It's 3:28 am and the Spokane airport is deserted. The first flight out isn't for 3 more hours, We aren't the first flight. The kids are all sleeping or trying to.
Yesterday was good. We slept in a bit and then Apryl and Amy made pancakes and eggs for breakfast. After breakfast we cleaned the bunkhouse thoroughly. A new group arrives today. The we helped Brothers Paul and Ray with a bit of yard work. And then we were off to Glacier National Park. We entered the park by St. Mary's The whole time were were in the park, we saw two other cars....most stuff is closed this time of year...and usually under snow. It was cloudy and there were flurries, but the mountains were still beautiful. Paul led the kids on several short hikes to see St. Mary's Falls and some other features of the park. We were glad we packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Needless to say we had the picnic spot all to ourselves not even a bear! We did see deer and elk however.
We went to East Glacier to have buffalo burgers and fries. So that was a hot meal...maybe for the day. The train was on time and most people slept the whole way from Browning to Spokane. A short taxi drive to the airport and now we wait. We decided the airport is a more comfortable place to wait than the train station.
We have lots of park pictures which we will post when we get free wireless. All of the photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/msafari. I don't have them all in a set yet, but I will.
See you all soon.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Day of Culture
Nine. Yes, you read right. Nine as in single digits, as in cold. The kids were all up early this morning. I don't know what shot them out of be in such a timely manner. The did go to bed early last night because they were tired. It was a long day, but a good day.
Our kids were very involved, well as involved as Sophomores get, with the De La Salle kids. The boys are really, really good at recess! Now we are in our last day and they are just getting more comfortable. I can't tell if they are homesick yet or not. I think they are ready to come home, but they again, they are already talking about coming back next year.
We had two speakers yesterday. One was a carry over from the day before, but missed his time slot. Both speakers were outstanding.
Harry Barnes spoke to us after lunch, a really bad time. He spoke to us on the economic conditions on the reservation. Harry is one of 18 children. He went to a number of schools, both on and off the reservation, as his family moved with the fluctuations in employment. Still, employment on the reservation is seasonal, much of it dependent on the tourist industry. Harry did spend some time in a boarding school, which he described as, "the government policy of assimilation to 'get the Indian out of you.'"
He talked about the abuses that travel with poverty, no matter where the poverty is: alcohol, drug, child and spouse. And all these are issues on the reservation. There are many references to drug and alcohol abuse around school, it is part of the morning prayer every day as well as signage in all of the hallways. The specter of abuse is near and hopefully, education of the dangers will help this generation at least escape some of it.
The economic woes of the reservation are not new, but have developed over the last century. Many of the issues stem from issues with self worth. That coupled with the challenges of starting a business on the reservation, no capital, no one to invest and no credit, only complicates the situation. There are some cultural influences also. Although the Blackfeethave been in the area for 17,000 years, there have been many changes in their lifestyle which has basically altered a group of self-sufficient people into "dependent wards" of the federal government.
The first cultural shift experienced by the Blackfeet came with the introduction of the horse which came up from the South via the Spanish. Guns came from the East when French traders came in contact with the Assiniboine. The Blackfeet, with horse and gun, drove competing tribes from this whole area. But they were self-sufficient.
The second cultural shift came with the white man and the pressure of land. Manifest Destiny, which drove Whites to own land, conflicted with the Indian sensibility of, "How can you own your Mother?" Indian take from the earth, but always with prayer. It became a conflict of two belief systems. Harry made the point, "In God's plan of love and salvation, if God can speak in a burning bush without it being consumed why can't he speak in the call of an eagle?" But with the pressure for land came the treaties that promised to take care of the Indians with food, clothing, medical and education. Both speakers mentioned with a chuckle that they have been dealing with Government health care for a century and its about time everyone else gets a chance to deal with it! With the trade goods came corrupt government agents and traders with alcohol; disease filled blankets and two years of severe winters wiped out half of the tribe. Harry said, "the people's hear and soul was ripped out and replaced by alcohol."
He spoke of the ways out of poverty: education and employment. He was very complimentary of the school and proud of its accomplishments. One of the graduates just received a full ride from Stanford. The alums are staying in school...12 out of 13 last year, opposed to the nearly 60% drop out rate in the public schools. He also talked about trying to change the attitude that "outside is better," again, tied to self-worth. He is trying to keep reservation money on the reservation and with Indian owned businesses.
