Genre: Indigenous Fiction (Session II)

Class section description:  Focus on indigenous science fiction and indigenous futurism

This course will focus upon indigenous science fiction and the related, artistic movement of indigenous futurism, through novels, short fiction, and other media. As professor of Indigenous Nations Studies at Portland University, Grace Dillon, says, indigenous science fiction“fuses Indigenous sciences with the latest scientific theories available in public discourse, and sometimes undercuts the western limitations of science altogether.” In indigenous futurism—storytelling where Native writers and artists imagine indigenous peoples extending what Gerald Vizenor calls survivance into the future—basic, US and European notions of the science-fiction (sf) genre are expanded and challenged. “Does sf have the capacity to envision Native futures, indigenous hopes, and dreams recovered by rethinking the past in a new framework?” inquires Dillon, a question we will ask all semester.

In this special section, we will read short stories and novels written by indigenous, aboriginal, Native, and First Nations people, and use these imaginative tales to engage queries such as: “What is science fiction,” “What is genre,” “What is science,” “What is technology,” “What is fantasy,” “What is magic,” “What is realism,” “What is fiction,” and “What is literature?”

Course description (from the UHM Catalog)

ENG 271 Introduction to Literature: Genre (3) Study of significant works of selected genres. A significant portion of class time is dedicated to writing instruction. Repeatable one time. Requires a minimum of 4,000 words of graded writing. Pre: FW. DL.

Required readings [available at a discount for enrolled students at Revolution Books; on the 2nd floor of University Square, 3 blocks south of UH; open noon-6 pm Mon-Sun; 2615 S. King, #211, (808) 944-3106]:

Walking the CloudsAn Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction, edited by

Grace Dillon (Anishinaabe) [2012, University of Arizona Press, ISBN

0816529825]

Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson (Afro-Jamaican) [1998, Warner

Books, ISBN 0446674338]

Written in the Sky, by Matthew Kaopio (Native Hawaiian) [2005, Mutual

Publishing, ISBN 1566477239]

Black Rainbow, by Albert Wendt (Samoan) [1995, UH Press/Fiction from

Modern China, ISBN 0824815866]

Roboapocalypse, by Daniel Wilson (Cherokee) [2012, Vintage, ISBN

9780307740809]

Other materials will be made available online via the Laulima course website.

Course requirements

Participation: Oral discussion & written Laulima posts (10% of course grade)

3 short essays of 5 double spaced pages each, submitted to Laulima

course website (each 15% of grade)

1 oral presentation in a 2-3 person group or alone (15% of course grade)—

aided by PowerPoint, KeyNote, or any other audio-visual presentation format—on an indigenous, science-fictional story (novel, short fiction, film, video, web, music, mixed media, etc.) not required for the course

2 objective, short exams on the required readings, including related details,

concepts, and issues, most of which are covered in class (each 15%)

Regular attendance (more than 3 unexcused absences will be penalized)

Plagiarism and citation format

Plagiarism will be penalized; repeat plagiarism results in an F for the course.

Use the MLA (Modern Language Association) citation format for all writing in

this class, including the short essays.

Students with disabilities

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability is invited to contact me privately. I would be happy to work with you, and the KOKUA Program (Office for Students with Disabilities) to ensure reasonable accommodations in my course. KOKUA can be reached at (808) 956-7511 or (808) 956-7612 (voice/text) in room 013 of the Queen Lili’uokalani Center for Student Services.