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today was a great day woke up to a good run and practice indigenous tactics for flower wars game. the game tactics were also used when aztec warriors went to war thats how i related to that activity today through my ancestry. after that we had aztec math with the nepoualtitntin every minute a spend with tata Vicente my mind gets blowed. had a great times weaving my bird nest

Today was a very chill, relaxing day for myself. The weather was hot and stinky but very bright and I thank the creator for this beautiful day, I was able to do basket weaving with Lori Sisquoc  and It was just a great moment for me to dewine and have relaxing thoughts to myself and  have great conversations with some of the mentors and students. We also had another session early on the day with Shelva it was such a great session/ class to be apart of being able to learn more about writing and how to structure personal essays is definitely going to be useful when I return back to school, and when the time comes to start my personal essay to apply for university I know that I will be prepared so I really thank Shelva for taking the time out of her day to come out here and share her beautiful inspiring knowledge.

Indigenous games is a great game to start off my morning. It help me wake up to get me energize for the day. After a quick exercise everyone went to two separate groups for martial arts training. Its quite a workout, especially running. I would like to give thanks to hector for teaching us how to defend ourselves and having fun at the same time. I cant wait for the game that he was preparing us for. what the game is about is that you must move your arms quick enough from the opponent to not to touch your head. And if they do then the person who is blocking is out of the game. but the team must protect a person who is holding a staff and must reach to the goal, but if that person gets touch and the head then they have to return where he/she came from.

Saturday July 15th                                                                                                        – Marisa Sosa

Today was a great day. I had the opportunity to work with an elder and make indigenous baskets. Even though it was very time consuming it was amazing. I enjoyed how even though it was my first time making a basket, it was pretty easy. It all started when I had left my dorm and I was walking on the concrete pathway to the talking circle. I passed by these luscious green trees and I saw a squirrel climbing up it. It reminded me of all the times when I was a young boy climbing trees all the time. The experience of weaving the baskets compares to my life because it felt like i was in ceramics class again because i made a vase. Today was a great day.

For my fifth day at Pitzer college was an amazing experience. To start off the day we did martial arts and learned to strategize formations for the flower wars. This was really interesting to me because I never knew that natives did martial arts and it was fun to learn how the native people defended themselves and used it to be one with themselves as well. Later during the day we did some basket weaving which was just amazing. I really enjoyed learning how to make a different tribes basket and the kind of tools they use I thought it was very interesting because, I don’t really have experiences with making baskets so to learn this was nice.

“Write about your day and how what you do here in the NY2C program connects to your own personal story!”

My day started off with a good breakfast, and a good day of english. I started my essay that we write every year for the common app, and I already chose a prompt and finished my first outline. I am so excited for this paper, because I used to be so self conscious about my writing and last year really helped me (thank you Shelva!). Theses days, I love writing essays and expressing myself. Mostly because of this program, and I am so thankful for the strength I gained.

After the English and common app, AZTECA MATH happened and I really feel better about it! I am learning it after the couple days that we have had it, I look forward to the future with a Napohualtzintzin by my side. Big thanks to Kandonache, for the teachings and the blessings.

Basket weaving was next and I absolutely enjoyed it again! Last year we did it and I gave the bowl I made to my mother, this year I get to keep it because I have already made one. ( in my culture and many, we have to give our first creation away of certain things we make) Thank you to the elder that blessed us with the knowledge, it is such a gift to hold these teachings from all of our elders.

As the days go by, what I do here already becomes part of my personal story! I get to go throughout my life telling these stories about my experience and sharing other stories that I’ve learned throughout my 3 year time frame with the Pitzer Program.  I am so excited to use my personal story, including my Pitzer story, with youth from all over in my lifetime. What an exciting future I look forward too!!! FOCUSED AND FULL OF HAPPINESS HERE!

Hy’shqe

Panamea

Thank you,

Katherine Jefferson (Kat)

Today was a really productive day, especially the whole morning. The morning was pretty intense with all the Shelva classes. Since I came last year, I didn’t have to create a common application so instead I brainstormed on my essay for the application. I feel like my topic can either be really good or really dumb. My prompt said to write about an idea i’ve challenged in the passed or just talked about. I made mine about the idea of existing. First I was just going to talk about me and the different ideas of existing, while also talking about what shaped my beliefs, but I connected it to something else today. During Shelva’s class, she showed us a video that said some people did not know native people existed. That is what made me choose my topic. I want to talk about this issue in my essay. What is it to exist? How do you get recognized? What can the indigenous people do to exist or just anybody? If it is about doing something extraordinary or being something important, what can I do to exists? In a few 100 years, you won’t be remembered, so will you exist? The only way you can get remembered is if you were important. I also saw the connection with this in the Nepohualtzinzin. The Nepohualtzinzin would’ve been forgotten and wouldn’t of existed, but technically it did. It just wouldn’t because we won’t remember it. Anyways I think you get the point.

Something we did today that connects me to my own personal story is the Nepohualtzinzin. I love math and just the idea of the Nepohualtzinzin is amazing. I feel like this Nepo is just improving my math skills which will help me later for engineering, which is what I want to do. The Nepohualtzinzin is also part of my childhood because I’ve been at the same school for years. We’ve always been taught to count the Nepo, but in 3 days I learned more than what I learned in 12 years! This will also help me with my programming. Ive been trying to program a Nepohualtzinzin  for the past year. I did this for my personal project last year. Its an honor having vincente around, he has so much knowledge, he is probably the creator himself.

 

Today was a chill day for me, i woke up and got dressed really comfortable cuz it was my birthday, we started off the day with our morning exercise with john and and that other guy. It felt really good to be able to wake up and exercise in peace. Then after we had breakfast then did some math with Veecenthe and it was really hard and difficult for me, but i pushed through it. Then we had free time and some people went swimming but i went to take a birthday nap cause im still trying to catch up on my sleep. After that we made baskets, since i have made baskets before in the past it was kind of more easy for me this time. When i was little i use to make baskets all the time .

07/15/17

Opening my eyes this morning, I felt exhausted. It has been quite a busy program so far and I am enjoying it more and more each day. We started off our morning yet again with Hector and John practicing martial arts.

The sun was hanging high in the sky at 7:00am burning my eyes as I gazed up to admire it, thankful for another day here in California. The smell of the sage filled my lungs as we passed around the shell it was burning in. Throughout this session today, I felt peaceful and by the end of it, began to feel more energized.

Later in the day, after aztec math and dinner, we learnt how to basket weave with Lori Sisquoc. I am so grateful that she was there to show us the ropes about basket weaving. I found this activity very enjoyable and going forward, would like to continue it in my own Nation. I have always wondered about basket weaving and I am glad and thankful that I had the chance to experience it, especially with these amazing people and elders.

So far, this program has made me more curious about my own community and has really made me want to become more involved with them; learning more about my family and “teachings” from elders. In the near future, I look forward to becoming closer with my Nation. I am excited to tell the native youth from my community about this program and how it has helped me to grow as a person.

-Sylena