Rebecca Koerselman

In Iowa, during January, the nights are long and dark. If it isn’t below zero, I find myself enjoying the quiet starlight during early morning runs. The snow makes the roads slippery, but also hushes the sounds. I don’t hear…

When Mark Charles visits schools, college campuses, and communities, he always begins by introducing himself. According to the matrilineal Diné culture, his four clans include his maternal grandmother, of Dutch heritage (translated as ‘the Wooden Shoe people’), his paternal grandmother…

There is less information about the teachers at the Indian boarding schools, but I wonder how many of them believed they were doing the best thing for Native Peoples. I think that many of them meant well. After waging wars…

When I talk with people about the history of religion in the United States, people have a wide variety of reactions. Many people are uncomfortable reading or listening to something that is different from what they believe, what they think…

The oft quoted and misquoted aphorisms about being doomed to repeat history have always confused me. History exists, as do similarities and differences with the past, regardless of what the current population “knows.” Also, since when are all similarities or…

While standing at the National Archives Museum, our current president called for a “1776 Commission” to “restore patriotic education to our schools.” A student sent me an email, asking me what was going on. Indeed.Perhaps the poet Billy Collins said…

It is an interesting time to think about workers and labor. In the aftermath of the Civil War, unions became increasingly vocal about defending the rights of workers. Some of the more pragmatic unionists accepted capitalism but wanted to minimize…

Our warriors kicked full speed into their mounts and went racing after , whooping wildly to strike terror in the herd and make them break in confusion. “Therump, therump, therump”—the ground fairly shook under the beat of our horses’ pelting…

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Andrew Bolton created an exhibit based on time and fashion entitled, “About Time: Fashion and Duration.” The exhibition is postponed until fall, but Bolton gave Vogue a preview…

Americans love a tragedy and redemption story. To use religious language, many of us might call this narratives of transgression and sanctification. But what is the proper amount of both and should it be thoughtfully calibrated to connect with a…