Seven years ago, editors from Highlights, a magazine for children, asked if I would be willing to write a short piece on Hopi running. I was thrilled to do so. The piece, titled “A Hopi Tradition Continues,” was part of a larger story on Hopi runner Louis Tewanima called “Miles from Home” by Kim Valice.

When I was young, my parents (and school) subscribed to Highlights, and I, along with my siblings, spent hours reading its stories, fascinated by the many colorful drawings and other images gracing its pages. Taking place before children could “surf” the internet, we waited for the arrival of each new edition with great anticipation. The magazine became our gateway to the world.

As I reflect on my childhood, this contribution will always remain special to me. It is not a “heavy-hitting” scholarly piece, published in one of the academy’s esteemed journals. It is not something that would significantly enhance a faculty’s tenure and promotion case. However, it is more meaningful than that. It was written for children, most of whom had never heard about the Hopi people, where we come from, or our long tradition of distance running.