Structure of Potawatomi

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course aims to foster appreciation for the Potawatomi (Bodwéwadmimwen) language, history, and culture as understood through a linguistic, culturally relevant mode. We will become familiar with the rich structures of the language through exposure to traditional stories (yadsokanen) and personal narratives (yathmownen). The majority of course texts focus on the grammatical structure of the language while others investigate the histories of displacement, sovereignty, and governmental relations as well as the use of humor to cope with tragedy and a shifting cultural identity. Potawatomi, or Bodwéwadmik, are one of the original inhabitants of the land on which the University of Chicago occupies, and we (exclusive, unless students in the class are also Potawatomi) now have tribal governmental centers and reservations in Kansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. As an Algonquian language, Potawatomi is understudied and endangered, but this course offers the ability to become familiar with the language of this land. Following this course, students will possess newfound appreciation for the diversity of linguistic expression and this community of the Great Lakes region. By the end of this course, students will understand the foundations of Potawatomi phonology, morphosyntax, pragmatics, and discourse and will be prepared to develop new analyses of Potawatomi. This course fulfills an elective requirement for linguistics majors.