Indigenous Rights & Social Justice

INTS 365
Indigenous Rights and Social Justice

Course Overview

Indigenous peoples in Honduras—as elsewhere around the world—are declaring their right of self-determination. This right guarantees their freedom to choose their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Traditional knowledge and practices are the bedrock of identity and community life for many indigenous peoples. The majority of the world's remaining natural resources—minerals, freshwater, potential energy sources and more—are found within indigenous peoples' territories. Traditional groups are not only global role models for successful conservation and sustainable consumption of natural resources; they are also the guardians of our planet's remaining wilderness and biological diversity. Sadly, indigenous communities often lack control over the use of their knowledge and resources. Access to and ownership of these resources remain contentious and are frequently appropriated by outsiders, including the United States.This course will examine contemporary movements in Honduras to ensure the conservation, protection and promotion of indigenous peoples' rights. Such intiatives include:

• community management of heritage sites

• protocols governing outside involvement

• community management of resources

• community-directed education

Materials for the course cover a wide range of scholarly research, international case studies, personal narratives, documentaries and news reports. Students are encouraged to add to our database of materials by contributing resources of interest to the group.

Course Requirements

Participants are expected to:

• complete and reflect upon all assigned readings before coming to class

• discuss and write about insights from the readings each day

• fully participate in all class-related activities in Honduras

Course Readings

Most course readings are available online via our WebCT site. There is one additional required text and one additional optional text. Both are available for purchase from Amazon.
• Medea Benjamin, Don't Be Afraid Gringo (required) • John Booth, Understanding Central America (optional)

Activities | Assignments

Grades for this course will be determined by your performance in three areas:

Class Participation

You are expected to carefully read and reflect upon all of the assigned readings before coming to class and come to class each day prepared to discuss assigned readings. We will often begin and/or conclude class with a written 'free write' covering some aspect of the readings. Other assignments will be completed outside of class.

Each student will be asked to prepare one 20-30 minute report on a supplementary reading of their choice. Supplementary readings are listed at the bottom of this syllabus and are accessible online. Reports should provide a brief outline of the article's key points, as well as two discussion questions (or one experiential activity).

Because assignments are intended to prepare you for constructive contributions to class discussion, assignments cannot be made up. There will be no credit for assignments missed due to absentism.

In some cases, I may elect to add points to the class preparation/participation grade to reflect 'exceptionally' constructive participation (e.g., consistently thoughtful contributions to class discussion). Conversely, I reserve the right to subtract points to reflect substandard classroom behavior (e.g., reading or sleeping in class, chronic tardiness, etc.)

Work in Honduras

Every student will work under the direction of me, our in-country tour guide and our Honduran hosts. While in Honduras, every student is expected to exhibit the following characteristics. I will base my evaluation of your performance based on the following:

With respect to the service projects, you should be

______ Diligent
______ Conscientious
______ Reliable
______ Flexible

With respect to our Honduran hosts and communities, you should be

______ Respectful
______ Culturally sensitive
______ Adaptable

With respect to other class members, you should be

______ Cooperative
______ Collegial
______ Considerate

In-Country Journal

Reflection is an important component of experiential learning. You will begin your reflective journal during our first week of class and will complete it during our final week in Honduras. You are encouraged to use your journal to experiment, take risks, be creative. You may, for example, want to draw in your journal, write a poem, add photographs, or paste news articles. This is your creative space to ponder and respond. At the completion of each work day in Honduras, you will be asked to reflect on the activities and experiences of the day. What did you find interesting? striking? disturbing? How do your experiences reinforce, complicate, or contradict your expectations, beliefs, or feelings? How have your previous course readings informed or impacted your experiences?

I will collect and read your journal at the end of our 6 weeks together. Your final journal grade will be based on the following criteria:

• thoughtful, thorough, well-articulated responses to the course readings and discussions

• integration of course materials into personal reflections

• awareness of the opportunities and challenges of international service learning

• intellectual maturity in processing complex and subtle issues from multiple learning environments

~ Nota Bene ~

This course is a work in progress. Please be flexible regarding readings, assignments and activities. We may need to amend the current syllabus based on student interests or unforeseen time constraints. Such flexibility will serve you well during our fieldwork experience in Honduras.

