In the essay, Smiles announces his commitments
As an Ojibwe man, I hold the concept of debwewin — speaking the truth — as one of the central tenets of my life, both in the classroom and outside it. As a scholar who teaches Indigenous geographies, histories and worldviews at the college level, I work hard to bring that commitment to truth to the ways in which I teach my students. Being honest and forthright with my students, even when the truth may be uncomfortable to learn, is at the heart of effective education.
Then, he responds to current, public backlash against "critical race theory" by noting that our histories, the multiple and diverse histories that make up our society, are being produced collaboratively
Why might it be that the Dakota would want to collaborate with the Minnesota Historical Society on providing a more complete history of Bdote? Rather than being the work of "radicals" intent on subversion, this work recognizes the truths that the region surrounding this site was and still is deeply important to Dakota people, and the area below Fort Snelling served as a concentration camp for thousands of Dakota people during 1862-63, before their exile out of the state in the wake of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, another historical event that has its roots in colonialism.
He then talks about his own work as a geographer and historian
I have taught and spoken about Indigenous topics for my entire academic career. While many aspects of Indigenous histories are traumatic, this cannot be sidestepped, given the historical ways in which Indigenous peoples have been marginalized in American history, which has been historically taught from a dominantly white-centered point of view.
But I never linger on the negative in my teaching, as there is so much more to the Indigenous experience. My students have never emerged from my classes "hating the police" or "hating America" because of what I teach. In fact, my teaching evaluations have overwhelmingly stated that what my students have learned allows them to look at issues and appreciate their complexity, and that they have greatly appreciated being in a space that celebrates Indigenous cultures, histories and worldviews.
Smile is an alum of the Master of Liberal Studies, now Master of Professional Studies, program at UMD.
For more information about Smiles, visit: deondresmiles.com
For more information about the College Writing program in which Smiles taught at UMD, visit: https://cahss.d.umn.edu/departments/english-linguistics-writing-studies/college-and-advanced-writing-program