Arriving back from a place that I never wanted to leave was a downer, but I make the best out of everyday. We had a workshop with Ben Florio, who taught us the different ways composers edit music into movies, televisions shows, and video games. I was mostly excited to have the opportunity to play the game of Flower Wars, taught to us by Hector and John Pacheco. This game is very similar to capture the flag, the way we had to organize ourselves and strategize to win the game. In order to have a successful round of Flower Wars there has to be so much communication with each other and know how to play respectfully instead of just playing to win.
The most exciting portion of the day was when the youth of the Native Youth to College Program separate into two different circles; male and female. In our women circle we were introduced to Aunty Josie, you shared so many songs with us from the Chumash nation, Apachi nation, and Navajo nation. The way every single young lady, raised there voice and sang with so much pride was so powerful and inspiring. So powerful that we even came into one of our classrooms where all the men were and demonstrated how much powerful each one of us had inside of us. What was so amazing and meaningful to me was when I heard that Aunty Josie was from the Yaqui nation as I am. She taught what was so sacred to our people and their medicine, as for other nations it might be sage, but in my nation it is flowers, specifically roses. She shared with me that she was not fluent in our language, but did teach me how to say hello everyone and how I can search online or in books about my culture. I could not stop smiling after meeting this inspiring and beautiful human being.
always happy, Johanna Osuna
nativeyouth2college.org 