D3. American Indians: Contribution & Diversity (Mahon) (Mon)

The discovery of America led to a huge population increase throughout the world.  This was due to the unique contributions made by American Indian cultures.  We will look at these contributions and their significance to the world as a whole. We will also look at several different “culture areas” to see how diverse American Indian cultures actually were: the matrilineal tribes of the Southwest, the (mostly) patrilineal tribes of the Plains, and the incredibly unusual Northwest Coast.  We will also examine some artifacts from these cultures.

GROUP LEADER: Paul Mahon is Professor Emeritus at Assumption College and former director of WISE. He was one of the recipients of an NEH Grant to establish a series of courses on the American Indian at Assumption and taught these courses for over 25 years. He is an alumnus of Assumption and received his Ph.D. from Clark University.