Blog 1!

Hi! My name is Luke Mathieu and I am a sophomore here at Knox College. I am majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in English/Literature. I am super passionate about what I am studying and education has been in my blood. Both my parents are teachers and I have always wanted to be a teacher. Outside of the classroom here at Knox, I am a part of both the baseball and soccer teams. Academically, I have always really enjoyed history since I was young and continue to enjoy it. I am constantly reading books about mainly American history, trying to always learn more about a specific era, person, or culture in history. One of the more underwritten and underappreciated cultures talked about in American history is Native American and Indigenous culture which is one of the main reasons I wanted to take this class. I was lucky throughout my education to learn quite a bit about Native American culture and people because of where I am from. Northern Illinois is a part of the state that has a rich Native history, which was highlighted throughout my history education in elementary, middle, and high school. Both towns next to where I grew up have historic monuments and landmarks that reflect and give context to local history which I was lucky to have. By taking this course, I hope to learn more about the general culture of Native Americans rather than just significant people and important events that happened to the culture, which was the main point highlighted in my education. I think to understand and learn about a specific culture successfully, it is important to dig deep into the details and focus on everyone who has been and still is a part of the culture, not just prominent figures as I touched on before. It is also important to recognize where we came from as Americans and understand what happened to the people who came before and called this continent their home. It is so sad and unfortunate what happened to the majority of Native people here in America and hopefully, we can pay tribute to them as part of this class and honor them the way they should be honored.