Time

Evenings and weekends.
 

Course Objectives

This course focuses on the Yuman Indigenous cultures of Baja California, particularly on their pre-Hispanic traits and the changes produced by the colonization process.
 

Reading Assignments

The instructor will lecture, but it is the responsability of each student to use the assigned readings to contribute with comments in class and for examination purposes.  The required reading can be purchased on site and the complementary sources will be on reserve on site too.
 

Examinations

Participants in the course are required (1) to participate in field work activities (to do field notes of direct observation and interviews about an approved topic), (2) either to do an Exam or a take-home essay in Ensenada, and 3) to write a term paper on an approved topic (5 pages minimum). This paper can be mailed in after finishing the program.
 

Grading

Class and field work attendance - 20%
Field notes - 20%
Final exam - 30%
Term paper - 30%
 

Things to Bring for Field Work Activities

The program will provide transportation, food, and tents which sleep two or three people each. You may want to bring your own tent as well as sleeping bags or blankets, flashlights, hats, sunblock lotion, and all what you think you may need for camping.
 
 

Session	Topics & Assignments
1st	1.0. Introduction.  1.1. The pre-Yuman groups.  1.2. Origin, antecedents, ethnolinguistic differentiation and traditional localization of the Yumans.  1.3. Museum of Ensenada Tour.
2nd	2.0. Habitat and physical environment.  3.0. Subsistence.  4.0. Mobility.  5.0. Social Organization.
3rd	6.0. The pre-Hispanic traits.  6.1. Material culture: housing, dressing, technology.  6.2. Expressive culture: stories, mythology, art.
4th	7.0. Preparations for the first field trip.  7.1. Documentary.  7.2. To check research tools.  7.3. General recommendations for camping.  First Field Trip:  Two days field work in both the Pai-Pai community of Santa Catarina and the T'pai community of La Huerta.   Activities: Jotting/Direct observation and interviews with key informants with focus on assigned topics.
5th	8.0. History of the colonization process and cultural contacts.
6th	9.0 The changes on the traditional habitat, subsistence, mobility, and social organization.
7th	10.0. Preparations for the second field trip.  10.1. Documentary.  10.2. To check research tools.  10.3. General recommendations for camping.  Second Field Trip: Two days field work in both the K'miai community of San José de la Zorra and the T'pai community of San Antonio Nécua.  Activities: Jotting/Direct observation and interviews with key informants with focus on assigned topics.
8th	11.0. The changes in the Yuman material culture: lecture and presentations of the field work findings.
9th	12.0. The changes in the Yuman expressive culture: lecture and presentations of the field work findings.
10th	13.0. The demographic and socioeconomic situation of the Yuman communities: lecture and presentations of the field work findings.
	FINAL EXAM.