He is originally from nearby Goshen and holds a B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Grace College (Winona Lake, IN), a M.A. in History from Western Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He specializes in early American history and Native-White relations. His book, Restoriing the Chain of Friendshp (University of Nebraska Press, 2008), was nominated for several awards, including Columbia University's 2009 Bancroft Prize.