It was nice that we were able experience and participate in the dance, the trip to western university was also amazing, I learned much about the research that graduate students do, along with the requirements that it takes to become a doctor. How important it is to do good in school to be able to accomplish these things. Also I never realized how cool Myan math is and how complex it is. I wonder what my math teacher would think if I used that on a no calculator test?? We also watched a movie that explained how important surfing was to the Hawaiian people, which is nice to know that their traditions are very important to them.
NEW SCHOOL YEAR, NEW DREAMS
Hey Everybody! I hope you are all doing well and settling in to take on the new school year! I heard, for those of you who went, that the College fair was awesome! WHAT ELSE DID YOU DO? I am sorry I couldn’t make it, I was attending a Pitzer Faculty(the professors) retreat talking about DIVERSITY and Affirmative Action Issues! Real complicated stuff (I’m still trying to figure it out! lol). I hope you got to meet Carlos! He is a Pitzer Freshman who will be helping Scott and I and will also be a mentor to all of you! Carlos is an awesome dude! There will be some more Pitzer Students this year that will be joining us on our Pipeline Journey! Please LOOK out for Announcements from Us about the SAT, Cal Grants, FAFSA, and More! I am eager to see you all soon!
The Talent Show.
Yesterday, we had to preform a little Talent show for the Japanese at Pitzer College. It was fun. 😛 I really loved it. they loved it and they had fun. I went up and did some hula dancing. lol. I liked it. I kinda messed up on it… But I did okaiz. 🙂
Cool Story Bro
It’s been a view days since my last blog, so please bare with me, this is probably going to be really long.
Well in the few days that I have not done any blogging, a lot has happened for me personally. On Friday (7/29) we all did some West African Tribal dancing, and it was a LOT of fun. During the dancing we got one of the exchange students to join us. Her name is Helen, and she is from Russia. Later that same night, there was a disco, with really loud, and repetitive and…well kinda lame music, but that’s just like, my own opinion man. But everyone else in our group seemed to enjoy it, except for me and our new Russian friend Helen. So during that time that we weren’t dancing with everyone else, me and Helen were talking, and it was just such a cool experience, getting a glimpse at another culture through the eyes of one of the locals.
It was pretty awesome to say the least.
The next day, Jessica and Jana’s mom and dad came in to talk to us about cultural protocol and our Kuleana to it. It was such a fascinating talk, and in that moment I finally started to understand a little of the Hawaiian that was being said. It was in that lecture that I realized how important it was for me to learn my own culture. I practically had an epiphany. So now it is my goal to eventually go back and relearn the Hawaiian language as well as learn more about the culture.
In Whose Honor?
The movie called “In Whose Honor?” It talks ’bout a young Native American woman, Charlene Teters, who protests ’bout American Indian mascots in Sports. She was offended when she saw the “Chief”, the mascot of Illinois University, preformed a weird dance in the crowd that wasn’t even…. An actual Peoria Tribe dance! She was offended and started to protest ’bout Native Americans are Human beings, not a mascot!! But… People started pulling on her hair and she was spit at for… Protesting ’bout the “Chief” mascot of Illinois University. She kept going! She was a really, really strong and confident you Native American woman! She said that these weird dances the University preforms in these sports n’ games…. Are NOT actual Native American dances! They were offensive to her and her people. Her and her people continue to protest ’bout the mascots they use and everything else that’s fake and that.. was really offensive to them. That movie… was intense! And that to me… made me angry! And I, too, am offended ’bout the… things they put up with Native Hawaiians! And that… offended me, too… I am proud of being Native Hawaiian, but… I wish I could do something like that for my family and my culture. It still offends me, today. I really wanna do something like that n’ protest ’bout these thing that offends us. I really do. Hey! I’ll be hated n’ spit at! I don’t care! I’ll fight back! Those who put me down! I’ll fight back! And those who’re reading this… Will understand of how, WE, Native Americans and Hawaiians, feel… For the things that OFFEND us. And I think today… They’re still doing that to Native Hawaiians as well. That movie “In Whose Honor?” was just amazing! That just touched me and my Native American side. I wish I was there, too. I am thankful for Charlene for what she did for her people and her culture. Thank you ever so much. (^w^) That just awakened my Native American spirit. 😉
for more information about this documentary go to:
Discussion piece
Today during class with Deron we discussed about Sovereignty and I brought up a certain point that I thought I’d share with everyone. I felt that part of the reason for Europeans having viewed Natives as being savage and sub human was due to the Native Perspective of being just as important as the animals and every living thing on the Earth. That Native people still maintained their connection with the Earth as stewards of the land rather than just takers of resources. Like in European culture and still to this day America and most of the world has viewed itself, and human beings as being a separate entity from Nature, rather than acknowledging that we came from the Earth, that it is our Mother, and not simply a resource to be taken and used as we please. This is what I feel to be true, if you have any questions regarding my perspective on this issue, or if I was not clear enough, then feel free to ask questions. And just be sure to tell me how you feel about this, what your point of view is, etc.
I want to see some comments or posts people GO GO GO.
nativeyouth2college.org 