This past weekend was the Navajo Nation Fair, and I spent Friday and Saturday with Allison, Dan and Melissa (librarian) walking around, seeing all the sites and riding the Ferris Wheel. If you want to talk about simple living, I only went on one ride, instead of buying a wristband for $20. Believe me, it was hard, I am an absolute fair ride junkie.
School was cancelled on Friday since the fair is such a big deal for the Navajo Nation, and I worked at the booth the school had set up in one of the halls. Some alumni came by and told us stories about going there, and we even had a few people interested in enrolling their students for the next year. I was glad to see that overall, we had a good amount of people interested in us rather than the free pens. I really enjoyed the Energy Expo they had at the fair and I was able to learn a lot about sustainability and water conservation on the reservation. It is a very barren landscape, although where we are located isn't exactly a full blown desert. I think I talked to one of the women working with water conservation for about 15 minutes, and she gave me a really nice canvas bag with their logo because she told me she could tell I was genuinely interested in what they were doing, not just getting the free stuff they had.
Saturday, the four of us walked 3 miles down the road to see the parade go by, including a float from SMIS that had students and teachers. When it passed, we saw one of our friends, Ann, dressed as St. Katherine Drexel, and could not stop laughing. I told her I didn't know many sisters who incorporated a basketball shirt and sneakers into their habit. But, it was great to see the students excited to be in the parade and we made sure we screamed loud and clear when they went past.
There were so many great moments this weekend, seeing students and parents at the fair and in the parade, meeting new people and getting to network a little bit with people who have long standing connections to SMIS. My skin still doesn't like Arizona, I go through sunblock like it is my job, but otherwise, a good weekend with some good fair food, fun people and a new experience to add to my list of reservation adventures.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Labor Day Weekend
I climbed a 10,000 year old erupted volcano. What did you do on your labor day weekend?
I went with Mary Rose, Allison, Jake, Stacy, and a group of other teachers from St. Michael on a hiking trip in New Mexico this past weekend. Dan, one of the English teachers at the high school leads these trips around the area, and I was really enthusiastic about getting to see the area around where we live.
We hiked in El Morro, a National Park in New Mexico, checking out the sites (awesome) and getting to see the historic trails of travellers who came through New Mexico. There were petroglyphs on the wall from ancient indian tribes, as well as carvings from the Spaniards who came through centuries ago, and more recent carvings from Americans who travelled by on their way west. Pictures will be forthcoming since I am still without a camera, but some of the things we saw, you had to be there in person. If anyone starts to question God's creation, I challenge them to climb a mesa and look out over all they can see. Beautiful.
At the top of the mesa was an unearthed Pueblo, the the Zuni people built in the 1200s. By the time the Spaniards came in the 1500s, the pueblos were already deserted. The pueblo we saw contained about 875 rooms, huge, but only part of it is unearthed. I love old ruins, it is like looking into a picture of how people lived. And the fact that centuries later I can look and stand where so much history occured never ceases to amaze me.
El Morro is Spanish for "The Headland" and the Americans called it "Inscription Rock", but when it was made a national park, the Spanish name won. What I found interesting about El Morro is that the trail we hiked was actually hand carved by workers of the Civil Works Administration, an organization started by FDR during the Great Depression.
After we ate lunch at El Morro, we went to something called the Ice Caves, which is where I got to climb the volcano. The volcano, Bandera, exploded about 10,000 years ago, and today there is a wonderful area with petrified wood, and lava fields, and ice caves in a collapsed lava tube. It was absolutely fascinating. I love nature, and how it can be so pure and ruggedly beautiful. Allison and I crawled into a cave formed by lava for a picture and, I laugh because it is funny, but, I ripped my pants.
There are signs that say to be careful because the lava formations can be sharp and jagged. I sat down next to Allison on a rock that was there and caught the seat of my pants on a piece of hardened lava. I heard a slow, creeping ripping sound, and all I could think was oh crap. It was bad. It was really bad. From the back pocket to the hem of the shorts bad. Allison, laughing, pulled a bandana out of her backpack and made me a "tail" so no one could see the rip. So yeah, I climbed a volcano and ripped my pants.
Later still, we drove to El Mapais, Spanish for the badlands and completed a third hike. This one was fairly uneventful, but we got to see some cool rock formations and a bat cave. Luckily, no rattlesnakes, although this site told us to be particularly careful. El Mapais also had remnants of volcanic activity and all in all, it was a beautiful hike through some gorgeous areas.
Sunday, we went to Acoma, a pueblo in New Mexico that had the nickname Sky City, and is one of the oldest continually habituated places in the United States. Stay tuned for that later!
I went with Mary Rose, Allison, Jake, Stacy, and a group of other teachers from St. Michael on a hiking trip in New Mexico this past weekend. Dan, one of the English teachers at the high school leads these trips around the area, and I was really enthusiastic about getting to see the area around where we live.
We hiked in El Morro, a National Park in New Mexico, checking out the sites (awesome) and getting to see the historic trails of travellers who came through New Mexico. There were petroglyphs on the wall from ancient indian tribes, as well as carvings from the Spaniards who came through centuries ago, and more recent carvings from Americans who travelled by on their way west. Pictures will be forthcoming since I am still without a camera, but some of the things we saw, you had to be there in person. If anyone starts to question God's creation, I challenge them to climb a mesa and look out over all they can see. Beautiful.
At the top of the mesa was an unearthed Pueblo, the the Zuni people built in the 1200s. By the time the Spaniards came in the 1500s, the pueblos were already deserted. The pueblo we saw contained about 875 rooms, huge, but only part of it is unearthed. I love old ruins, it is like looking into a picture of how people lived. And the fact that centuries later I can look and stand where so much history occured never ceases to amaze me.
El Morro is Spanish for "The Headland" and the Americans called it "Inscription Rock", but when it was made a national park, the Spanish name won. What I found interesting about El Morro is that the trail we hiked was actually hand carved by workers of the Civil Works Administration, an organization started by FDR during the Great Depression.
After we ate lunch at El Morro, we went to something called the Ice Caves, which is where I got to climb the volcano. The volcano, Bandera, exploded about 10,000 years ago, and today there is a wonderful area with petrified wood, and lava fields, and ice caves in a collapsed lava tube. It was absolutely fascinating. I love nature, and how it can be so pure and ruggedly beautiful. Allison and I crawled into a cave formed by lava for a picture and, I laugh because it is funny, but, I ripped my pants.
There are signs that say to be careful because the lava formations can be sharp and jagged. I sat down next to Allison on a rock that was there and caught the seat of my pants on a piece of hardened lava. I heard a slow, creeping ripping sound, and all I could think was oh crap. It was bad. It was really bad. From the back pocket to the hem of the shorts bad. Allison, laughing, pulled a bandana out of her backpack and made me a "tail" so no one could see the rip. So yeah, I climbed a volcano and ripped my pants.
Later still, we drove to El Mapais, Spanish for the badlands and completed a third hike. This one was fairly uneventful, but we got to see some cool rock formations and a bat cave. Luckily, no rattlesnakes, although this site told us to be particularly careful. El Mapais also had remnants of volcanic activity and all in all, it was a beautiful hike through some gorgeous areas.
Sunday, we went to Acoma, a pueblo in New Mexico that had the nickname Sky City, and is one of the oldest continually habituated places in the United States. Stay tuned for that later!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Phew!
It's been a few days since I posted, but now that school is into full swing, I am tired by the end of the day and finding time to sit down and write for myself is significantly harder than it was a few weeks ago. Our art teacher arrived! I am so excited, but I do miss working with the art students. They were so creative and were willing to work with me and the cans for two weeks. I was able to find some great art videos those last few days I was in the classroom, so it wasn't charcoal drawings all the time.
