Introduction to the cultural traditions and socio-political reality of present-day native peoples of the Americas, by the exemplary analysis of the social situation, cultural traditions and religious worldviews of the Mixtec people in Southern Mexico. A crash course of the Mixtec language (Sahin Sau) is combined with a discussion of ethnographic practice. This course is connected with the department’s NWO-funded fieldwork project that aims at the documentation of the Mixtec cultural vocabulary, oral literature, customs and worldview
Rooster
This course will take place during the whole of the first semester, in the first term on Thursdays from 13.00 to 15.00 and in the second term on Thursdays from 11.00 to 13.00. The 5.0 ECTS may be expanded to 10.0 by writing a paper or by ethnographic fieldwork.
Onderwijsvorm
Seminar(guided by a native speaker) with language study, collective translation of texts, with grammatical analysis, conversation practice and comments on key concepts and traditional worldview. Analytical reading of registered oral traditions and discussion of modern anthropological studies. Optional addition: independent research for the paper or ethnographic fieldwork (under supervision of the teachers).
Leerdoelen
Familiarization with contemporary Mixtec culture through its language, customs and concepts, as exemplary exercise in understanding of Native American society and worldview. Preparation of ethnographic/linguistic fieldwork.
Literatuur
1.) G.A. Perez Jimenez, Sahin Sau. Curso de Lengua Mixteca (variante de Nuu Ndeya). Online publication: www.archeologie.leidenuniv.nl 2.) A. Dyk, Mixteco Texts. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Norman 1959 (accessible through internet) ; 3.) J. Monaghan, The Covenants with Earth and Rain. Exchange, sacrifice, and revelation in Mixtec sociality. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1995
Toetsing
Several written and oral tests on the progress in mastering the basics of the Mixtec language, with assignments to analyse oral traditions and a cultural anthropological monograph (blackboard and discussion in class). This class may be expanded with ethnographic/linguistic fieldwork of one month in the Mixtec region, State of Oaxaca, Mexico ( 5.0 ECTS)