Fall 2025
HRSJ 5010 – Foundations of Human Rights and Social Justice
HRSJ 5020 – Indigenous Ways: Pedagogies and Practices
HRSJ 5250 – Risk, Place, and Social Justice
Winter 2026
HRSJ 5030 – Problem Solving in the Field
HRSJ 5220 – Trauma, Rights, and Justice
HRSJ 5270 – Social Determinants and Medicare
Summer 2026
HRSJ 5040 – HRSJ Field Experience
Fall 2026
HRSJ 5230 – States, Violence, Revolutions and the Emergence of Global Capitalism (in progress)
HRSJ 5710 – Critical Race Studies and Racial Justice (in progress)
Reading Reflection: HRSJ 5020: Indigenous Ways: Pedagogies and Practices
I read Rebecca Roanhorse’s short story early in my master’s degree. I remember how my mood shifted to contentment because I was finally going to be familiar with the structure of a reading; creative writing with narrative characters and exploring themes through subtext and plot points– what a relief. My background in English was finally going to put me ahead in the discussions because I know what it means to analyze stories from a plethora of lenses. Then I read the story and remembered it is not just a story. Roanhorse is a powerhouse of a writer with a mind that encapsulates generations of colonial trauma and how these colonial experiences bleed into capitalism, appropriation, and identities– or in the colonial case, false identities– and she explores the colonization of the Indigenous body of Jesse Turnblatt through a second-person point of view placing the reader as the colonial force in the story.
This reading impacted me because of how it merged my background of English literature with social justice and I was able to apply my knowledge of the “pretendian” identity to real world scenarios and contemporary media. Using an example from Roanhorse’s writing, I found the transition of White Wolf’s character to be disturbing yet realistic to colonial behaviours. This story offers dystopic speculation of the colonial themes that are prominent in society today: “he looks different to you. Something you can’t quite place. Maybe it’s the ribbon shirt he’s wearing, or the bone choker around his neck. Is his skin a little tanner than it was last week? (Roanhorse, 4 2017, para. 187). This transition of appropriation for the character is unsettling as it can be witnessed in our lives and media: pretendians taking over Indigenous spaces. Pretendians exist on a scale, from minute fibs for credibility to lies that infringe on Indigenous livelihoods.
Participating in this class discussion and completing this reading was a turning point for my education because I finally realized that I can connect with social justice with my background and passions. Political science and law are my weak points in academia, but that does not make me less of a student. Powerful words aren’t the only way to portray powerful messages; Roanhorse clearly shows this through her choice of using the word “you” to push the narrative of the story. She shows us that colonialism is an integrated force in society, we cannot ignore it, we cannot pretend it doesn’t exist, we are actively part of the pretendian plague unless we speak up and acknowledge it. Any word can be made powerful when said in a powerful way.
Reference
Roanhorse, R. (August 8, 2017). “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience ™.” Apex Book Company. https://www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apexmagazine/post/welcome-to-your-authentic-indian-experience