Peter Pan and Camp

This past week, we had another volunteer group here at the Y. At first they were a quiet group, but mid week, they came full circle as far as Tuckman's stages go. I didn't really see too many storming phases which was interesting, but great. We were able to spend two days out at the Takini school on the reservation. I was only able to go out one day because I had to go pick up a new stove and our newsletters we had printed, but the day I did go out there, it was amazing! It's a pretty small school, but the kids and teachers were really nice and welcoming. I cannot wait to spend more time out in the communities. I also thought it was really neat for the volunteer groups to go out the school and spend some time with the kids there. Basketball is HUGE on the Rez and I haven't played that much basketball in a long time. Lots of lightning and half court games. We also passed the volleyball around and that was great too. We were invited into a classroom where they welcomed us with a (I don't know what to call it) small ceremony to welcome us with sage which we passed around the group. The kids are excited to have me back out and I am too.

Another issue I have been thinking a lot about is if there is a right or wrong way to think about different things that I grew up loving as a child that deal with Native American culture. For instance, as I'm typing this, I am watching Peter Pan (classic disney version that I grew up watching). Before taking this position and spending time out here within the Lakota culture, I wouldn't have thought twice about the Indian parts in the movie. I LOVE this movie. I love Nana and Peter and how sassy Tink is. I love the idea of never having to grow up. Now, when watching it, I am singing along with the songs and realize they are talking about "were out to fight the Injuns, the Injuns the Injuns" and I have to stop myself. What. The. Fuck? (pardon my language). The way Native Americans are portrayed in even Peter Pan is horrible. What the heck!? It goes to show how disconnected we are from cultures located within our own country. How is one suppose to feel when coming to these realizations? It's one of my favorite childhood movies, but holy wah! What now?

Also, camp. There are many camps located throughout the U.S. that are based on "Native Culture". I use that term lightly because there's wayyyy more to it than just that. I think about my camp that I grew up going to and Initiation that we hold at the end of each week. How special that was and still is to me. Seeing a counselor dressed as a native american in a canoe shoot a flaming arrow into Walloon Lake. The silence of camp as we sit there and watch. The war paint put on our faces and the counselors dressed in buckskin with large torches to lead the way to our sacred spot on the hill. I won't go into much more detail as to what happens at the top because it is something we consider special, but how does a person who has grown up participating in programs such as these who think they are honoring native cultures go on to understand that they aren't? Or are they? There is a fine line of honor and disrespect. I know that camps are not meaning to be disrespectful and in a sense are trying to bring kids who attend closer to nature and the nature world in which they are surrounded by, but when is it crossing that line? When are we not being politically correct? Is it important to be politically correct? I don't know.

On a brighter not so deep note, we had a blizzard today. It was unlike any Michigan Blizzard I have ever experienced. Out here on the prairie, it's soooo windy, add snow and it's really crappy. The dogs didn't want to go outside and that says a lot for Atlas (yooper dog). Check facebook for a funny stupid story about him and peeing on the couch. I drove to work which is only about two blocks away and couldn't see even 50 feet in front of me. Thank goodness school was cancelled, because there was no way you would be able to see any kids walking to or from. I got to work and stayed until about 12:30pm and decided to close up early. I was drifted in, but busted through with the Jeep. I figured I'd hit the store and started driving down towards main street, just to see two or three cars stuck (on main street) in drifts. Crazy. Out here snow plows don't just start up and start plowing. It takes a while. I had gone through so many drifts that snow got in/on my brakes and they were frozen. To say the least, I have been inside since then. Gross.

On Saturday, Demi, one of her friends and I hiked up to the top of Thunder Butte. We couldn't really find an easy way to the bottom, so we parked on the side of the road, went under some cattle fencing and started walking. It took about 3.5 miles to get to the bottom of the butte and in total was about a 7 mile hike. It was really cool to just start walking not really knowing how far away it was that we were actually going. Climbing the butte was interesting because it was pretty much straight up from the route I took. I tend to freak myself out when climbing like that and with the wind, I had to talk myself into continuing. The view was awesome though and I'm really glad we did it.

-Love Court

A Wicinca and her Sunkas

Well, it's been a bit since I last blogged so here I am. I don't know why, but it still amazes me at home generous and kind people who live out here are to one another and to others who are not from around here. I thought people in Michigan were kind, but coming out here, on and off the Rez, South Dakota wins hands down. I think it's because it's all cattle/agriculture/everything is sooo far away and community is actually, well, communities.

Having our first group of volunteers was exciting and tiring- physically and mentally. They were a great group and I had a lot of fun, but listening to how just a week has transformed how and what they think and know mentally got to me. I guess I never took the time to really reflect on my two months (which is now 3) myself. Writing the blog has helped, but debriefing each night with the group really had my brain a turning. I started to think about how after the short time I spent out here so far, I had really just fallen into how the culture was and how life on the rez was. Dupree (where I live) is a bigger community and there are more white people who live here so it's not too hard to get used to. It kind of reminds me of Ellsworth, MI for those of you back home. Eagle Butte would be about the size of East Jordan, MI (guessing).

I still don't really know how to explain my thoughts. Hearing from this group about how seeing the living conditions of some of the houses around here and how different it was and shocking in a sense, it was really weird for me to see these things and not feel that way anymore. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, or just a thing. When does the way someone else live become a part of a culture and alright to something that no one should be doing or living like? It really made me think of places in Africa where Americans and other large non profits are going into these 3rd world countries and bringing new ways of living to these places. Does everyone really need or want internet, electricity, and all these other things? Should we give these things to these different cultures and in a sense change the ways these people have been living? How does a culture decide if they want to use these different tools to make changes to the ways they have been living?

