not count"
Writerfella here --
There are over 530 Native languages left in North America and most only are vestiges of the originals. Many tribes are seeking to preserve what remains of their Native tongues but few if any are recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The tribes' names are, and most of the people are, but their languages are given little or no validity. The US English movement only further will undercut the existence of such languages, if it succeeds in making English the only officially recognized language in America. One more bit of conquest and defeat is not beyond the pale... (faces).
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I agree the class is a sop, but it's a good sop. Let's hope FSU continues it and counts it toward the course requirements.
The situation facing Native languages is indeed dire. I'm doing what little I can by posting info on it in my Pictographs blog.
Writerfella here --
What more is likely is that such a class will continue for a while, become underattended, and then it will be cut for 'lack of interest.' But the University will have its precedent, and a dead precedent at that, to point at the next time they are accused of racial insensitivity. In any case, the Seminoles are one of the Five Civilized Tribes and, as such, they deserve insensitivity.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella here --
Why is it that, at times, yourm post is swallowed up and a screen comes on saying 'that page is unavailable at this time'. So, you think your post has become etherized and you re-accomplish it and when you send it, BOTH posts appear onscreen? Writerfella does not know how to cope with that...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I think the Blogger site gets too much traffic at times and can't handle it. But I can handle it by deleting duplicate postings. ;-)
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