Abya Yala, a term in the Kuna language refers to the continent known today as 'the Americas’. Indigenous women, along with queer, trans, and two-spirit individuals in Abiayala, have played a pivotal role in activism and resistance against settler colonial powers and their allies. The primary emphasis will be on the life experiences and ways of knowing of Indigenous individuals and Native feminist thought. We will examine literary and cultural works created by scholars, artists, activists, and movements within the context of Abya Yala, while also considering the transnational dialogue and exchange that occurs as Indigenous bodies constantly move across borders and territories. The course covers various topics, including environmental care and justice, reproductive justice, gendered violence, cultural reclamation, rematriation, and Indigenous futurisms.

This course focuses on the analysis of cinematographic production in Spain in the last 25 years. By examining Spanish film, students will acquire an informed and critical perspective on contemporary Spanish society. At the same time, students will explore if there is a uniquely Spanish aesthetic of understanding, perceiving, and representing the world. Thus, filmic production will be addressed as a means to explore important questions related to contemporary Spanish society, such as immigration, historical memory, and sexuality, and as an artistic means to explore notions of collective identity, the self, and one´s position in the universe. Students will study significant films by key directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Julio Medem, Alejandro Amenábar, Icíar Bollaín, and Isabel Coixet among others. Aside from the films, our discussions will be informed by relevant historical and cultural readings, fundamental cinematic concepts, and critical theory in order to contextualize the filmic productions.

This course will study quilombola communities’ histories and contemporary manifestations in Brazil with special attention to technologies of resilience and liberation in Bahia. Quilombola communities are complex configurations formed from formerly enslaved Africans and relatives of those original members. The land that these communities inhabit is disputed and their historical and cultural importance is essential for understanding contemporary Brazilian culture. Students will study the methods and technologies of resistance used by quilombola communities through multidisciplinary arts, spirituality, and land/environment and will be guided to make connections to cimarronaje as it is found in other Latin American nations.