HIST 100: Engineering The Past

The First Thanksgiving

by 1 Comment

To be honest I have a horrible memory and have been out of elementary school for so loooong! I kid- I am 30 years old but it does seem like forever ago and now have children in Jr. High. Lets see if I think back on just growing up in the U.S and what I can actually remember about what was taught about the first Thanksgiving.

From the little bit I can remember (and to be honest some quick internet research to refresh my memory) the first Thanksgiving was a gathering of the Native Americans and Pilgrims to share a bountiful harvest. The pilgrims who settled at Plymouth Rock the year prior had a hard time with their crops and lives were lost. The Native Americans helped the pilgrims with their crops; this was thought to be the reason they survived. Due to this they had a feast to celebrate their bountiful harvest.

I do not remember specifically but since I have children who have recently completed elementary school I will guess that we colored, drew or assembled a Turkey, Native American, Pilgrim, the Mayflower, and the food scenes.

Karina Myles – Your Lens

by 2 Comments

Hello my name is Karina Myles and I grew up in Pocatello, ID and surrounding area. The area I grew up and the people influenced me by giving me an appreciation for animals (life in general), outdoor activities and work ethic.

Honestly, I am not much of a reader. When I was in high school I read all of the required textbooks but I don’t remember what any of them would have been about. As I get older I have started reading more action novels and do enjoy reading about European history.

I grew up with a mother who religiously watched the morning and nightly news on NBC. I have since continued this tradition and every morning and evening I am watching NBC news. I do also browse Yahoo news and read articles if I find a subject to be interesting or just want more information.

My leisure time is spent outdoors running, hiking, fishing or some other outdoor activity depending on the season. I do feel that this is a big influence on my “lens” as I am a very healthy, fit and determined individual.

I am not a very religious or spiritual person but I do believe that everyone has a right to believe in whatever helps them navigate through this life.

My family did not come from different cultures so growing up with my family and living in a small town I did not get very much cultural diversity as a child.

When I was 18 years old I joined the Army. From the moment I landed in basic training it was complete culture shock. I was open minded enough that eventually things evened out for me and I went to many different states for training and then I got deployed to Iraq. Being deployed helped to aid my perspective on human behavior and changed my mind on the outlook I have on what the purpose of life is all about. I now find other cultures very interesting and I am open to see how others live and try and incorporate things into my life that I feel are important.

I do have people and experiences that I consider essential in shaping the person I am today. I honestly don’t think there is a single person out there who could say this question does not apply to them. For me there are to many people and events to name but I am glad that I have grown up and had the experience I have had because it has shaped me into a person who is open minded, caring, self sufficient and determined.