It was a very interesting afternoon. Classes ended at 3:00 and Brother Ray took us on the scenic drive home. Brother Paul then took the kids to see the buffalo jump. They came home dirty. But it was great show and tell. Ann and I stayed home and cooked. Hamy potatoes, salad and apple and pumpkin pies.
Our speakers were delayed because of the eighth grade basketball game.
Joe Bremner (Big Crow) spoke to us about Indian spirituality. He brought his son Joseph (Mountain Horn Singer) 13 year forward post for the basketball team and Austin (Little Pine) his best friend. The boys are enrolled in the Blackfeet Language school, where all the classes are taught in Blackfeet. Joe owns the local Dollar General and came back to the reservation after a successful business career in Sothern California. But he said he was missing something. So he came back to the reservation looking for that which he was missing...and found it. Although raised Catholic, he now practices tractional religion and is trying to pass the traditions onto his son before all of the elders are dead. He said of the 200 songs that were once used in Blackfeet ceremonies, only 40 survive. We were honored to hear several of them, with the boys singing and drumming and Joe playing the flute.
He spoke of the holiness of the area in which we were staying. The name Two Medicine harkens to the time when the Crow were driven from the area and two medicine lodges were erected. And since that time the area has been special. He called it part of a spiritual trail. He also described the Okan, or son lodge, which is erected out of very special need. He has "sat holy" with a person, which required four days of fasting. After the four days he then again received the right to have food and water and to stand and to walk. The belief is that during the ceremony everything is given to the Sun, after the ceremony it has to be given back. That isn't explained very well, but the kids can fill you in.
We didn't have near enough time. Because he talked about the difficult relationship between the reservation and the state, because on the reservation state law doesn't exist. The federal government gave the Blackfeet their constitution in 1937, in the recent election over 80% of the Blackfeet voted for a new constitution that would separate the powers of the tribal council.
We have Mass today at school and then school ends early (3:00 instead of 5:00). We will go to the museum of the Plains Indians and then shop. Tonight is speaker free, so we have a movie planned. Tomorrow we will spend the morning cleaning and then go to Glacier National Park in the afternoon. We will go to eat Buffalo burgers before we get on the train.
It has been a good trip. I don't know if I will get a blog off before we get home, if not I will see you at the airport.
Our kids were very involved, well as involved as Sophomores get, with the De La Salle kids. The boys are really, really good at recess! Now we are in our last day and they are just getting more comfortable. I can't tell if they are homesick yet or not. I think they are ready to come home, but they again, they are already talking about coming back next year.
We had two speakers yesterday. One was a carry over from the day before, but missed his time slot. Both speakers were outstanding.
Harry Barnes spoke to us after lunch, a really bad time. He spoke to us on the economic conditions on the reservation. Harry is one of 18 children. He went to a number of schools, both on and off the reservation, as his family moved with the fluctuations in employment. Still, employment on the reservation is seasonal, much of it dependent on the tourist industry. Harry did spend some time in a boarding school, which he described as, "the government policy of assimilation to 'get the Indian out of you.'"
He talked about the abuses that travel with poverty, no matter where the poverty is: alcohol, drug, child and spouse. And all these are issues on the reservation. There are many references to drug and alcohol abuse around school, it is part of the morning prayer every day as well as signage in all of the hallways. The specter of abuse is near and hopefully, education of the dangers will help this generation at least escape some of it.
The economic woes of the reservation are not new, but have developed over the last century. Many of the issues stem from issues with self worth. That coupled with the challenges of starting a business on the reservation, no capital, no one to invest and no credit, only complicates the situation. There are some cultural influences also. Although the Blackfeethave been in the area for 17,000 years, there have been many changes in their lifestyle which has basically altered a group of self-sufficient people into "dependent wards" of the federal government.
The first cultural shift experienced by the Blackfeet came with the introduction of the horse which came up from the South via the Spanish. Guns came from the East when French traders came in contact with the Assiniboine. The Blackfeet, with horse and gun, drove competing tribes from this whole area. But they were self-sufficient.
