Above are two research papers I produced within the 2021-2022 school year. The first is on how LBGTQ+ identity shapes the art, themes, and experiences produced by Indigenous artists for my capstone, course on Indigenous activism. The second is an analysis on the toll the profit-focused nature of those in charge of the Joint Companies merger that produced the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Delaware and Raritan Canal. Though the latter is not explicitly focused on Indigenous scholarship, it was included to highlight how Indigenous history can be included in the contextualization. Understanding who lived on the land before the construction of transportation infrastructure like canals and railroads and the reasons for their near absence along the area at the time of the construction is vital for understanding the full picture of this history. With that, here are some invaluable lessons I have learned throughout this work.
1. You will make mistakes, and that is part of the process. History as a whole is an ever-evolving field, with this particular field of research only truly growing in the past few decades. Mistakes are part of the learning process and the knowledge gained from correcting them pays massive dividends in your scholarship as a whole. Reflecting on my own missteps in the process has been just as important as content gained from readings and source work.
2. Self-Care is essential. 2-Spirit activists and artists cover a variety of difficult topics whether it be extreme homophobia and racism to genocide and religious conversion. Being mindful of one's mental health and balancing energy and workload is not always easy, in the midst of a pandemic especially, but it is a necessity. Good scholarship is important, but not at the expense of sacrificing your mental health.
3. Carve out your own space. Whether it be a research question that has minimal or no scholarship on it or expanding upon the work of others, find history that you are passionate about!
4. You may find invaluable sources at the most random of places. For instance, I was attending a pride festival in Phoenixville and there was a nearby church sale that had multiple fascinating books on Indigenous history from the '60's to the present. Though I was not expecting to find anything going into the festival, I ended up with 8 new books.
5. Take advantage of what is at your disposal! Ursinus College offered material reimbursement up to a set amount and programs such as the inter-library loan system which drastically increases the number of sources available for this research.
6. This is a VERY new field with intersecting previous fields which means there is simply less out there than many other topics. Though there is much emerging scholarship, but not all the answers you want are going to be out there. This ties back into lesson 4 of carving out your own space.
7. Reflect on past footnotes and bibliographies: This is a fantastic exercise for seeing where unintentional silences may have occurred and how you can work towards more perspectives in the future.