Microlecture 2 Thoughts

        One point I thought was really interesting from the 2nd micro lecture was how deeply connected SCU is with the indigenous peoples that lived on the same land hundreds of years before Mission Santa Clara was founded. I had no idea that there was a museum with lots of different indigenous artifacts on campus. What was even more interesting (and slightly disappointing, now that most classes are online) was that as a part of Cultures and Ideas, we as a class would’ve been able to visit the museum and see all of the amazing artifacts that were kept there. It was quite sad to see how creations like the shell mounds were destroyed or removed without giving a second thought to what they meant for the indigenous peoples like the Ohlone. It is also reassuring to see that SCU is working hard to respect the lands and traditions of these indigenous peoples.

        Regarding how this adds to my understanding of native literature, it really helped me contextualize the lives of indigenous people today – the background information regarding SCU and its connection with peoples like the Ohlone helped show me the history of indigenous peoples and how in many ways, their way of life was constantly being forced to change by the world around them, but never let them forget their past and who they are.