"THIS HAS BEEN A MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE"

There are times when I feel the need to write and there are times when I feel the need to reflect, which would explain my long absences. As usual, much has happened since my last post.

One of my best friends, Rose Soza War Soldier, has completed her PhD in American Indian History from Arizona State University. Let me congratulate Dr. Rose Soza War Soldier here! I am proud of her and I am proud to call her my friend. AND - I am honored that she has acknowledged me in her “Acknowledgments” section in her dissertation!

Thinking about Rose makes me think about all the wonderful friends I met while attending Arizona State. They are all strong, intelligent, Indigenous women who encouraged, supported and challenged me in so many ways. I have learned and continue to learn a lot from them. They are my inspirations and I know that they have helped strengthen my identity as an Inupiaq woman.

Prior to attending ASU, I had thought about colonization, decolonization and the status of my people but I didn’t quite have a name for these thoughts. I knew that I had questions and I knew that I was looking for answers. I wanted to know why things were the way they were. I wanted to know how we got to where we are and what can we do about it? These are the reasons felt drawn to history - I thought that I would find some answers to my questions. And I did.

I would make a terrible historian because I have difficulty remember facts and events that aren’t relevant to me. I’m not as passionate as my friends about the profession as a whole but I learned what I needed to know. While attending ASU I was introduced to theory, namely theory about colonization and decolonization. I had thought about these things before but learning theory helped in my understanding of the world.

Theory is awesome. It provides a common language for everyone, which makes it easier to have a dialogue. It helps us make sense of the world. Theory helps me structure and organize my thoughts and express these thoughts in a constructive way.

To apply theory you must be creative. You must reflect on it and apply it to the world to change it. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire called this active engagement praxis.

I attribute much of my intellectual development to my friends and instructors at ASU. Although I have decided not to pursue history as a profession, I have learned a lot. It has been an awesome experience so far and I know that it is just the beginning. To quote Ted from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, “This has been a most excellent adventure.”  I am excited to see where it takes me and how I can apply these theories in my next academic endeavor - social work.