Courses
Course offerings vary from year to year. Check Generate a Timetable for available course offerings.
FNAT 201 (3) Research and First Nations I
An introduction to selected social science research methods and skills with particular focus on First Nations peoples. Conducted as a workshop, topics will include: exploring library resources, using the world wide web for research, referencing, database management, ethical issues in research, and Indigenous Knowledge. FNAT 201 was formerly called FNAT 321; credit will not be granted for both courses. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: None.
FNAT 202 (3) Research and First Nations II
A study of selected social science research methods and skills with particular reference to research with First Nations peoples. Topics will include: research protocols in First Nations communities, evaluating sources, collecting oral histories, analyzing and reporting qualitative and quantitative research, and proposal writing. FNAT 202 was formerly called FNAT 326; credit will not be granted for both courses. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 201 or permission of instructor.
FNAT 205 (3) First Nations, Race and Colonialism in Canada
An examination of the relationship between racism and colonialism, with emphasis on the perspectives of First Nations in Canada. Students examine the concept of "race" and its relationship to notions of "Indianness", racist attitudes and ideology, and how ethnic prejudice and discrimination shape the social, cultural and political landscape for Aboriginal peoples in Canadian society. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 220 (3) First Nations and the Canadian State
An examination of the historic and contemporary relationship between First Nations and the Canadian state. Involves lectures and discussions on the Royal Proclamation, Indian treaties, Canadian Indian policy and legislation, and the development of First Nations political movements. (2:1:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116 or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 221 (3) First Nations and the Churches in Western Canada
An examination of the historic and contemporary relationship between First Nations and the church in Western Canada since 1880. Includes a discussion of related theory, the missionization process in Canada's West, Indian administration and the churches, and First Nations perspectives on the role of the established churches in First Nations' communities and lives. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 223 (3) First Nations and Northern Development
An examination of the relationship between First Nations peoples living in polar areas and the development of the north. Topics include the impact of such things as: World War II, treaties, the discovery of oil and diamonds, and the formation of First Nations organizations seeking input into decisions affecting northern regions. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 230 (3) Media, Representation and Colonization: First Nations in Focus
A critical examination of how indigenous peoples are, and have been represented in the media of Western European and North American cultures. A study of the relationship between representation, cultural appropriation and colonization, analyzing how media images affect public awareness, attitudes and opinions about indigenous peoples. Explores how various media have been co-opted by First Nations organizations, communities, and artists as tools of resistance. (2:1:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 232 (3) First Nations in Film: Selected Topics
An introductory course examining First Nations representation in film. Topics may include: early ethnographic films; documentaries; Hollywood feature films; Aboriginal productions. (3:1:0)
Prerequisite: First-year English requirement.
FNAT 240 (3) North West Coast Material Culture
An examination of NWC material culture around the authoritative voice of First Nations people, which is contrasted with the Colonial voice - both historic and contemporary. Examines a diverse selection of materials from NWC cultures, and considers the many ways in which material culture has functioned within and between First Nations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 241 (3) North West Coast Material Culture: Reconstituted, Repatriated, and Reinvigorated
A consideration of how First Nations have reconstituted, repatriated and reinvigorated material culture, that has been represented in the public sphere by non-Native interest groups. Despite the colonial pressures on North West Coast material culture, the potential for power remains. How is 'captured' material culture "reinvigorated" through, for example, repatriation: return of talking sticks, medicine bundles, potlatch goods, and so on. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 240.
FNAT 271 (3) First Nations Oral Histories in Canada
A survey course in the oral histories of First Nations across Canada guided by the principle that oral histories are vital to the discipline of First Nations Studies and can stand on their own to tell First Nations histories. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 100 or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 272 (3) First Nations Oral Histories in British Columbia
This course will provide an in-depth focus on First Nations oral histories in British Columbia. Integral to the course is that First Nations oral histories continue to be told, retold and reinterpreted, not only in First Nations communities, but in academic communities as well. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 271 (or FNAT 100) or one of the following pairs: FNAT 101/ FNAT 102, ENGL 111/ENGL 112, ENGL 115/ENGL 116, or LBST 111/LBST 112.
FNAT 305 (3) Theoretical Perspectives on First Nations Issues
An examination of a range of theories applicable to First Nations issues in Canada, including theoretical perspectives particular to First Nations societies such as prophesy, origins and time, as well as a selection of mainstream social and political theories such as imperialism, race, ethnicity, world systems, (post)colonialism, feminism, Marxism, (post)modernism, nationalism, and others. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.
FNAT 320 (6) Relationships between Aboriginal and Settler Societies
An overview of the relationships emerging from the colonial experiences of Aboriginal peoples. Topics include the comparative study of perspectives on historical and social patterns of change in select Aboriginal communities in Canada and abroad, as reflected in literature, film, art, and narrative. (3:3:0)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.
