Animate Landscapes: Spirits and Sovereignty in Indigenous Religions
RELI 306
Fall 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENVS 309, REES 306 |
Scientific understandings of the world are grounded in a distinction between animate beings and inanimate matter, but people all over the world have understood land and landscapes as alive and filled with agency. Indigenous religious practices often include relationships with mountains, rivers, glaciers, and other powerful "other-than-human persons" who must be respected, who can protect, but who are also feared. In the eyes of early Christians and often in contemporary popular culture, these animate and agentive landscapes can seem monstrous. We will explore medieval ideas about the Wild Man of the Forest, Indigenous and Feminist theory, and draw on case studies from North America, Siberia, Mongolia, and the instructor's fieldwork materials with landscape beings in Buryatia. The class will explore the different relationships human beings have with animate and sacred landscapes, think about the ramifications these relationships have for sovereignty over and in the "natural" world and why the idea that land is alive might be threatening. The course includes a 4 day/3 night trip to Penikese Island off Cape Cod for an immersive learning experience with the Gull Island Institute during Fall Break. The trip will be fully funded with no cost to the students). The trip is required, and in order to take the class you must be available to participate in this travel during Fall Break (10/24-10/27). |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Environmental Studies Minor)(Environmental Studies)(Religion Minor)(Religion)(Social, Cultural and Critical Theory Certificate) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Selections from:
Elizabeth Povinelli, GEONTOLOGIES
Leane Betamosake Simpson, Land as Pedagogy
Donna Harraway, Staying with the Trouble
Caroline Humphrey and Urgunge Onon, SHAMANS AND ELDERS
Michael Taussig, Shamanism, Colonialism and the Wild Man
Donatas Brandisauskas, LEAVING FOOTPRINTS IN THE TAIGA
Vine Deloria, Jr., Selected Readings
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Examinations and Assignments:
Nature Journaling assignment
Self-governance and collective labor for and on the fieldtrip
Collective web project
Individual Final Project (reflective essay, research paper or creative option)
Active class participation including 1 reading response presentation |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the Historical Traditions or Method & Theory requirements for the Religion major.
To request a POI, please send a brief message to jquijada@wesleyan.edu, detailing your interest in the course and confirming your availability for the trip from 10/24 - 27. |
| Instructor(s): Quijada,Justine Times: .M.W... 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: TBA |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 12 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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