In this episode, we deconstruct the notion of expertise once and for all. We know what you’re thinking…since when did you two become experts on expertise?!

Well, after a lifetime of recovering from imposter syndrome, we destroy the myth that some people are extraordinary experts and main protagonists, while the rest are “ordinary people”! Or that some people write news headlines and make history, while others simply live through it. After all, who gets to be called an expert anyway?

The truth is, we all make history, every single day. We learn this lesson by going back in time, thanks to two Indigenous scholars and experts in their field: the 17th-century Nipmuc scholar Wawaus (also known as James Printer) of Harvard Indian College and the 21st-century Ojibwe historian Jean O’Brien. Kuttabotomish taubotne (thank you)!

Before we give you the tl;dr of O’Brien’s groundbreaking work Firsting and Lasting: Writing Indians Out of Existence in New England (2010), Kohar shares a nugget of wisdom: when learning history, always pay attention to someone with many names.

As always, we close out with our half-baked thoughts—the segment where we share ideas that we haven't fully fleshed out but stand fully behind. You’ll just have to listen to the episode to hear those. Thanks for listening!

Please rate and review the podcast on Spotify and Apple Music, follow us @nameitpod, and share the episode with a friend!