In this interview, 2011 MacArthur Fellow Tiya Miles explains why it is important to “bring the meaningful stories of the past into the present…and to allow people to engage with them and to connect them back to their own lives.” Miles is a public historian who explores the complex interrelationships between African and Cherokee people living and working in colonial America. Her work offers an authoritative voice in reframing and reinterpreting our history, adding texture and depth to the mosaic of our shared past and informing our future. This resource is part of the MacArthur Fellows Program Collection.