The second cultural shift came with the white man and the pressure of land. Manifest Destiny, which drove Whites to own land, conflicted with the Indian sensibility of, "How can you own your Mother?" Indian take from the earth, but always with prayer. It became a conflict of two belief systems. Harry made the point, "In God's plan of love and salvation, if God can speak in a burning bush without it being consumed why can't he speak in the call of an eagle?" But with the pressure for land came the treaties that promised to take care of the Indians with food, clothing, medical and education. Both speakers mentioned with a chuckle that they have been dealing with Government health care for a century and its about time everyone else gets a chance to deal with it! With the trade goods came corrupt government agents and traders with alcohol; disease filled blankets and two years of severe winters wiped out half of the tribe. Harry said, "the people's hear and soul was ripped out and replaced by alcohol."
He spoke of the ways out of poverty: education and employment. He was very complimentary of the school and proud of its accomplishments. One of the graduates just received a full ride from Stanford. The alums are staying in school...12 out of 13 last year, opposed to the nearly 60% drop out rate in the public schools. He also talked about trying to change the attitude that "outside is better," again, tied to self-worth. He is trying to keep reservation money on the reservation and with Indian owned businesses.
It was a very interesting afternoon. Classes ended at 3:00 and Brother Ray took us on the scenic drive home. Brother Paul then took the kids to see the buffalo jump. They came home dirty. But it was great show and tell. Ann and I stayed home and cooked. Hamy potatoes, salad and apple and pumpkin pies.
Our speakers were delayed because of the eighth grade basketball game.
Joe Bremner (Big Crow) spoke to us about Indian spirituality. He brought his son Joseph (Mountain Horn Singer) 13 year forward post for the basketball team and Austin (Little Pine) his best friend. The boys are enrolled in the Blackfeet Language school, where all the classes are taught in Blackfeet. Joe owns the local Dollar General and came back to the reservation after a successful business career in Sothern California. But he said he was missing something. So he came back to the reservation looking for that which he was missing...and found it. Although raised Catholic, he now practices tractional religion and is trying to pass the traditions onto his son before all of the elders are dead. He said of the 200 songs that were once used in Blackfeet ceremonies, only 40 survive. We were honored to hear several of them, with the boys singing and drumming and Joe playing the flute.
He spoke of the holiness of the area in which we were staying. The name Two Medicine harkens to the time when the Crow were driven from the area and two medicine lodges were erected. And since that time the area has been special. He called it part of a spiritual trail. He also described the Okan, or son lodge, which is erected out of very special need. He has "sat holy" with a person, which required four days of fasting. After the four days he then again received the right to have food and water and to stand and to walk. The belief is that during the ceremony everything is given to the Sun, after the ceremony it has to be given back. That isn't explained very well, but the kids can fill you in.
We didn't have near enough time. Because he talked about the difficult relationship between the reservation and the state, because on the reservation state law doesn't exist. The federal government gave the Blackfeet their constitution in 1937, in the recent election over 80% of the Blackfeet voted for a new constitution that would separate the powers of the tribal council.
We have Mass today at school and then school ends early (3:00 instead of 5:00). We will go to the museum of the Plains Indians and then shop. Tonight is speaker free, so we have a movie planned. Tomorrow we will spend the morning cleaning and then go to Glacier National Park in the afternoon. We will go to eat Buffalo burgers before we get on the train.
It has been a good trip. I don't know if I will get a blog off before we get home, if not I will see you at the airport.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A beautiful morning in Montana
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Browning. It was a brisk 17 degrees this morning, but clear. I am not sure the kids had their eyes open, but the ride to school was beautiful. The colors of the sunrise were reflecting off the snow on the mountains, turning them shades of gold and rose. It was a great way to start the day.
Yesterday went really well for everyone. Our kids felt more comfortable and the kids here really responded well and opened up a bit. I think all of the classes are making books of some sorts, so there was a lot to do. But it was a long day. We left the house at 7:15 in the morning and didn't get back until after 5:00 pm. That is a long time to go without a break since they even eat lunch with the kids.
Ann and I encouraged everyone to go for a walk when we got home. There wasn't much light left so they didn't stay out long, but it was long enough for us to get dinner organized. The bunkhouse is very nice, but with a very large table that makes movement somewhat compromised if everyone is there.
