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Wishtoyo! Today we started our 3 day journey at Wishtoyo in Malibu. It was a quick 2 hour drive and we were there! Seeing the blue, crystal clear water on the way there made me feel grateful to be in such a beautiful place and here at this program. I am so excited for the next chapter of this trip.

I felt honoured to be welcomed by all the elders, especially MATI WAIYA and LUHUI ISHA, as we pulled up to the village. Their singing was beautiful and I am happy to be here! The orientation was so inspiring. I loved listening to the stories that the elders told and felt like I have learned lots from them already! I feel so accepted by all the people here and feel like we are one big family! The beach here is amazing! The water is so shimmery and beautiful. I enjoyed swimming in the water (even though I was fully clothed). I felt so free. It really cleaned my sole and spirit. I felt like I could swim in the ocean all day!

At dinner ad lunch, we served the elders first. I felt this shows how much we respect ad love we have for them. This selfless act of putting the elders first made me feel humble inside. I think this is one of events that stuck out most throughout my day because I got to look all the elders in the eye and see how much joy was brought to their faces by act of kindness. I have not seen this before due to not being involved with my Nation yet but, I can already tell I will be doing this sort of thing more often; putting the elders first.

During this trip, we also learned about climate change and how erosion and rising temperatures are changing our world. This really opened my eyes to this issue. Knowing that it will happen either way makes me very upset but, also knowing that we can slow it down by doing simple daily tasks is a relief. It scares me that my people from my Nation may not have some of their land in the next 50 years because of this issue.

The food throughout the whole trip was amazing. Nana and Sergio provided delicious food three times a day every day which I was so grateful for. The hard work, dedication and love they put into the food did not go unnoticed!

On the last day, we went surfing at Zuma beach and it was amazing! Surfing is defiantly something I want to continue with and I am so thankful I was able to experience it here in Malibu!

In conclusion, Wishtoyo was an unforgettable experience that I will look back on for the rest of my life. During this trip, I have made so many friends that I am I will keep in touch with and Wishtoyo really helped to solidify the bonds of these friendships!

-Sylena

Today July 15,2017 we started our day off with Indigenous games with Hector and John and focused on strategies as well as unity. Towards the end of the games I looked at everyone around me and felt just right at home because home is where family is and here in this program it already feels like a family. I enjoy these games we play everyday because we involve martial arts into it and since I was in middle school I would do martial arts in my school and they would invite an instructor from Beijing,China. His name was Bing Shi Fu and he was such a wise and amazing instructor full of happiness in what he does and he always had such joy in showing us what he knows. Hector Pacheco reminds me so much of this instructor because just like Bing Shi Fu Hector has so much joy into showing us these indigenous games that were shown to him. I very much enjoy these games which help me learn such valuable skills just like when I did martial arts at my school.

Today we also had Aztec math with Vicente and I felt so much at home because in my school we use the Nepohualtzintzin and its such a wonderful tool that makes math so much simpler. Vicente loves to tell such amazing stories and these stories remind so much of when I was a little girl and my mother would tell me stories. Towards the end of the day we weaved baskets and that was my favorite part of my day. I enjoy doing arts and crafts so much it helps me relieve stress and it becomes very therapeutic for me. I feel like every time we do these hand on activities it reminds me of my humble home. So far in this program not only have we’ve done things that remind me of what I usually do in my regular life but this program has also taught me so many new things that have slowly been helping me grow. I am so thankful for everyone for being so together and so energetic during the day. I am so excited for what is to come tomorrow on our trip to Wishtoyo.

Peace and Love Christine

I feel that as the days progress during the program the more I feel myself becoming closer to everyone. All the programing that we participate in has even become a lot more insightful. Last years program was centralized on northern natives but this year they have incorporated a lot of my peoples history, like today when we had Aztec math class we always here about the different precise calculations the aztec people made; this really  fills my heart with empowerment and sends inspiration all throughout my body. Another thing that I really related with today was the basket weaving. My ancestors weaved very intricate baskets that still stand strong till this day. While weaving the baskets I found myself thinking about all the time and effort that our people used to put into making massive baskets that served so much more than just as decoration, then for people to come and just destroy all four precious culture was infuriating.

I am disappointed in myself because when the program started I decided to have a vegan diet since I had done it a couple months before. Today I had a relapse and ate 3 delicious pieces of sausage for breakfast.

worth it…

Today, it was a slow easy day until right before dinner. We went to the talking circle with Elder Lori. It was very interesting at how the pattern was. We had the basket material soaked so it can bend but won’t break. It was a warm day so it was easy for the material to dry up. It took along time but it was fun weaving the basket back and forth back and forth back and forth. And Mom if you are reading this, I have made one for you. Every thing else was good and normal. It was chill. That is all I can say.

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Starting of the day with great exercise from Hector Pacheco and John. We practiced the strikes and blocks from the day before and implemented them into a game. We also practiced different formations and strategies that will be used tomorrow. I led half of the group on a four minute run and ran a few more times with the rest of the group. It was a very useful exercise because, I practiced along with my brothers, to form a single being/ entity.

Then, working on my common application essay was a very fun and idea following session. I was separated from the rest of my class with my peers who had attended the program a year before. I began to brainstorming my essay on my family ancestry and my identity. Once I finished brainstorming about that idea, I started to compare the loss of culture and identity of the native tribes of the entire continent. It really allowed me to express how I feel about the loss of identity and culture my family suffers.

Learning about Aztec Math and working with the Nepoatzintzin is always amazing. Elder Vicente taught the group and I to multiply and divide with 3-digit numbers with using just the Nepoatzintzin. It is such an amazing tool and I am humbled and honored to be able to use such a sacred device from my ancestors. Elder Vicente was very clear in his directions and made it fun for the whole group. He is such a great teacher and has so much knowledge that any one of us can benefit from. At the end of the day, I made baskets with Elder Lori Sisquoc. The basket weaving does require a a large amount of patience. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish a a large basket, but was still a good day.

This morning I took one of the most important steps towards fulfilling my college app. I began taking a look back at what I have done this year. During the middle of the school year I was thinking about the reality of colleges, coming from a low-income community. Staying up many nights, working till I cant stay awake, would be for noting if I cannot pay to further my education. I knew this is a reality because I have had family members and friends who ran into this problem. I knew I had to make a change in community to help my peers and myself avoid this. Today I started writing my college essay on the impact I have made in my community. This was the beginning of many hours I will spend writing it.