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“I could’ve read about this in a book or in an article, but having been able to experience this firsthand was incredible.”

Kailee Shaw, '24, will likely never forget her recent experience as part of a small group from Kent State who immersed themselves in a region of the United States some 1,500 miles from Kent.

In June, Shaw was one of two undergraduate students who joined Scott Durham, Ph.D., assistant professor of Integrated Social Studies, and five faculty and staff members from various Kent State campuses on a first-ever journey to the northern plains of Lame Deer, Montana. 

For 10 days, participants received the opportunity to engage in the daily lives, culture, and practices of the indigenous tribe of Northern Cheyenne.

"We teach the Native American experience in the past tense," said Shaw. "That is something that I really have taken from this trip because they (native Americans) are still here and are still working to be seen and heard.”

"Study Away: Montana" consisted of learning directly from members of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, a two-and-a-half-day conference on trauma-informed education called The Lodge Approach, followed by a four-day exploration through Yellowstone National Park applying this new lens of analysis.

"None of the participants had been to Lame Deer or Yellowstone," said Durham. "So there was little known about what was about to happen during the ten days of our journey."

Bringing the past into the present quickly left an endearing mark on those in the group.

“My main goal in teaching Native American history has shifted from telling the story of a people stuck in the past to teaching about how they are still here,” said Jonny

Davis, '24.

According to Understood.org, trauma-informed teaching starts with an understanding of how trauma can impact learning and behavior. With this approach, educators consider what a student's behavior may be telling them. 

Consequently, educators reflect on their teaching practices to find ways to better support students who may be experiencing trauma. Trauma can impede or completely stop our ability to learn. When someone senses a threat, energy rushes toward regions of the brain that specialize in averting danger. This is essential for staying alive, but it also means that energy shifts away from the brain regions related to learning.

It's these types of lessons and enlightenment that those on the trip hope to share with others in the years to come.

“Having the ability to connect with people on the reservation and being able to ask questions to gain a better understanding was what made the experience better," Shaw said.