I made chili for dinner and Ann made corn bread. However, we stopped at the IGA on the way home, so the kids filled up on chips and cookies. Jeremy was in charge of prayer last night and he did a good job. We also prepped for tonight's dinner: hammy potatoes...comfort food at its best!
Today is a short day, so we will be home in time for the kids to walk in daylight and if the clouds stay away, I hope they can get some good photographs of the area. They can also get to bed earlier...since the girls were real sleepy-heads this morning.
I did manage to upload some photos yesterday although the connection was slow. I will try to caption them today.
Browning. It was a brisk 17 degrees this morning, but clear. I am not sure the kids had their eyes open, but the ride to school was beautiful. The colors of the sunrise were reflecting off the snow on the mountains, turning them shades of gold and rose. It was a great way to start the day.
Yesterday went really well for everyone. Our kids felt more comfortable and the kids here really responded well and opened up a bit. I think all of the classes are making books of some sorts, so there was a lot to do. But it was a long day. We left the house at 7:15 in the morning and didn't get back until after 5:00 pm. That is a long time to go without a break since they even eat lunch with the kids.
Ann and I encouraged everyone to go for a walk when we got home. There wasn't much light left so they didn't stay out long, but it was long enough for us to get dinner organized. The bunkhouse is very nice, but with a very large table that makes movement somewhat compromised if everyone is there.
I made chili for dinner and Ann made corn bread. However, we stopped at the IGA on the way home, so the kids filled up on chips and cookies. Jeremy was in charge of prayer last night and he did a good job. We also prepped for tonight's dinner: hammy potatoes...comfort food at its best!
Today is a short day, so we will be home in time for the kids to walk in daylight and if the clouds stay away, I hope they can get some good photographs of the area. They can also get to bed earlier...since the girls were real sleepy-heads this morning.
I did manage to upload some photos yesterday although the connection was slow. I will try to caption them today.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday in Browning
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
We left school early yesterday...it was 3:30. We were supposed to stay until five, but it was club day and our presence wasn't that pressing. We were pretty exhausted (read ME). So when we got home, Ann and I took a nap and the kids took a walk down to Two Medicine River.
Brother Paul cooked us dinner last night, spaghetti, salad and garlic bread with nutritious organic brownies for dessert. It was a good thing there were chocolate chips in the brownies because I don't eat desserts for their nutritional value!
Our speaker last night was Marty Martain, Sr., his Indian name is Beware of Sleeping Wolf. His great grandfather was Sleeping Wolf. His grandmothers were: Strikes Down, Good Cuts, Kills Inside and Takes Guns...four women I assume didn't sit around quilting! He spoke on the history of the Blackfeet Reservation. At one time the Blackfeet roamed from Canada to New Mexico, the Rockies to the Dakotas.
He began by blessing us before we handled all of the wonderful artifacts he shared with us. He had received many of the objects as a thank you for another blessing he had given. I have a lot of pictures, which I am having a bit of a problem uploading, but will keep trying.
Night Prayer was pretty mellow. We shared scripture and spent some time journaling. I think everyone went to sleep pretty quickly...at least I did!
It snowed enough yesterday to blanket the plains, but stopped by 10 pm last night and the stars were visible. The sun is out today and the "Big Sky" is a clear view. It was cloudy over the mountains as we left for school at 7:15 this morning, but the mountains were peeking out. It is supposed to be 40 degrees today, so that will melt the snow.
This morning we were all up by 6:30 and had breakfast, packed our lunch and did a quick morning prayer. Brother Ray said we were one of the few groups that have been ready on time. But it helped that we had to scrap the windows before we could leave.
We left school early yesterday...it was 3:30. We were supposed to stay until five, but it was club day and our presence wasn't that pressing. We were pretty exhausted (read ME). So when we got home, Ann and I took a nap and the kids took a walk down to Two Medicine River.
Brother Paul cooked us dinner last night, spaghetti, salad and garlic bread with nutritious organic brownies for dessert. It was a good thing there were chocolate chips in the brownies because I don't eat desserts for their nutritional value!
