Good morning world. Its been a while. Lots has been happening in my little world.
Im sitting on the balcony in the sun, its beautiful and springy here and has been all week. Its been the perfect weekend to start of spring quarter. Life is dang good.
1st.... Navajo Nation. Im not exactly sure what words to use. It was a wonderful week, different than I expected but wonderful. The Navajo people are a beautiful culture. Something we are so sadly ignorant about and something so rich is history and meaning. I am so glad I went to learn about their life, to understand how different but even more how similar their lives are to ours. We spent our days in the local boarding school. A school that was started to strip the people of their culture, teach them English and integrate them into the "dominate society". Thankfully, our country has made progress and now Tuba City Boarding School includes Navajo culture classes, the walls are covered in posters in both Navajo and English, showing the values and traditions of both cultures. Still, the Navajo culture is slowly diminishing, in my kindergarten class I had to ask ten kids before I could find one that could count to ten in Navajo, their traditional language. Our leader is Navajo and he was not taught Navajo when he was young because his parents were beat at school if they spoke it, today he is trying to relearn the culture, but stories like that are widespread.
The kindergarten class that I was in was just like any other kindergarten class, 22 five and six year olds learning, tattling on each other, wanting me to "play it" with them. The kids were the most amazing part of the week, raw and real and too young to be trying to be anything yet but just letting me into their lives. Just like the kids at LUCHA or West Park or even many of the prestigious white private schools, their home lives were not easy, something that is easy to sometimes ignore and forget. They are dealing with divorce, neglect, poverty, single parents, fighting, addiction, things that are everywhere but like the kids at LUCHA they have fewer resources and support systems to help them survive through the scariness of life and make it out of high school heading for college and a life that they can make better for themselves. Only 7% of the Navajo population recieves a Bachelors and even less recieve further education. Their little voices ring in my head and the eyes of some particular ones who you could tell were struggling, it was so hard to leave them after a week with them but I can only hope that my time there was half as meaningful to them as it was to me and I truly hope that someday I can go back and be with the Navajo people again.
In the evenings we learned about the culture from locals, art, traditional clothing, music, traditional stories and the sweat lodge experience gave us a taste of the culture. The sweat lodge was an amazing experience. Something very deep rooted in the culture and sacred. We did three rounds of at least 45 mins in the small sweat lodge made from cedar wood and just barely big enough for all of us to fit sitting with our knees to our chests so close to everyone else. Every round it got hotter and we were cleansing something else. 1st body, then mind and lastly spirit. Everyone prayed out loud at the same time and it was extremely challenging mentally and physically but one of the most meaningful parts of the trip.
The end of the trip came to quickly and I wasnt ready to leave the kids or the culture. We barely scraped the surface of all there is to learn about the culture but I am so glad I went and was opened up to something so important in this country and so forgotten and ignored. I wondered again and again what exactly the seperation between the rest of the U.S. and the Navajo Reserations (and other reservations at that) means for them and for us. I think it is good for them to have their space, teach their culture, but it is so disheartening how little we know about the culture. Its a long debate that I could never find the answer too but I was aware of the loss of their culture in our world and the ignorance and disappointing lack of interest that exists in our culture. I wondered what it would be like if we hadnt ripped them of their rights and culture years and years ago. I wondered what the future looks like for their culture and thought over and over again about their culture versus others that come to the United States and are treated poorly, ignored, forgotten, expected to assimilate. I thought about going to schools where each culture teaches each other and was slightly disheartened by the thoughts of impossibility that come with those big ideas, the place our country has come to and the challenge of turning things around. Still, I am so glad I was able to go and learn and open my heart to these people. I left with a deep respect from the Navajo people, a curiosity to learn more and a burning desire to go back someday.
Again, the words dont really do justice. There were things I struggled with on the trip. Expectations I had of our reflections and experience that were different than planned, challenges, but there was also a ton of self reflection, journaling and a new awareness of my role on that trip, others like it, groups, as a leader, learner, volunteer, and of what all that means for me and life from now forward. I came home to a crazy week of school, SCCAP interviews, friends, work and not enough time to think, but the voices of my kiddos stay with me everyday reminding me to keep pondering it, keep learning from it. Its a really funny thing those week long immersion trips.
The sun is calling my name, time for a beach trip. This weekend has been full of fun and great people. Hanging on the roof on Friday night, bike ride to downtown for dinner, fun run, farmers market and a night of crazy catch phrase last night. Its good to be back, home to this place and people who I love dearly and who I can continue these conversations with. I have lots more in my head so Ill be back. Happy Sunday! xoxoxo
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