Fort Washakie kids

This week, I was invited by Teton Science Schools to interact with students from Ft. Washakie Charter School. Ft. Washakie is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation.  Tribes include Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone.  I went out to the Kelly campus on Wednesday to prepare fry bread dough for dinner the next night.  Having lived on the Navajo Reservation for a number of months during the summer of 2007 while working at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site I was excited to share "my" Navajo and Mexican-American culture with them, as well as learn about their culture.   During my time on the rez I was taken in by Navajo friends and became part of their family.  I was taught a little of the language, I was invited to ceremonies and taught how to cook the native way, especially fry bread.  I was adopted by the Navajo and told that I was now Navajo and Mexican.   Preparing fry bread dough with the students, I was able to learn how their families make the dough and about their culture.  I learned that the students were a mixture of N. Arapahoe, E. Shoshone, Cheyenne, Navajo and Mexican. 

On Thursday evening, I went back to campus to help the students flatten out the dough before having the cook fry it.  They taught me how to master flattening the dough without the use of a rolling pin, the native way. After finishing up the dough, I was invited to hang out with them.  In total, there were 15 high school students.  I looked on as they played cards, hacky sack and listened to music.  Slowly students began coming in.  As they came in they saw my unfamiliar face so they approached and asked who I was. 

One girl in particular, Alicia Sanchez - half Mexican and half Arapahoe grew up on the rez.  She was stuck between two cultures.  I had been warned about Alicia's fiestiness the day before by the students that I made fry bread with, so was ready to meet her.  Alicia came up with an attitude and pretty significant Spanish accent, "Who are you?" she stated.  I said, "I'm Vanessa, I'm a Park Ranger with Grand Teton."  Alicia sat next to me not saying a word.  Then out of nowhere she said, "Are you Mexican, or what!?"  With a smirk across my face I shook my head, yes, to answer her question.  "What are you I said?"  That's when I found out about Alicia being part Mexican and Arapahoe.    I interacted with all the other students, learning about their culture, their stories and how they have grown up but Alicia and I had a strong connection. 

Alicia, angry about the cards life had handed her, told mer about her family.  She recently lost her brother in a motorcycle accident.  "In my family," she said, "all the boys go to the pen (prison) and the girls have kids."  As I sat and listened to her, I began to think about the other students in the room.  Has their life been similar to Alicia's?  I looked at Alicia in the eyes and said, "If that's the life that you have grown up in, what are you going to do to make yours different?"  She stared at me in silence and said, "No, I want to go to school."  I smiled and told her that I was proud of her committment to change her path.  Despite her rough life, she has pushed through and is ready to take on the world and make a difference. 

After eating Indian tacos for dinner, we gathered into the main lodge to listen students present their research projects on water quality.  After presentations and a slideshow of pictures from their week, we all stood in a circle toe to toe to offer each other thanks.   Students slowly thanked their instructors and teachers for giving them this opportunity.  They thanked each other for supporting each other throughout the week.  Lastly, a few students thanked me for "supporting our culture", "for listening to our stories" and "for coming out and making fry bread."   As we broke up the circle, students came and gave me a hug, thanking me for what I do.  Alicia pulled me aside, gave me a hug and said, "Thank you for listening to me.  I've never had a connection with another Mexican before." and then gave me another big hug and walked away.  

No one will ever understand the feeling of changing a life until you have done it.  There is a sense of accomplishment and gratification but words can't describe that feeling.  I absolutely love the work I do and the different students from all cutlural backgrounds that I have the opportunity to interact with.  This is the beginning of my relationship with the Wind River Rez, as I have been invited to visit the school to talk about career opportunities for students with the NPS. 

Keep on, keepin' on!