History, Her Story
Every since the beginning of my academic career, History has been one of my subjects to learn. There are so many different aspects to explore with History; Political, Economical, Social, and my personal favorite Cultural. Cultural History is exciting for myself because being Native American you are able to learn how ancestors lived and what they had experienced. A lot of what Native Americans experience now can be linked to their suffering, which you may have heard of it being referred to as Historical Trauma, which is the manifestation of emotions and actions that are stemmed from said events.
A quote from Richelle Mead reads, “History is important because it teaches us about past. And by learning about the past, you come to understand the present, so that you may make educated decisions about the future”. I feel that this goes greatly with the story from Erika Bsumek, an associate professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts, who explained four main reasons why everyone should study history. The first reason is how it helps understand how our time is different from or similar to other periods. Erika says, “Understanding the complexities associated with the historical experiences of the people involved can help build a better society”. Like I mentioned previously about Historical Trauma, we are able to understand why Native Americans may be opposed to what many non-Native Americans view as beneficial.
History is also very important because it helps us remember that change is possible. It is extramental how far we have come since the beginning, we are able to look at the past to help us with problem solving for the future.
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