When I ask students in face-to-face (f2f) classes "What would you like to know about your professor?" they usually uniformly ask "safe" questions (which anthropologically-speaking is probably a good approach, although it's difficult for the last person to think of a "safe" question that hasn't been asked by one of the other students). They ask questions like, "Where were you born?" . . . "Where did you go to school?" . . . "How long have you been teaching at UMD?" . . . and so on.

To me, (judging by the looks on the faces of most in class) those questions, while safe, are actually pretty boring. But one or two folks seem to like to know about that sort of thing. If you do, more than you probably really want to know is on my UMD biography page.

My "career" in American-style Anthropology began in second grade.

Most students are curious about that.

One of the Main Characteristics of American Anthropology is that it encompasses a "four-fields approach," incorporating Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Bio-Physical Anthropology, Archaeology, and Linguistics.

It was in second grade of Holy Trinity Grade School that I really began to learn some of the important things in life—and important things in anthropology.

By the end of third grade I had done fieldwork in all four fields of anthropology.

The "Introduction" slides will talk about these "early" days in anthropology, and, why I'm here.

And you will hopefuly see in this course why in more recent years I have been called one of the "Pioneers in Online Instruction" (Surfing the Syllabi: Online Resources for Teaching Archaeology) <pioneer>.

Why should you care?

A long-time mentor, Helen Mongan-Rallis, says that research shows that three good things happen when you take time to find out a little about your teacher as a person: (1) You learn more. (2) You remember it better. And (3)—and equally important, I think—you have more fun learning.

So have a look at the "Introduction" materials to, according to Helen, help you learn more, remember it longer, and (at least eventually) to have more fun. And you'll see some interesting pictures of Winsted, MN, as a bonus.

And you'll see some interesting pictures on Duluth "Stonehenge" page, which is actually about my prehistoric wood-fired black oven.

You might also find the "The Wisdom and Ways of Paul Buffalo" segment of WDSE/WRPT TV's Native Report of interest (Season 6 Episode 10), as well as the Paul Buffalo Trilogy on Anishinabe life in the early 20^th century. More recently Britney Leanos and Cheryl Reitan have reported on Ojibwe Lessons.

Or you might find something delectable in Sweet Treats around the World, a cross-cultural work that my wife, Kim [Kathleen], and I completed in 2014.

You will find the normal Instructor Contact Information in the General Block of the course.

Thanks for joining in.

I hope you enjoy your stay.

Tim Roufs