Indigenous Politics and Critical Theory Dr. Robert Hunter

INDIGENOUS POLITICS AND CRITICAL THEORY

Dr. Robert Hunter, Affiliate Instructor, Native American Studies - Division of Arts and Sciences

Preparing students for the demands of study in higher education is the primary purpose of Indigenous Politics and Critical Theory. Our students live in an environment where an abundance of career and technical educational choices are available. Workforce credentials provide an opportunity for a steady paycheck. Yet educational outcomes need not conclude here.

As released in The Kennedy Report nearly fifty years ago, the trend in Indian education has tended toward a focus on “overemphasizing vocational training at the expense of college preparatory work” (Indian Education: A National Tragedy – A National Challenge, 1969). This is a trend that higher education is uniquely situated to address. Whether students choose to enter the fields of education, law, politics, or the media, the ability to discern some of the historical, sociopolitical, and economic forces that shape our present world is essential.

Indigenous Politics and Critical Theory examines the reification of power in bureaucratic systems. Specific emphasis is given to the political relationship of the Navajo to state and federal governments. Students are introduced to some of the key tools of critical theory in analyzing both oppressive and affirmative manifestations of political agency.

Examining intergovernmental relationships directly and analogously allows students a glimpse into both practice and theory. Students investigate how and why Indigenous populations are often the most regulated polities in the nation. The course draws from the work of postcolonial and critical theorists in addressing these questions. The interrogation of specific claims and representations is as important as the study of the policies that reproduce them. The question of whose interests are being served is central to this work.

Looking at Constitutional treaties and Tribal compacts and codes, students are able to trace the impact of colonialism and some of the critical discourses used to allay it. Students are introduced to constructs of hegemony, such as the culture industry and repressive tolerance. They learn about paternalism and the difference between Indian preference and affirmative action policies.

In short, students reflect and respond through reading, analyzing, writing, and presenting ideas that affirm Indigenous sovereignty. Preparation for work in higher education reaffirms that the warriors of today often fight their battles in the courtrooms and the classrooms of tomorrow.