1. For each essay, choose one primary source document from Talking Back to the
Indian Act: Critical Readings in Settler Colonial Histories to be the focus of your
essay:
a. Essay 1: 1.4, 1.5, 2.4, 2.6, 3.2, 3.7, 4.3, 5.6
b. Essay 2: 1.6, 1.7, 2.7, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7, 5.8
2. Read the editors’ introduction to the chapter your primary source document appears in, the editors’ introduction to your chosen primary source document, and the primary source document. Mark any names, events, or other vocabulary that are unfamiliar for further research.
3. Research the primary source using high-quality reference sources, such as the Canadian Encyclopedia Online, the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, and the Handbook of North American Indians [Library Reference E 77 H25], and Eyford HIST-2511 Primary Source Essay Assignment 2secondary sources, such as peer reviewed academic journal articles, and academic books (monographs and edited collections, print versions or eBooks). The two best library databases to find relevant, high-quality journal articles (including links to full text articles) are America: History & Life and Indigenous Studies Portal.
Your essay should include references to a minimum of four sources in addition to the primary source. Each entry from a reference book (e.g. an article from the
Canadian Encyclopedia) counts as one source. Additional primary sources from Talking Back to the Indian Act can count for one of the four required sources (i.e.
using 4.1 to explain the context of 4.3)
Do not use websites as sources for this assignment. Wikipedia and websitesother than those listed above will not be counted toward the required number of sources.
4. Write an essay that describes the document’s context (When was the document written/created? Who wrote/created it? For what purpose?), content (What does the document say or depict?), and significance (Why is this an important document? What does it tell us about its time period?). Your argument about the document’s significance will form the thesis of your essay