Curriculum Vitae
Janis (Jan) Johnson
Assistant Professor
February 2008
Ph.D., English, December 1999,
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Specializations: American Literature, Colonial/Post-Colonial
Theory
Dissertation: “Hidden Nation: Nez Perce Identity and American Indian Sovereignty”
BA, English, with honors, 1990, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Current Research Projects
Review Essay: American Indian Literary Nationalism by Jace Weaver, Craig Womack, and Robert Warrior; Killing
the Indian Maiden: Images of Native American Women in Film by Elise Marubbio; Muting the White Noise: Native
American and European American Novel Traditions by James Cox; and Violence Over the Land: Indians and Empires
in the Early American West, by Ned Blackhawk.
Book Review: Pow Wow Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures, 2007.
"Jackson Sundown: Nez Perce Indian Rodeo Champion." Encyclopedia of Native American
Athletes and Sports, C. Richard King, Ed. (ABC-CLIO), 2004.
"Resisting Re-colonization: The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Nez Perce Tribe." Selected
Symposium Proceedings, Confluence of Cultures: Native Americans and the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, University of Montana, 2003.
“Saving the Salmon, Saving the People: Environmental Justice and Columbia River Tribal
Literatures.” The Environmental Justice Reader: Politics, Poetics, and Pedagogy,
Joni Adamson, Mei Mei Evans and Rachel Stein, Eds., University of Arizona Press 2002.
“Performing History and Identity: Chief Joseph Days,” Selected Papers, Society for
the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery, March 21-23, 1996, Colorado Springs,
Colorado. Will Wright and Steven Kaplan, eds, The Image of the American West in Literature, Media and Society: Pueblo, Colorado: 192-96.
"Indigenous Jazz in the early - mid 20th Century, A local
example: The Nez Perce Tribe." College of Letters, Arts and Science
Jazz History and Culture Conference, University of
Idaho Lionel Hmapton Jazz Festival, February 19, 2008.
"Twice Vanishing Indians in Robert Penn Warren's Chief
Joseph." Western Literature Association Meeting, Tacoma, Washington,
October, 2007.
"Finding a Father in Sherman Alexie's Flight." Western Literature
Association Meeting. Tacoma, Washington, October 2007.
“Considering Celilo: An Indigenous Challenge to Ideologies
of Labor, Leisure, and Progress.”
Pacific Northwest American Studies Association Meeting, Portland, OR, April 2007.
“Native Rock Music: Survivance Stories: Jesse Ed Davis and Redbone.” Native American
Literature Symposium, Saginaw Chippewa Nation, Mt. Pleasant, MI, March 2007.
“Learning to Teach on Tribal Land: ‘Shared Places’” (with Prof. Georgia Johnson, College of
Education), Western Literature Association, Boise, ID, October, 2006.
“In Living Color: Teaching American Literature with Technology,” Inland Northwest Council
of Teachers of English, Moscow, ID, October 2006.
“Sacred Land Dispute at Old Chief Joseph’s Grave,” (documentary film in progress) Native
American Literature Symposium, Saginaw Chippewa Nation, Mt. Pleasant, MI,
April 2006.
“Are We Post-colonial Yet? Conflict at Old Chief Joseph’s
Grave,” Pacific Northwest American
Studies Association, Spokane, Washington, March 2006.
"Teaching and Telling History in Louise Erdrich's Tracks," Idaho Humanities Summer Teachers
Institute, Albertson College, July 2005.
“Historical Trauma and Healing in Debra Magpie Earling’s Perma Red,” Native American
Literature Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, April 2005.
“Discovering Tribal Perspectives on the Environment Through Local Tribal Literatures,”
Northwest Regional National Council of Teachers of English Conference: “Core of
Discovery: Engaging Voices and Visions,” Lewis Clark State College, Lewiston, ID, March
2005; collaboration with Aaron Miles (Nez Perce), Natural Resources Manager,
Nez Perce Tribe.
“Environmental Justice as Critical Pedagogy.” Globalization and the Environmental Justice
Movement Symposium. Tucson, Arizona, September 23-25, 2004.
"Teaching What Matters: Toward a Curriculum for Social Justice." Inland Northwest Council of
Teachers of English Conference, Moscow, ID, October 2003.
"Resisting Re-colonization: The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Nez Perce Tribe"
(Revised), A Confluence of Cultures: Native Americans and the Lewis and Clark
Expedition, University of Montana, May 2003.
“Salmon, Dams, Columbia River Indians and Environmental Justice." UI Earth Day
Symposium, March 2003.
"Resisting Re-colonization: The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Nez Perce Tribe,"
Lewis and Clark: The Unheard Voices, Penn Sate University, November 2002.
“Salmon’s People: Nez Perce Literature, Fishing, and the Dams.” Rocky Mountain Modern
Language Association Convention, Boise, Idaho. October 2001.
“What Children Learn at Chief Joseph Days.” American Culture Association Annual Meeting,
New Orleans, Louisiana. April 2000.
“Saving the Salmon: Saving the People: Native American Literatures and Social Justice.”
Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the U.S. (MELUS) Annual
Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. March 2000.
“Performing History and Identity at Chief Joseph Days.” Society for the Interdisciplinary
Study of Social Imagery Conference, Colorado Springs, Colorado. March 1996.
“Politics and Post-Coloniality in Native North America.” University of North Carolina Graduate
Student Conference, Raleigh, North Carolina. April 1995.
Convention, Houston, Texas. October 1995.
Grants
Institute, Native American Literature, 2004.
Courses Taught
Shared Places: An Introduction to Tribal Histories and Cultures. Part 2: Indigenous
Aesthetics/Expressive Culture (Core Discovery/created course)
<http://www.class.uidaho.edu/core171>
Celluloid Indians: Native Americans in Popular Film
<http://www.class.uidaho.edu/aist320>
Historical Trauma and Healing in Native American Literatures and Communities (Grad)
<http://www.class.uidaho.edu/trauma>
In Living Color: American Literature in its Cultural Context (Grad)
American Indian Literature (Grad/undergrad) <http://www.class.uidaho.edu/engl484jj>
American Indian Women’s Literature (directed study)
African American Literature: Political Liberation Through a Musical Lens
<http://www.class.uidaho.edu/eng483jj>
American Indians in Literature and Film
Ethnic American Literature
Introduction to Ethnic Studies
Literature of Environmental Justice (Grad/undergrad)
Teaching Toward Social Justice (Grad)
American Literature Survey: pre-contact – present
Core Discovery: Race, Ethnicity and Identity
Introduction to Literary Theory
Other Professional Experience/Service
American Indian Distinguished Speakers Series, University of Idaho, November 2003.
Member, Search Committee, Director of Native Student Center, 2006-2007.
Committee Member, “Grow Your Own Native PhD Program” with Dean of Graduate
School Margrit von Braun, Professors Rodney Frey and Georgia Johnson, 2006-2007.
Member, Search Committee, Director of Diversity and Community, 2006
Modern Language Association
Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures
Association for the Study of Literature and Environment
Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States
National Council of Teachers of English
American Studies Association
Western Literature Association
Other Affiliations
The 55 Coalition (local tribal/non-tribal environmental education/action group concerned
with 1855 Treaty lands/people)
Latah County Human Rights Task Force