In the past, settler colonialism displaced Native people from their lands and tried to erase their cultures. Today, it continues through conflicts over land, resources, and tribal sovereignty. However, movements like Standing Rock show that Indigenous communities continue to resist and defend their rights.

This passage helped me understand that Native tribes are more than racial or cultural groups they are nations with their own governments, laws, and citizens. I find it interesting that tribes are considered sovereign, but Congress can still limit their authority. It makes me wonder how tribal sovereignty can be fully respected when the federal government still has so much control.

Indigenous Ways of Knowing are lessons passed down through generations and learned from the environment. This passage shows that stories, language, spirituality, and cultural practices are important sources of knowledge.

I did enroll in this class because it is required, so I found it interesting to learn how much struggle went into making Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement. What feels like just another class on my schedule exists because students and educators fought for these histories to be taught. That gives the word “required” a much deeper meaning. It also makes me appreciate being here. I also understand that the struggle to have this course is worth the fight but the fact that we are still debating the need is strange to me

I was impressed and excited that students from different racial and ethnic groups came together for the good of all and that shared purpose.. They got that their struggles were not exactly the same, but they were connected. After working in education for so long in different settings ( wqealth and not) I have learned that real change usually happens when people stop working in separate corners and begin working together. Apparently, group projects can succeed when everyone is truly committed and contribute!

This statement stood out to me because I returned to college after a 25-year break. At 55, I see education differently than I did when I was younger. Now, learning is not just about earning a degree; it is about understanding myself, my history, and the world around me. Education can transform lives, but it can also challenge systems by teaching people to question what they have been told.