Course Grade

Class Participation	40	93 - 100	A	84 - 86	B	74 - 76	C
Work in Honduras	30	90 - 92	A-	80 - 83	B-	70 - 73	C-
Reflection Journal	30	87 - 89	B+	77 - 79	C+	60 - 69	D

Week 1 - Indigenous Rights & Global Citizenship

Mon	6 \| 25	Honduras Overview	• Culture Gram • Culture of Honduras • BBC Country Profile
Tues	6 \| 26	U.S. Interests & Globalization	• Guest Speaker \| Dr. Bert Holmes • Inequality Matters: Why globalization doesn't lift all boats • The Lives and Time of Miss Chiquita
Wed	6 \| 27	Indigenous Knowledge & Rights	• Indigenous Knowledge: A Conceptual Framework • Recognizing Indigenous Peoples Human Rights
Thurs	6 \| 28	Indigenous Rights	• UN Draft Declaration on Rights of Indigeous Peoples • UN Forum Wants Recognition of Indigenous Peoples • UN Declaration Meets Stiff Resistance

Week 2 - Indigeneity, Globalization & Sustainability

Mon	7 \| 2	Human Rights	• BBC Timeline • Legacies of Rebellion • U.S. State Department Report • Amnesty International Report
Tues	7 \| 3	Natural Disasters	• Guest Speaker \| Dr. Robert Yearout • Hurricane Mitch - Path of Destruction • Hurricane Mitch - Honduras Fights Back • Banana Losses Threaten Workers • Surviving Hurricane Mitch - Indigenous Knowledge
Wed	7 \| 4	Development Schemes	• Water, Rights, and the El Cajon Dam • Ongoing Struggles for Indigenous Land Rights • Land Rights & Garifuna Identity
Thurs	7 \| 5	Natural Resource Management	• Indigenous Communities & Deforestation • Sustainable Resource Management • Equator Initiative - MOPAWI

Week 3 - The Search for Social Justice

Mon	7 / 9	Politics of Food Production	• Development vs. Environment - Prawn Farming • Social Justice Implications of Shrimp Mariculture
Tues	7 / 10	Ecotourism	• Ecotourism: Principles, Practices & Policies (1-44)
Wed	7 / 11	Honduran Women	• Don't Be Afraid Gringo
Thurs	7 / 12	Experiential & Service Learning	• Guest Speaker \| TBA • To Hell with Good Intentions • A chameleon with a complex

Supplemental Readings

Honduras	• Understanding Central America — Honduras	• Library of Congress - Country Study
Globalization	• Globalizers - Development Workers in Action	• Indigenous Resistance
Indigeneity	• Honduras Indigenous Groups	• Other Non-Ladino Groups
Indigenous Honduras	• Indigenous Communities	•
Garifuna	• Garifuna - Weaving a Future	• Garifuna Indigenous Activists
Garifuna	• Legislature Threatens Garifuna Lands	• Migration Among The Garifuna
Chorti Maya	• Ancient Mayan Cities Looted	• The Maya Heritage
Miskito	• Miskito Communities & Cocaine Trade	•
Pech	• Pech (Paya) of Honduras	• Pesch of Honduras Face Uncertain Prospects
Indigenous Rights	• Indigenous Rights - Study Guide	• 25 Yrs for Indigenous Activists
Indigenous Rights	• Indigenous Political Prisoners	• Indigenous Knowledge & Resource Rights
Activism & Resistance	• Grassroots Resistance & Retaliation	• War Against Land Barons
Activism & Resistance	• Collected News Stories	• Christopher Columbus on Trial
Human Rights	• Escaping Revolutionary Violence	• Roots of Insurgency - Honduras
Natural Disasters	• Rebuilding after Hurricane Mitch	• Tropical Storm Gamma Devastates Coast
Development	• Dam Development in Honduras	• Conservation - Self-Determination
Development	• Garifuna Projects Based on Cooperation	• Disappearing Forests, Disappearing Peoples
Resource Management	• Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve	• Indigenous Rights & Biodiversity
Resource Management	• Stakeholder Negotiations - Natural Resources	• Fragile Truce on Deforestation
Food & Agriculture	•	•
Ecotourism	• Anthropology of Tourism	•
Women	• Questioning Empowerment I	• Questioning Empowerment II
Service Learning	•	• Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies