Hello lovely people!
I had one heck of a weekend, let me tell you. And the funny thing is, it wasn't supposed to be like it. I was supposed to hide out in the library for the entire weekend, studying my brains out for finals next week. But instead, this happened:
A friend and I were going to the building for dinner and as we were nearing the dining hall, two of my friends were walking out. They were going to leave for a mini-retreat to a reservation for a weekend and invited me to come with. (I had known about it for a while, but decided that I wouldn't be able to go because I had so much studying to do. ) I told them that I really needed to study, had a billion things to do, and had nothing packed! But they were SUPER PERSUASIVE. And every argument I made about why I couldn't go, but they had a counterargument right back. It was a very stressful 20 minutes as I debated whether or not to go. I asked friends, flipped a coin,asked a stranger, called my mom. (Guys, I'm seriously the worst with making decisions. I mean, I either make up my mind and refuse to back down or I'm crazy indecisive and need someone else to tell me what to do.) And finally I was like, "Okay! I'm going!" and I sprinted back to the dorms to pack. (Yes, my friends did think I was crazy for making this spontaneous decision.)
I ran into my room, threw a bunch of clothes into a bag, explained to my roomie where I was going, and jumped in a car to leave. So the joke of the trip was that I was kidnapped/peer pressured into coming on this retreat. (I went willingly. I promise.) And as we were driving, I couldn't believe that I actually decided to do this, but also how right it felt.
The drive was about 4 hours and it was kinda long, but it was really funny. There were only 3 of us on the trip, so we all just laughed and shared stories and talked. (I knew the other 2, but I wasn't super close with them. So the car ride really gave us a chance to get to know one another better.) The neat thing was that the other 2 are freshmen as well and it was good to be able to have a deep conversation and realize that we were all feeling the same things.
(This is so cliche to say, but it's true when they tell you that there are other people who are feeling/experiencing the exact same thing that you are. I thought that I was the only person to feel so alone at college sometimes and still struggle like I'm making friends, but they're in the exact same boat that I'm in.)
So we got to the reservation and were staying at the priest's home. She's loud, a little extreme, kind of in your face, and bias, but I really liked her. She's lived all over the world and has had some insane experiences! I mean, INSANE! She lived in Haiti, in Sudan, and so many other places! She knows what it's like to risk your life everyday and knows how sheltered we are. It was neat to hear about all of her experiences and how she was protesting against a bunch of injustices.
Now, I don't know what your belief is about Native Americans or reservations, but as someone who has little knowledge on the topic, it was eye opening. We learned a lot. Like, a lot a lot! Fortunately, one of the other kids had no previous knowledge on them either, so this was a new experience for him as well.
That night, the 3 of us stayed in this tiny little room talking and laughing and having a great time together before a day of work. We got up early Saturday morning and chopped wood for the elderly. My friends learned how to use a chainsaw, too! (No, I did not learn to use because I'd probably end up cutting my hand off or something because I'm Katie and that's how my life would go...)
We then went to this Christmas Giveaway which was located at one of the community buildings. We helped unload the truck of toys, clothes, and jackets with some other volunteers while the people showed up. There was this little boy who had to be about 9 years old who was wearing hand-me-down clothes that were 2 sizes too big and a Santa hat who was grinning as he helped carry boxes. I wish I could go back and take a picture of that because it's an image that just shows how great the need is there.
I was helping at the kids' table and helped kids get sized/find the right coat for them. It was really incredible to see the kids try on the new coat and get a new hat or a matching pair of mittens, too; and the smiles on their faces when they had their new winter gear was so hopeful and thankful. I liked having the chance to talk with some adults who were so kind to welcome us into their community. There was one gentleman I met who personally introduced me to his family. (I mentioned this to the priest later that afternoon and she said that they've been working on building better communication skills amongst the Native American people.)
I was talking with a boy who had to be about 15 and he mentioned that he was looking for a gift for his mother and we looked together find a nice present for her. I think the thing that stood out to me most was that even when these people have so little, they do look out for each other. This boy could've easily just looked for himself and then left, but he decided to take the time and find a gift for his mother.
Or this little girl was looking at these beautifully knitted hats and wasn't sure if she could have, so I sat on the floor with her and we tried on different hats until she found the right color she wanted. When she was happy with it, she smiled at went to show her parents. It was the little things like that really stood out to me and kinda made my heart melt.
So another really neat thing that happened when we were there was watching the community's reaction to the priest. She has this unspoken respect and love when she walks into the room. I saw so many kids come running up to her to show her their new glasses or tell her a funny story and she would hug them, kiss their forehead, and tell them how proud she was of them. Same with adults (minus the head kissing). But they would come and talk to her and she knew so much about them and their families. She'd ask questions about things they had talked about once previously or catch up on some news. That's the kind of role I want in the future. Her presence was incredible and it was amazing to see how it changed the community. I want to be like that in whatever career path I choose.
After the end of the Giveaway, we got ice cream and talked more. She was telling us so much and it was really neat to hear everything she had to say. She told us the importance of stories and how a story can change a person's idea about it. She also talked a lot about the injustices on the reservation and the rest of the world.
Now, I don't know how you feel about reservations and Native Americans, but I encourage you to leave those stereotypes or other ideas behind you and be open about it because here's the truth: you don't know the truth. Reading/hearing about what it's like to live on the reservation is WAY different than visiting it and seeing it first hand. I learned about so many of the injustices and oppression on both sides and how there are so many things that need to be done in order for this separation to dissolve. There are so many problems (on both sides), but we need to be hopeful and pro-active in order to get things done! And this means doing more than just hearing about the problems...You need to visit and see it with your own eyes and make your own decisions.
It was incredible to be a part of this (even for 24 hours)! It was really eye-opening and I honestly cannot believe that I was so close to missing out on an amazing thing! We're talking about going back in the spring and I cannot wait!
Love,
Katie
P.S. I had no idea that this post was so long! Oh man, sorry, friends! But here's a cute picture of the 3 of us!
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