Pamela Bennett, Ph.D., a history professor at Creighton, plays a special role in educating Creighton students on the history of Native Americans.  

Bennett grew up as a mixed-race Cherokee on her father’s side. She always dreamed of learning more about her heritage and the Cherokee language. However, without having someone with whom to speak Cherokee, she never got much practice. So, she dove into the historical aspect of her culture, which initially kickstarted her role as an educator of Native American History.  

Bennett believes and teaches that Native American history is American history.  

“In fact,it’s the first history, and it really should be required everywhere. It’s a fascinating look at our world, and where we fit in, and how we’ve approached people that were different,” she said. 

Her passion is driven by overcoming differences and proving the importance of the original Native American tribes.  

Bennett has personal Native American heritage, giving her the means to teach her classes from that perspective. She teaches students to look at history outside of the “master narrative,”which is the narrative of history focused on white men and conquest that avoids important histories like women’s history, Black history, Native American historyand Hispanic history. 

“By teaching from an indigenous perspective, you’re teaching outside that master narrative,” Bennett said.  

One of the greatest challenges Bennett has seen teaching about Native American history is the number of students who are hearing about specific aspects of history for the first time.  

“There’s a frustration with what secondary education can teach, because a lot of students do get here with a complete [unintentional] ignorance,” she said.  

“The challenge with this is the myths and stereotypes that are believed to be true with this “uneducation.”  

Bennett said she wished that there were more opportunities for students to learn about her heritage at Creighton, as the only classes that teach it are the ones she leads.  

Bennett’s teaching experience has been greatly affected by her service dog and partner, a flat-coated retriever, Wren. Wren passed away on Oct. 24, but her role in the classroom and as a service dog for Bennett has left a lasting impact on the Creighton community accordin to Bennett.  

“We have been at Creighton since 2014, and she has attended every class that I’ve taught,”Bennett said. “She didn’t just benefit and make my life wonderful. She made other people’s lives wonderful, too.”  

Wren impacted students’ lives by providing them with a safe and comforting environment to learn in. Bennett noted that many of her students began to speak out more, just because Wren was there to comfort them.  

This relationship wasn’t just in the classroom but all around campus.  

“She would recognize students before I would,” Bennett said. “So, we would be walking down the mall, and she would recognize a student that I didn’t even see … And then we would stop and greet the student.”  

Bennett explained that there were many times when students would be having an especially hard time and would kneel in front of Wren, and she would give them a big, human-like hug.  

A story that especially stood out to Bennett was about the relationship between Wren and astudent. 

“My very calm service dog would go absolutely crazy when she saw him,” Bennett said, explaining that the dog and the student had a very close bond.  

This relationship between Wren and the studentimpacted the student’s relationship with the professor. “He became like my nephew,”Bennett said.  

Bennett noted that, sadly, along with Wren’s passing, the student has passed away as well.  

Bennet hopes. that she and Wren have had alasting impact on the Creighton community. The pair has striven to make a difference in students’ lives, and Bennett continues to do so.