The reason I enjoy working at our YMCA is because our whole mission is to WORK WITH the members of the community and really create programs that they want and that they would enjoy. Not everyone in a different culture needs to be saved or rescued. When people talk about how they want to come and "save the indians" it just shows how much people right here in American need to learn about different cultures-- right here in our own countries. Native Americans do not want to be "saved" or "helped" the white man has been "saving" and "helping" Natives for many years... annnnnndddddd we all can see how well that has turned out.

I suggest watching Reel Injuns on Netflix. It speaks a lot about how Natives were and were not used in film and a lot about the culture and how it's portrayed. One thing that really spoke to me during that video is when John Trudell starts talking about how Natives are not Indians or Native Americans, they are human beings. Before the white man came over, they existed and lived and they are people. Just like us and other cultures around the world. Everyone is a human being and we all need to start treating one another as human beings.

I have a new group here now and they are from Illinois. There are some members who are from other countries so I'm sure our kids are going to loveeeeee that. :)

Lastly, as many of you know, I adopted another dog (Scout) this past week. I saw on an online garage sale facebook page that a lady was getting rid of two puppies. She said they were part wolf and part husky. They both looked like collie mixes, but ok. She also said they were 6 months old. I had my friend Demi go out there with me to take a look at him. I have been debating whether or not to get another dog for a while now because Atlas has been so lonely. I wasn't sure if I was ready to take the leap or not. I figured I would go out and take a look at the pup and if he looked alright and wasn't agressive (being 6months old already) I'd take him. We showed up and there were about four others full grown dogs that were VERY skinny (you could see their ribs) but they were friendly. One was a huge version of Scout and the other ones were lab mixes.  The lady scooped Scout up and brought him over to me. She asked if this was the one I wanted and without even thinking I blurted YES! and he was mine. I have her some $50 bucks and we left. Scout stunk soooo bad of manure and his hair was a bit matted with it. It took three baths for the smell to go away. The tip of his tail had no fur on it and I was a bit afraid he might have a disease. After just about two days though, the white hair started to grow back on his tail. :) both of my dogs have white tipped tails. haha

Atlas was really jealous the first day. He wanted to play with him, but didn't want him to go any where near me. Now, he is like a big brother to Scout. He makes sure he goes outside with him and each morning when At and I come downstairs, Atlas runs straight to Scout's kennel and sits there whining until I let him out. When Scout sees Atlas he starts whining and it's hilarious. Atlas will also tattle on Scout when he's doing something he shouldn't be. Atlas will come up to me and just look at me until I follow him. haha It's hilarious. I can tell that Atlas really enjoys having him around and I know if Scout could speak, he'd say he likes it here as well. The vet said that he's probs. a Border Collie mix and most likely about 3 months old. Even with all the fluff that he has, Atlas sheds wayyy more than Scout.

Andy, the guy who was out here during the time with the last volunteer group also accepted the Site Director Position! WOOT WOOT! So he will be moving out here the beginning of April. He also has a dog so there will be many friends to make for him when he comes out.

Everyday something happens to me that amazes me and makes me feel really thankful for this opportunity to work where I do. Even with the ups and downs, life out here is great and I am enjoying every single moment of it.

Let me know if you would like to come visit sometime!

Love to all human beings out there,

Court

Seeing everyone and human beings

So this week we have a group of 12 individuals who are doing and alternative spring break here at the Sioux YMCA. I was really hesitant before they joined us because my boss wanted us to step it up a notch when it came to teaching them about the culture. I thought to myself "how am I going to teach people about anther culture when I am still learning myself?!" What I have found is 1. That I have learned a lot since I first moved out here. 2. That you never stop learning. 3. I actually retained lots of information I have learned in my courses at nmu. 

The group is from Mount Ida College and many of the members of the group are either R.A.s or orientation leaders. Working with them this week has been amazing. I have had the chance to listen to the different struggles they have at their college and it reminds me of my days working in housing and res life and how I always wondered if I should have went into higher ed. Besides speaking with them about their college experience, I have had the privilege of spending time not only giving them things to do to help keep the YMCA is order through service projects, but also I have been able to see them learn about an amazing culture. Being able to debrief each day with them has really brought me back to why I went into outdoor recreation leadership and management in the first place. Pedagogy was something Cheryl, one of the most amazing professors I had spoke so much about. Sure she always taught in a round about way, but what she taught was that in order to get the most out of any experience, you need to understand the whole experience. 

Some of this may be rambling because I just worked 10 hours and had an emotionally draining debrief session but needless to say this group of volunteers has been amazing. 

We also had a guy named Andy come out and do sort of like a working interview. I honestly have my fingers crossed that he is going to take this position because 1. I need the help but more importantly 2. He was amazing at it. He jumped right in to working within the Y by making shelves and building things being super handy and totally rocked with our kids out here. He also was great with the volunteer group and knows soooo many games to play with the kids and also how to handle them. 

Besides work, I think having visitors has been a blessing. I'm not sure exactly what I'm feeling or how I feel about a lot of things in life right now, but I have found myself not fully understanding other people. Why people do things the way they do or why I wasn't enough for some people. I don't talk a lot about relationships or certain things and this blog isn't really where I want to hang my "dirty laundry" but experiencing relationships in my life where I may have wanted more or for some reason wasn't enough has been something I have come back to think about. I could say "oh well they weren't worth your time anyways" or "you'll find someone Courtney" and I dot doubt that. I just would like to understand people and the different reasons why they say or do the things that they do. 

I feel working with another culture has opened my eyes to these things and have made me question these things because I am experiencing something new and really looking at people as hymn beings and trying to strip away stereotypes that always tend to get in the way. 

Just because I may understand why a person acts the way they do or say the things they say doesn't always make it right. But more importantly, just because someone does something differently doesn't make it wrong.