Today we woke up painfully early to do our final indigenous games lesson with Hector. I was initially feeling groggy and not willing to run outside, but the lesson managed to immediately energize every cell in my body. As a reflection on these games, I can say that I’m extremely grateful that there are people who are dedicating their time to keeping these ancient practices of indigenous games alive as an important component of our culture equal to language and ceremonies.
After breakfast we went to WesternU, due to a miscommunication ~kerfuffle~ on the specific leaving time, Maya and I got left behind. Thankfully, due to the company of a Nika led spontaneous guitar session and Belmont’s general awesomeness, what could’ve felt disastrous was actually quite beautiful.
At WesternU we learned about various emergency procedures for first aid/ fire safety. Even though this lesson was centered around a very serious topic about life threatening situations, our group still made this activity fun and memorable. Thanks to my overzealous shouting and running and then nearly killing of a mentor, Jade and I won a first aid obstacle course. My proof of this is the WesternU yoyo that I will now covet forever like some type of magical artifact in an old Indiana Jones movie.
Bonus fact: I didn’t actually know how to yoyo before today and this new skill feels like something I definitely would need to put on my official resume.
We concluded the day with a hectic theatre class rehearsing this group dance thing that I barely stumbled through, as well as the speeches everyone will make. We got to become different animals and interact through screeches and growls while channeling our inner make-believe spirit. Its something I haven’t done in a while so it was definitely very interesting to try to once again capture that wild, imaginative, childhood side of me who could so easily transform into these jaguars and dolphins and snakes.
Welllll
That’s all for today, but in conclusion I would like to reiterate that I’m incredibly grateful. I feel like the air I’m breathing is lucky and I’m just thanking every possible sacred material in the universe for the company that I’m in. The strong connection’s I’ve made, thanking these stars for these amazing people and the memories I have with them that are now indelibly written on the insides of my heart.
I feel so lucky.
Thank you Pitzer
nativeyouth2college.org 