In Their Footsteps

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born,” the Roman philosopher and statesman Cicero said, “is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”

We study history but often focus on events writ large — wars, world leaders, towering figures and events — but often remain far too ignorant of those who walked the same patch of earth before we were born, the men and women who made the more modest history of where we live. We are part of local history, but most of us are sadly unschooled in what happened right here, a place with a more fascinating past than many places.

Springs School is doing something about that. History teacher Ray Wojtusiak noted that his seventh grade students were largely unaware of just how old East Hampton is: In this, its 375th year, he resurrected a “History of Springs” segment of his American history course that was once taught by Hugh King, who is now the town’s historian and ceremonial town crier. In eighth grade, teacher Cory Strain picked up the curriculum as well. The instructors are using some of the many books that talk about Springs in the past, and also the natural history of the hamlet and its many features. And, thanks to the Springs Historical Society, they’re getting 20 books and pamphlets about the hamlet’s history.

In a community with so many place names, so many landmarks, and “so much history,” as Wojtusiak put it, it seems an obvious step to educate young people about the places they see every day. But this remains something of a rarity in local schools. It’s time to change that.

As Lion Gardiner was settling Gardiners Island and beginning his interactions with the Native American community that populated the region for many, many generations, the seeds of history were being planted throughout the East End. There isn’t a single village or hamlet that doesn’t have a fascinating collection of tales to discover.

And every school district on the South Fork could benefit from a class on the history of the Shinnecock, Montaukett and other tribal nations that thrived long before English settlers first landed. The annual Powwow allows a glimpse at the marvelous culture that survives — what an opportunity to experience the living history in our midst, a direct link to the past that is still strong today.

Building on King’s earlier efforts, Wojtusiak is showing the way, demonstrating that putting together a history curriculum for middle and high school students is not an impossible task. As students learn world and U.S. history, it should be elemental to have more than a passing focus on local history, with all its innovations and even its conflicts. Learning the history of a place creates more respect for it, and maybe even offers some guidance for the future.

Every school district should make a point of exploring the creation of a local history curriculum as a way to open up history to young students by showing them the lives of the men and women who once trod the same paths and streets they do today. It would be eye-opening and exciting for young learners. After all, as Harry S. Truman said, “The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.”