Our speaker last night was Marty Martain, Sr., his Indian name is Beware of Sleeping Wolf. His great grandfather was Sleeping Wolf. His grandmothers were: Strikes Down, Good Cuts, Kills Inside and Takes Guns...four women I assume didn't sit around quilting! He spoke on the history of the Blackfeet Reservation. At one time the Blackfeet roamed from Canada to New Mexico, the Rockies to the Dakotas.
He began by blessing us before we handled all of the wonderful artifacts he shared with us. He had received many of the objects as a thank you for another blessing he had given. I have a lot of pictures, which I am having a bit of a problem uploading, but will keep trying.
Night Prayer was pretty mellow. We shared scripture and spent some time journaling. I think everyone went to sleep pretty quickly...at least I did!
It snowed enough yesterday to blanket the plains, but stopped by 10 pm last night and the stars were visible. The sun is out today and the "Big Sky" is a clear view. It was cloudy over the mountains as we left for school at 7:15 this morning, but the mountains were peeking out. It is supposed to be 40 degrees today, so that will melt the snow.
This morning we were all up by 6:30 and had breakfast, packed our lunch and did a quick morning prayer. Brother Ray said we were one of the few groups that have been ready on time. But it helped that we had to scrap the windows before we could leave.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Browning
Snow. It is a cold, dreary day in Browning. The mountains, usually visible from the school are well hidden. The kids are all in their respective classrooms, so that gives me a bit of time to try to blog.
The flight from Kansas City was uneventful. The plane to Denver was full and we were among the last to board, so we were all spread out. The layover in Denver was very short, but we landed a gate away from our departure area, so we didn't see much of the Denver airport.
The Spokane airport was pretty empty and closed down by the time we arrived. I can't tell you what time it was, three time zones and daylight savings time have messed me up. But we secured two taxis and headed to the train station, which was about a ten minute drive. We thought we might find an open restaurant downtown, but on a Sunday night, everything was closed. The good news is that there was a restaurant in the train station which opened from Midnight until two. So we waited for that to open. It wasn't fancy, but it filled everyone up.
The train was great. The seats recline, pretty comfortably. I think everyone got some sleep. Everyone was awake this morning by the time we reached Whitefish. We took advantage of the stop to move to the dining car for breakfast. It was a great breakfast and pretty reasonably priced. A pleasant surprise. Morning was just breaking and the scenery was beautiful. The light was soft because of the cloud cover and there were a few flurries. By the time we finished breakfast we were almost to West Glacier. The mountains had snow and even the trees close to us were being dusted. We saw a pair of Bald Eagles.
As we left the National Park, there was a herd of buffalo. That excited the kids. Brother Ray met us at the train, which was early, but so was Br. Ray. So we had a bit of an orientation on the bus. Once we arrived at school, the kids went right to work in the classrooms, where they are now. Today was hot dog day at lunch. Yeah! It is going to be a long, long day.
The flight from Kansas City was uneventful. The plane to Denver was full and we were among the last to board, so we were all spread out. The layover in Denver was very short, but we landed a gate away from our departure area, so we didn't see much of the Denver airport.
The Spokane airport was pretty empty and closed down by the time we arrived. I can't tell you what time it was, three time zones and daylight savings time have messed me up. But we secured two taxis and headed to the train station, which was about a ten minute drive. We thought we might find an open restaurant downtown, but on a Sunday night, everything was closed. The good news is that there was a restaurant in the train station which opened from Midnight until two. So we waited for that to open. It wasn't fancy, but it filled everyone up.
The train was great. The seats recline, pretty comfortably. I think everyone got some sleep. Everyone was awake this morning by the time we reached Whitefish. We took advantage of the stop to move to the dining car for breakfast. It was a great breakfast and pretty reasonably priced. A pleasant surprise. Morning was just breaking and the scenery was beautiful. The light was soft because of the cloud cover and there were a few flurries. By the time we finished breakfast we were almost to West Glacier. The mountains had snow and even the trees close to us were being dusted. We saw a pair of Bald Eagles.
As we left the National Park, there was a herd of buffalo. That excited the kids. Brother Ray met us at the train, which was early, but so was Br. Ray. So we had a bit of an orientation on the bus. Once we arrived at school, the kids went right to work in the classrooms, where they are now. Today was hot dog day at lunch. Yeah! It is going to be a long, long day.
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