Today, was fun actually. I know that today was a bit hard because I had to say bye to my loved ones. I also love that i was forced to get off my lazy bum and actually do something and meet new people. I already love everyone in this environment because everyone seems easy going and not menacing. Most of the stuff was just talking to each other and getting to know each other. The ice breaker was the whole group making up a story and having each person remember all the parts. Over all the day was really good.
Isaac’s first day:D..
Today was fun we got to meet new people and then we got to do a couple of activity’s like the dream pillow and we also did the indigenous games and we learned how to protect our selves.
Trip to Western U by Benjamin
The trip took a short time to get there. We couldn’t find a parking spot for a while but eventually we found one. We did a blessing ceremony so the bad spirits won’t follow us. Some of us went into the cadaver to see the human heart. Studying it was great and knowing the differences between the vessels and veins were nice. Holding the heart felt hard but squishy at the same time. I learned that the fat that covers the heart is the same thickness as the fat on a sheep, mmmmmmmm mutton! There was 6 stations about the human body, I only went to 2 of them sadly. I had a great day there, so much fun!!
The 7th Generation will change – Alyssa
As I’ve been advertising to many of my peers. Our generation is the 7 Generation. As said by sitting bull we are the ones to bring back our traditions. To bring back the language, food, teachings, and stories. I truly believe that we are and will live up to the expectations. I will take back the songs of the many different nations that I’ve learned over these 2 weeks. I hope to see in the future that we will stay true to all the things that our elders are teaching us about other earth. That mother earth is our protector she is the one keeping us alive she is our everything. I hope to see that all us young adults will teach others on how to treat the earth on what and not what to do. We did research at the Chumash Village. We learned that global warming is happening and it’s making the sea level rise quick. I remember being at Wishtoyo a year before this. There was a decent size beach and walk way . Than when we went the other day i noticed there was very little room to walk and hardly any beach space. It’s awesome to be the generation that is watching it happen. We can also be the ones to slow down or change things that we were are doing now to increase the speed of it rising. Our group talked about things we can do as a community to help. One is the eat less red meat to decrease the about of pollution in the air. We also thought that if we would to keep our cities clean and to use less plastic. Lastly we thought to plant more greens and plants. To decrease the amount of green house gases. I would say a role model to me here. would be my lovely friend Aleyah she has been apart of my life since she was 6 and I was 9. Some people say its weird or would never look up to somebody who is younger but to me its perfectly fine. Adults still as they older learn from the younger generation. I have seen her from being a little girl always asking questions and being annoying lol. To becoming a great, mature and power young role model to many. I hope to continue watching her grow up to be one who leads our people.
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Another Day – Coyotl
Today was packed with a lot of classes about change with our culture. The people in the program and the mentors are all connected in a way that has change my motive and my way of seeing my culture. I have shaped into trying to spread the culture of natives claiming that we still live and we are still a people. All the people have showed there culture and carried their knowledge about themselves. I believe that I can spread this statement through Social Media and through the community. This will eventually be the statement that the government will testify but then approve of since they cant kick people of their own land. They are going against their own rules. It will be totally awesome if this will be carried on through future generations of people.
Average Day – Coyotl
Being back was a bit of a relief. My charger and phone were reunited and everything was good again. The next morning was Indigenous games with Hector and John. It was very fun playing the flower game and corroborating with my team. Then was writing a lot of boring stuff. Then we had aztec math with vicente outside. We had sleep time from 2:15 to 5:45 to catch up and rest from Wishtoyo. The talking circle was very interesting and then i am here blogging. Thats pretty much it.
Ansels Wishtoyo recap
From the moment we got there to the moment we left everyones energy was exhilarating. Hearing our Chumash relatives sing us in with their beautiful songs made me feel right at home. Seeing elders that have so much influence on my life sing with so much pride and joy to see us, reassures just how much they truly care about the indigenous youth that come to visit their beautiful village. Aside from all the ancient knowledge that we learned at Wishtoyo the most empowering experience was participating in my first sweat with my brothers. Feeling the sweat sprint down my face like it was running a hundred meter dash along with my prayers bursting out my heart was one of the most amazing experiences I ever had. When I crawled out of the payet with mud, sweat, and honor all over at 5AM; the cold water that my brother tekpatl poured on me just brought me back to life. A couple hours later we went down to Zuma beach where we received surf lessons from some cool dudezzz. Sweating, Surfing and learning were the best parts of my trip to Wishtoyo; before I wrap up my experience at Wishtoyo I just want to say I am extremely grateful for all of the amazing things the village does for the native and environmental community, truly inspiring.
