When you and Lia think it’ll be real easy…
When you’re hella wrong.
SQUAD:
Outside:
Inside:
Can’t wait to come back!
Ninth Day for Maya
It’s important for Native youth to tell their stories because many Natives go through pain and troubles, and it fades away. It isn’t told. It’s buried. Like we read in Sherman Alexie’s book, it is like Indians are invisible. Before this program, I did not know of the Residential Schools in Canada. I did not know of the erasure of culture. But there are no shortage of hardships or poverty or families beaten down by alcohol abuse. And yet many people still use the culture as a costume. They take the good for themselves and bury the bad. They blame indigenous peoples for the hardships they are set up for. It needs to be told because when the difficulties of a people are buried beneath the surface no change can be made.
If i personally could have a story to be told, it would be about mental illness. I’d like to break the stereotypes about different mental illnesses, especially in a way that makes those who live life dealing with one more comfortable with their society and peers. And most importantly I would like mental illnesses to stop being used as an adjective. “She’s so skinny. She’s like anorexic!” “I get nervous when I’m on stage. I totally have anxiety.” I hear phrases like this often, and the worst part is that most people don’t see the problem with it. But I know what it was like to fight anorexia. It wasn’t my weight; it was the self hate, the dimorphism, the constant intense fear. When people act like depression is cool and trendy, when people stereotype in painful ways, it makes it more difficult for others to take those who actually suffer seriously. I want to break the stereotypes.
My favorite book is The Little Prince Prince by Antoine de Exupery. The book is fascinating in many ways. I love the illustrations throughout the story, but the most interesting thing is the different personalities. There is a separate kinds of sadness in each character that the Little Prince meets when he lands on a new planet. At each stop the formally naive Little Prince begins to realize that the world isn’t just raking out tiny volcanoes and taking care of his Rose. He sees the pain of the drunkard, the arrogance of the king, and the dedication of the lamplighter. And through the lesson of the fox, he realizes his Rose was special because it is his. He releases his body to return to his home.
It’s bittersweet.
Eighth Day for Maya
If you’re wondering about some of Pitzer’s recreational activities, wonder no further. If you can’t do it by yourself, do it with a ball.
When you love your chemistry teacher more than words can say, there’s only one way to tell the world.
And of course, if you aren’t completely ignorant, you’ll know that when bees go down we’re going down with them. Hence the beekeeping club.
Seventh Day for Maya
I can not get over what an amazing day I had with Kim Marcus. It was legitimately my best day at pipeline yet and I was so excited and fascinated with the native cooking that I wrote down every step we did. Even the approximate amounts we added of ingredients. I cut the prickly pears, cracked the acorns, made half of the mesquite pudding, and made and poured the sycamore bark tea. I worked along side Mr. Marcus’s wife Barbara for a while, and she was super kind. Almost everyone found the tea and pudding gross and too bitter to eat, but I loved it. I couldn’t get enough to the tea, and next to the black coffee I had for breakfast it was nothing. I’m bringing the recipes home to you mom!
I look so shiny
Then. We went to the MAAALLLLL. Mika dressed me up like the mannequin at Winsdor and I loved it. I bought the black, torn high waisted shorts but I didn’t get the tight plaid crop top. I ain’t about to get killed by my momma. Then we went to Zumie’s and I got a cute maroon and black tee. Watch me look bomb tomorrow.
After blogging, we’re gonna go watch a movie. And eat cupcakes! Happy Birthday Alyssa! Sweet 16 my girl.
Sixth Day for Maya
Being away from home is different, and the main thing I miss is the flexibility of designing my day. It’s difficult to feel sick or exhausted and not be able to rest when you want, and also I’ve thought of something I want to paint but I have no canvas. The greatest thing is being able to have friends you can hang out with a lot and joke around with. I don’t have to worry about being bored like I usually am in the summer, and I have funny friends and great cultural experiences.
Today we had pancakes for breakfast which was my favorite, and then went to theater. Rose assigned us my favorite activity so far- playing with our names. Maya Winnick. If my name was a sound, it’d be raindrops, or horseshoes click-clacking on concrete, or high heels on wood floors. If it was an object it would be pebbles or a potted cactus. Perhaps tap shoes that have been sitting in a closet for years. If it was a taste it would be peppery.
I typed my essay today in Common Apps. It’s my favorite class, and Shelva is very kind and helpful. I can’t get over the fact that on my first day I was dreading it and now I give 100% effort. I’d like to go to Pitzer or Scripps but they’re extremely selective. If I could take one road trip with my dad it would be to check out Lewis & Clark’s campus, and spend some time in Oregon. The weather is optimal too. (hinthint).
We took a trip up to Mt. Baldy today, too. It was really nice out there. I love getting some fresh air and moving my legs, but after the bird dance, my calves were killing me! And of course I got to spend time with my BOMB bff Miahuatl so any day with that hilarious girl is the best.
Mentor goals.
Haha
When your friends look like dorks
Cinco de Maya
Today was a lot of fun, like always. I got to hold Courage (Rose’s bird) again, and we did many fun activities with rhythm. I love making my friends come up with me to the frontof the class.
