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"We are the question mark in the circle, who are we on the plains?" This thought captures the content of the first lecture which led us all the way from Wallace Stagner to grassland ecology, two widely varied topics. The main point of the lecture was for us as students to grasp the understanding of our importance on the plains, how we got here and how being here has greatly influenced even the minutest aspects of our day to day lives.
I was greatly intrigued by this lecture for my family's history is certainly one of interest. I am a descendent of German and Native American love among my grandparents, which needless to say, is rather unique. This courtship has left many of my family members wondering the story behind how we emigrated from Europe to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Being presented with the idea, “looking at history is a way to make sense of the world,” really hit home for me. The idea explains why I want to know so much about the past. I've learned that understanding the past helps you prepare for the future.
I had some trouble understanding the connection between the many topics that were presented in this lecture. It seems as though we quickly jumped from one topic to another and I found myself wondering where certain ideas fit in to the lecture but soon realized that as Turner stated, "The Frontier is the most important idea of the plains," everything has a place on the great and wild frontier, even German and Native American courtship.