Who's on First?

https://native-land.ca/?fbclid=IwAR3tpaWnZd0TXrwMJMdh2D_WIfI5ZENIymaAOxSZZ-AkObpWkxF1lISt7Tw

When Thanksgiving and Columbus Day come along, I strongly reflect on why these holidays aren't what they seem. They reflect a privileged view of the land we walk upon, live in and work on. A view that favors a white majority perspective and dismisses the people who were here first - and, despite centuries-long efforts, are still here.

We all are on the traditional and ancestral land of First Nation and indigenous peoples. Let's acknowledge that not just on holidays like these, but every day. Acknowledge, support and be allies to indigenous communities and support their lives and work now. It's important to educate ourselves on the real history of our country.

We can start by seeing where indigenous people land's were as well as their treaties and languages. Click here to access the crowd-sourced, interactive map seen above as well as explore other great resources from Native Land, a Canadian not-for-profit organization.

If you haven't already, please read Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous People's History of the United States. And the 2019 adaptation of this book for youth by Jean Mendoza and Dr. Debbie Reese is an important milestone in making realistic history on indigenous peoples available to youth.

Know better, be better.

Saying Goodbye to Bucky

Well, not completely....

When I re-retired this fall, I finished my teaching career. It was hard when October 20, 2019 rolled around and my UW Net ID (with access to email and my online content) finally ended after an 8 year run.

I taught at UW-Madison iSchool both as a grad school lecturer and as a CE instructor. Youth Services from a theoretical as well as practical side was my subject area - although I dabbled in leadership and management teaching too. All but one of the courses were taught online over that time.

I loved and appreciated the opportunity to teach for my alma mater and the department from which I earned my MLS.

What was best part? That's hard to say...but it included:

• faculty who welcomed me as a colleague
• being part of someone's learning journey
• staying tuned in and on top of youth services issues 
• creating course content - yes even the dreaded syllabus
• getting to watch students grow in their understanding of youth services
• reading discussion boards and assignments
• learning a ton from the students and staying on my toes because they pushed me to keep thinking

There were challenges for sure but the support I received from UW-Madison colleagues helped me through and made each course a worthwhile effort. When the time came to retire, I was hoping to teach a final semester of the youth services grad course on campus (face-to-face for only my second time). Health problems prevented me in the end. Still and all, it felt like it was the right step to finish up and let go.

I will always treasure the years I got to be an "official" Badger as an adjunct. And I still get to cheer on our great university, its faculty, staff, researchers, students and everyone involved in UW-Madison. So there's that!