Hearing a piece of history that our country has tried so hard to forget was eye opening. Professor Cheyfitz offered a very interesting perspective on the history of the native people of America. He wanted us to acknowledge a part of United States history that people often do not hear about. There were some points that Professor Cheyfitz made that I had been familiar with prior to this talk, however, I was unaware of a good portion of what he spoke about. For example, I did not know that it was so difficult to become recognized as a tribe under the government. There are things some of us take for granted such as our place in the world and for some people they struggle to keep their place. I found it so intriguing that American Indians do not even have full control over their own land, the small portion of land that the government has allowed them to retain.

Beyond the facts, what I truly enjoyed about Professor Cheyfitz’s talk was his enthusiasm. He answered every question with confidence and with passion. It was easy to tell that this is a subject he holds very dearly to his heart. Hearing him be so excited by the topic drew me in and made me want to learn more. I think that it is becoming more and more difficult for people to truly follow their passion, but I believe that professor Cheyfitz has found a way to pursue his passion. Hearing his personal anecdotes about visiting some the of the tribes made the facts he was giving so much more realistic. Overall, I truly enjoyed this talk and was happy I gave a topic a chance that I did not seem to be interested at first!