All good things must come to an end, including experiential learning in outdoor settings that give our lungs a chance to breath fresh air and our minds an encounter with paradigm-shifting perspectives, a.k.a. the Indigenous Economies May Term course. Most of us did not realize how different indigenous worldviews would be until we met George … Keep reading »
Indigenous Economies
A cultural perspectives course based on the Goshen College campus with the bulk of our time spent outdoors, student will explore the interactions between people, land and production in a Native American context.
Mnomen — Wild Rice
The author of this post is Naomi Ross Richer, a first-year Deaf Studies major from Goshen, Indiana: The southern shore of lake Michigan is home to Mnomen, known as wild rice in English. This staple in the traditional Potawatomi diet was almost lost when swales (swamp lands) were drained for the expansion of nearby … Keep reading »
10,000 Years of Human History
The author of this post, Oskar Sunderland, is a junior Graphic Design major from Seattle, Washington: Our group’s tour to the Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm at Indiana Dunes National Park was a unique and compelling window into the past. We gathered at the start of a trail to hear from Co-Chief of Interpretation and … Keep reading »
Hiking the Dunes
Simon Graber Miller, a senior Biology major from Goshen, Indiana, shares his perspective on one of our outdoor activities: After a captivating talk from Billie Warren on indigenous perspectives of ecology and economy, we had a delicious lunch of hummus and pita provided by our chef for the week, Tom Hartzell. We loaded into the … Keep reading »
Indigenous Perspectives on Ecology and the Economy
Ariana Perez Diener is the author of this post. A senior Environmental and Marine Science major from Goshen, Indiana, Ariana reflects on our time with a member of the Pokagon Band Potawatomi while at Indiana Dunes: On Tuesday morning our group had the privilege to hear from Billie Warren, a Potawatomi woman and speaker. We … Keep reading »
Biodiversity Showcase in Miller Woods
Liam Elias shares his thoughts about a ranger-led hike near Lake Michigan. Liam is a senior Environmental and Marine Science major from Bothell, Washington: To start off our second full week of May term, we traveled to Indiana Dunes National Park to camp for three nights. The stoke was high because we could see … Keep reading »
Indigenous Theology and Economics
Elias Baer is a senior Exercise Science major from Tucson, Arizona. Here are his reflections on a guest presentation from an internationally-recognized expert on Native American spirituality and worldviews: Following a brief yet refreshing camping trip, our group was back in the classroom. However, virtually we were in Vermont with Dr. Damian Costello, PhD, an … Keep reading »
Water Travel: Paddling at Chain O Lakes State Park
Alexandria Flores, a sophomore Business major from Goshen, Indiana, describes our time on the water: Before leaving Chain O’ Lakes State Park, we spent about an hour paddling around the lakes. Chain O’ Lakes has a total of eleven lakes, with eight of the lakes connecting to one another to form what looks like a … Keep reading »
Citizen Potawatomi Nation: Our Time with a Story Teller
This post is written by Gabriella Jantzen, a senior Biology major from Granger, Indiana: Earlier this week, the 15 students in our Indigenous Economies class began our first camping excursion. Before we left to set up camp, we made our first stop at Baintertown Park where we spent the day listening to the words of … Keep reading »
The Miami Nation: Journeys and Gender, Games and Giving
Ben Troyer is a Psychology major and senior from Kidron, Ohio. He writes about our visit with an indigenous elder at Chain O Lakes State Park: After waking up in our campsite at Chain’ O Lakes and having a little breakfast, we were joined by Diane Hunter, who is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of … Keep reading »