To be honest, apart from my museum video, making breakfast was my favorite part of the day. We made potatoes, eggs with soy chorizo, toast, and chilaquiles with cotija cheese on the side. It was spicy and delicious. It was the first time I was super full from breakfast. Miahuatl is the bomb.
We had the best dinner of the whole program this evening! There was actually tons of food for vegetarians today (aka Ninaya and I). We had vegetarian lasagna, zucchini with red sauce, garlic bread, and cobbler-ish stuff for dessert. Today was a GOOD food day.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Native Culture and college education can 100% go together, as it is so obviously seen in the Pipeline. It just takes the respect of our cultures and teachers that know the ways. To go together, there must be a balance of Western and Native learning.
Today we went to the Pomona College Museum of Native Artifacts. The works were amazingly beautiful, but we all had a realization that was kind of- upsetting. Everyone who worked there was white, and the woman admitted to us that she knew very little at all about the pieces. That was, until our elder Joe came in. He immediately explained the significance of so many of the artifacts, and the cultures they were from. The works were hundreds or thousands of years old, and they were sitting in drawers in a basement that few people visit. There was one piece that stood out to me a bit more than all the others; a piece from as far back as 3000 BCE. She told us she knew nothing about it but that it was an adornment which had been taken from a burial ground.
When you bury your dead, your elders…. you are doing it so to lay their physical body for rest. In many cultures, it is a very sacred practice to bury the dead with adornments or their belongings for their trip back to the afterlife, to heaven, to the Creator. Joe is so wise. He said to us, “I often wonder how white people would feel if I dug up their dead and kept their belongings in my basement.” My mentor Miahuatl kind of laughed and said, “It’s funny how these things are ours and we’re not even allowed to touch it.”
Frankly, Joe didn’t care whether or not we weren’t supposed to touch it.
They need to go back to their homes.
Fourth Day For Maya
I believe that some of the main resources that are really helpful for me are actually the ones offered at my school. Speaking to your counselor regularly about your education and career plans lets them know how to hep you. My parents and Scott are one of my main supporters, and no matter what path I choose to take in life they support me to the fullest. They believe that I can get into a 4 year college, and tell me that even if i don’t and up going through community college or taking my first year off they’ll still support me. It is so good to feel that I have a strong support system. I’m also trying to help myself prepare for college by trying to practice better habits, visiting colleges, and doing activities and programs such as the Pipeline. I know my sister doesn’t need an encouraging to go to college, but I hope that she see’s what I’m doing and that I am trying and I’m going to try a lot harder. I really want to succeed.
Today was my fourth day at Pipeline. I’m feeling really good, and I am making friends. I got to hold Rose’s bird today! Instead of Common Apps, we went to Pomona College today and did a neuroscience lab on microscopic worms. It was actually super interesting and everyone was incredibly nice. But we had to walk back to Pitzer, and I was sleepy and wearing flip-flops. Yuck. Once we got to Pitzer I headed straight to the mounds and Ninaya and I passed out on the hammock for a half hour while Mika caught up on her reading. Today we had our first Shakespeare class! You know that whole “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” About a man. Mr. Wachtel is a really good storyteller! I looked like I was falling asleep due to my nap but I promise, I was listening.
Then we had dinner, and there were veggie wraps for me ad ma vegetarian sister (: thanks Scott! But one of the most impacting periods of my day was the Cultural Programming with Rose Henry and Joe. Everything they told me was completely new to me; I never knew of these horrific tragedies which have occurred. I didn’t even know what residential schools were, and the cultural genocide which ensued. Our elders are so strong to go through so much, and then focus all their energy on helping others. I’d like to say a thank you for my opportunity of being here, and everyone who makes Pipeline fun and safe.
Maya’s Third Day
One of the main struggles many Native Americans and people in general have when it comes to college is money. When people barely have enough money to cover living expenses, it’s near impossible to pay college tuition. Many people also have to deal with the worries of grades due to the fact that they find school difficult or have no-one to help them. But one of the most prominent situation in the Native community is the drug and alcohol abuse. The money spent on drugs stops the money from going to college tuition; the time spent drinking takes away from homework time. Because of lack of money, worries of grades, alcoholism and drug abuse, it makes it difficult for Native youth to attend college.
Today was my third day at Pipeline. I don’t feel homesick, and I’m having a much better time than I expected. I was more tired this morning, but theater class with Rose was fun as always. To be honest, I was initially dreading Common Apps; preparing for college apps sounded boring and stressful. But Shelva is really easy to work with and introduced me to a BUNCH of helpful sites for college searching and entering the world of common apps. her handouts were amazing too. When I do work with her I feel like it’s actually worth my time and I’m really taking the steps for my future. We then heard many inspirational stories from both Rose Henry and her guest speaker tonight, and i heard Kat and Dani sing! I wish I could sing like that. Beautiful. Also, We had VEGETARIAN OPTIONS for dinner!!!! I’m going to bed full tonight.
nativeyouth2college.org 