It’s not every day that students get the unique opportunity to enhance their academic experiences outside the classroom—but here in University Honors, it’s more common than you may think. Students in the Metamorphosis and Heritage clusters recently joined their professors in the great outdoors for some hands-on learning. Learn more about each of these exciting excursions below!
HNUH 268W: Where the Waters Blend: Contemporary Indigenous Perspectives on History, Traditions, and Modern Issues
Students in Professor Stoltz’s Heritage cluster course recently traveled out to Indian Head, Maryland for a guided kayak tour of the Mattawoman Creek. Before heading out, students were invited to give an offering of gratitude to the land and the water. While out on the creek, they were introduced to an abundant variety of native plants integral to the health of the Potomac’s ecosystem.
Unlike many traditional courses focused on the Indigenous experience, this course aims to center the narratives of the Piscataway people (rather than the voices of their colonizers). Co-taught by Stoltz and multiple members of the local Piscataway-Conoy tribe, this innovative and transformative excursion gave students a first-hand look at the culture and history of Maryland’s Indigenous people.