I've slowly started to add student work to the walls in the computer lab where I teach so that the room is starting to look more like my home than a stark, bare room. My psychology students did outlines of famous psychologists and my government students will be working on some projects soon too. I am excited to see my students actually beginning to particiapte in class; the first few days they were a little wary of me. Sometimes, I wonder if what I am doing is a good thing. The students know that teachers come and go here so often, that there is not a lot of continutity. But, slowly, they seemed to have come to the concluision that I am okay and I see that in the way that they participate. It isn't always easy, but I love all my students and each one brings something different to the table. I have my jokers, my serious ones, the usual assortment of characters one can find in any high school classroom in America.
Drama club should be starting up soon, and I am excited about that because there are a few students who seem genuinely interested in working on some productions. I am glad that there is some enthusiasm becuase I would like to see the school do some pretty cool shows this year. One of the girls asked me if I would lead the choir because they don't have one anymore, after the old director left. I wondered why she was asking me, and then she told me that the same man led both groups. Hmm.. I am not much of a singer, but I might see what interests there are for students to sing and if enough students show interest, I might give it a try. Middle school choir throwback?
I've slowly started to add student work to the walls in the computer lab where I teach so that the room is starting to look more like my home than a stark, bare room. My psychology students did outlines of famous psychologists and my government students will be working on some projects soon too. I am excited to see my students actually beginning to particiapte in class; the first few days they were a little wary of me. Sometimes, I wonder if what I am doing is a good thing. The students know that teachers come and go here so often, that there is not a lot of continutity. But, slowly, they seemed to have come to the concluision that I am okay and I see that in the way that they participate. It isn't always easy, but I love all my students and each one brings something different to the table. I have my jokers, my serious ones, the usual assortment of characters one can find in any high school classroom in America.
Drama club should be starting up soon, and I am excited about that because there are a few students who seem genuinely interested in working on some productions. I am glad that there is some enthusiasm becuase I would like to see the school do some pretty cool shows this year. One of the girls asked me if I would lead the choir because they don't have one anymore, after the old director left. I wondered why she was asking me, and then she told me that the same man led both groups. Hmm.. I am not much of a singer, but I might see what interests there are for students to sing and if enough students show interest, I might give it a try. Middle school choir throwback?
Friday, August 24, 2012
Window Rock
NaShia, one of my community members, took this awesome picture in Window Rock. I can't wait to hike up through those rocks! This is Window Rock Navajo Tribal Park and Veteran's Memorial. Isn't the view just gorgeous? I've been there once already, and although this picture is fabulous, it can't compare to seeing that red rock in person.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
First Spirituality Night
Last night was our first spirituality night, that Allison lead. She had chosen a guided meditation for us that was a visualization of a candle. It was a lot of fun, and really relaxing, which is what I needed after this week! It's been a blue or craziness, but I am having so much fun.
Last night all the high school teachers got together in the faculty room after school and had Navajo stew and fry bread, which is almost like a staple on the Rez. The stew had carrots, celery, potatoes and mutton in a clear broth and it was pretty good. One of the student's aunties had made the dinner for us, and she was telling some of the newer teachers that her sons had graduated from SMIS, so she has a history there.
There is no school tomorrow, so I have a long weekend to work on lesson plans. I am teaching government, psychology and evolving histories (which I get to create an entire curriculum for) so I will have a busy weekend, but I am looking forward to getting the school year fully underway. I am still teaching art until the real teacher for that arrives, and today I subbed for gym. Well, that was interesting.
Everyday, I grow to love this place more and more. Two weeks down already!
Last night all the high school teachers got together in the faculty room after school and had Navajo stew and fry bread, which is almost like a staple on the Rez. The stew had carrots, celery, potatoes and mutton in a clear broth and it was pretty good. One of the student's aunties had made the dinner for us, and she was telling some of the newer teachers that her sons had graduated from SMIS, so she has a history there.
There is no school tomorrow, so I have a long weekend to work on lesson plans. I am teaching government, psychology and evolving histories (which I get to create an entire curriculum for) so I will have a busy weekend, but I am looking forward to getting the school year fully underway. I am still teaching art until the real teacher for that arrives, and today I subbed for gym. Well, that was interesting.
Everyday, I grow to love this place more and more. Two weeks down already!
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