This four week summer institute will compare competing narratives as they relate to indigenous studies. How does the historiographic narrative interact and compete with traditional oral narratives for authority within the academy and in our communities? What do we learn by comparing the dynamics of literary narratives with those of traditional folklore? How do we construct the narrative elements of visual materials such as ledger art or wampum belts? The seminar will address the theoretical models produced by various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences in order to engage in comparative analyses. Students from across academic disciplines will engage works of autobiography, literature, history, anthropology, and visual studies among others. Our work will also allow participants to become familiar with the extraordinary resources of the Newberry Library.