FNAT 325 (6) First Nations Perspectives and the Natural Environment
An exploration of the historical and contemporary relationships between First Nations and the physical environment, particularly on the British Columbia coast. Topics may include: the elements, flora and fauna of the sea and the forest; traditional and contemporary forest management; food, medicine and health; the relevance of modern science (particularly ecology and ethnobotany); and the economics of sustainable development. (3:3:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 320 (or FNAT 101 and FNAT 102) and third-year standing.
FNAT 326 (3) Research and Management Skills II
An introduction to selected research and management skills which are related to themes under discussion in FNAT 325 and other FNAT courses. Topics may include: maps and geographical information systems; surveys and land title records; legislation, regulations, and court judgments; cross-cultural decision making. (1:0:3)
Prerequisite: Third year standing.
FNAT 330 (3) Cultural Imperialism in Children's Media
An examination of hegemonic process in children's media markets, focusing on relationships between cultural production and colonial/imperial policies. Students will survey methods of media and film analysis, and consider how western cultural values inform and shape format, content and audience reception within various social, historical, and political contexts. Credit will not be granted for both FNAT 330 and FNAT 380: Culture and Imperialism in the Magic Kingdom. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: BA English requirement and third-year standing.
FNAT 341 (3) Case Studies in North West Coast Material Culture
Challenges populist representation of North West Coast material culture and ritual (including songs, dance, oral histories) as they are associated with the Literary, Visual and Performing Arts, entertainment and leisure in Western societies. A case study is the focal point for examining the complex, historic relationships between First Peoples and non-Native Peoples' interests in North West Coast Culture. The ensuing creation of hybrid aboriginal cultural and art practices in local, regional, national and international arenas is examined as a place where First Nations issues of self-determination, self-definition and authority have been-and are-played out. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 340.
FNAT 350 (3) Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian Law
An introduction to the historic roots and contemporary controversies related to Aboriginal rights, jurisprudence, governance, and justice in Canada. Examines traditional and introduced legal and governance structures, historic and contemporary land and resource conflicts, and recent efforts to negotiate the legal, cultural, and political divide between Canadians and Aboriginal peoples. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.
FNAT 375 (3) Indigenous Knowledge: Narratives of Cultural Identity and Leadership
A thematic study and analysis of selected identity and leadership narratives by North American aboriginal people. Possible themes include: Survivance, Cultural renaissance, Resistance, Borderland voices, Political leadership, Northern development, Trickster. (2:1:0)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing, at least 6 credits of First Nations (FNAT) courses, or permission of instructor.
FNAT 390 (3) Internship
An internship in a First Nations context which is related to a student's area of specialization. Internships will normally involve voluntary service and can be arranged in many different formats, from a few hours per week during the school year to an intensive, full-time position in the summer. Students will maintain a journal of their experiences during the internship and write a report on observations, accomplishments, and reflections. The student's mentor during the internship will assist in evaluating performance. With the permission of the appropriate department, this internship can be used to meet the requirements of the student's major or minor. (0:0:0 -120)
Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.
FNAT 420 (6) First Nations Families and Communities
An examination of beliefs, teachings, and practices surrounding traditional and contemporary family and community life among the First Nations of British Columbia. Family topics include marriage; child-rearing; extended family relationships; treatment of the elderly; contemporary problems of violence, abuse, and suicide. Community topics include: education, language, ceremony, art, spirituality, rhetoric, and cultural revitalization. (3:3:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 320 (or FNAT 101 and FNAT 102) and third-year standing.
FNAT 421 (3) Research and Management Skills III
An introduction to selected research skills which are related to topics under discussion in FNAT 420 and 425, and which support the completion of the B.A. Essay in FNAT 490. Topics may include survey research methods, case study, and participatory action research. (1:0:3)
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.
FNAT 425 (6) Decolonization: First Nations Self-Government into the 21st Century
An exploration of the ideas and practices of self-government as they apply to contemporary First Nations. Topics include the Canadian political and legal framework, aboriginal rights, traditional and contemporary aboriginal self-government, treaty negotiations, inter-governmental relations, economic development, and aboriginal law and justice. (3:3:0)
Prerequisite: FNAT 320 (or FNAT 101 and FNAT 102) and third-year standing.
FNAT 450 (3) Comparative Aboriginal Rights and Policies
A case-study approach to assessing Aboriginal rights and policies in different Nation-State systems. Various Aboriginal situations will be examined for factors promoting or limiting self-determination. Students will discuss the challenges of comparative research methodologies, and investigate techniques/methods for policy analysis. Intended for First Nations Studies Minors or Majors. (0:3:0)
Prerequisite: First-year English requirement and third-year standing.