My Wishtoyo experience
The village of Wishtoyo, is located between the dry and burning mountains of southern California and the cold pacific ocean. The briny ocean waves crash up and the mountainous heat bleeds down, and amalgamatein Wishtoyo, one of the most sacred places I have ever set foot on.
When we arrived I was welcomed by the amiable and smiling Chumash people. the keepers of Wishtoyo. We greeted and then entered this circular structure, partially submerged in the earth. The place was incredibly traditional, and when I entered, it felt like I was back in the past, and all that existed outside of this erection was miles and miles of wilderness, that expanded to the boundaries of all of turtle island. I camped at Wishtoyo for 3 days and 2 nights and during this time Mati, a wise chumash elder, and his people treated us to their enthralling stories and congenial ceremonies; all of which profoundly affected me. However, the sweat we had is of particular significance. The sweat consisted of all us men, and the reasoning for this, was for us to be completely comfortable and open. We all stayed up until midnight, and then prepared the grandfather rocks to be heated. In this process we had to be meticulous, because there was only a certain way in which we could set up the rocks. After they were lit, we sat and talked with one another, for a few hours. Here everything was realized, and in the lodge everything was manifested. At that fire I thought about my mother, my culture, and my relationships. Ar the lodge I sang for my mother, the person whom I owe my existence and everything to, and my culture, the crucial part of me which I finally began to truly reconnect with, all singing surrounded by my brothers and the spirits of my grandfathers. I am so grateful for my Wishtoyo experience, it will not be forgotten.
-Zaryn Prussia
A trip to the Place of the Rainbow
In the Chumash language, Wishtoyo means Rainbow. When arriving to the place of the Rainbow, I heard such beautiful voices coming from the entrance way. I seen Mati, Luhui, Sarah and the rest of their family with such big and wide smiles. I felt like crying when seeing such wonderful people once more. After getting off the van, I witness such positive energy and a great aura emanating from them. Once they sang to us, I went up to every single person and hugged them with so much joy, that it was overwhelming. Then we had a ceremony for our arrival to Wishtoyo that gave such a good feeling and positive energy. Hearing the voice of Mati and sharing his teachings, made me feel at home. Wishtoyo does feel like a second home.
Throughout the day of arrival, spent a lot of time settling into our tents and the feel of the place. That same day, Joe Clues showed us Sacred Geometry that interested me to be involved in. He taught me how to the Geometry is involved and connected to patterns and things in the universe. Since I have such a great love for mathematics and the universe, I was one hundred percent focused on his words and what he was teaching me. I spent the first night of sleep outside looking at the stars with my friend Cuauhtli and opening up to each other like I’ve never done before. The sound of the ocean was so soothing and beautiful that it made the even better.
The next day, I made a necklace using a plant called Yaka. I hit the plant with a rock until the strands of fibers started to show and part. Then, I pulled the strands of fiber apart in half and began to time the strands of fibers into a necklace. I was unable to decorate the necklace, but I did finish and let it dry. Again, we had another class of Sacred Geometry that taught even more. At the end of day, I went to the bottom of Wishtoyo where we created a fire with rocks for sweat ceremony. It took about two to three hours for the rocks to get fully heated. We entered the area for the sweat ceremony. The first round began and it felt good but very hot at the same time. We sang and had prayers which made me feel united with everyone in there. I excited after the first round but I felt like I could’ve lasted more. The ceremony did not end until around six the next morning. I only had about two hours of which made me feel tired and exhausted throughout the rest of the day. When we left, I felt so sad but so happy to have gone to Wishtoyo and been around the elders and everyone else.
Benjamin: The blanket exercise
The exercise was a teaching moment, learning the true history of the Firsts Nations people from Nanaimo. All of us had to stand on a blanket, which represented land for the people. Sylvia walked around the room reading a paper and as she read that, we all has scripts that followed a sequence to go along with the story. When she read about the land being taken, she folded the blanket and we had to stand on the blanket. So the smaller is got , the closer the people on it had to be. That was showing us how the land was getting smaller and smaller for the tribes that lived there. We found out about how they took the children for families and forced for adoption, this was called the 60’s scoop. When the kids went to boarding school, they were beaten or yelled at for speaking their language.We learned how the land was taken from them and how hard it was for the people that needed to relocate. As the people relocated, deaths accorded. The people weren’t near their natural hunting grounds, many diseases, and hundreds were killed by the intruders. Soon after this the activity was over. At the end of the activity we all sat in a circle to talk about how the activity affected us. Many had very strong stories and had lots in tears because of it. This experience brought all of us closer to each other, we have bonded really well these past days. The activity makes me want to keep learning about my culture, learning the language, songs, and the truth. This trip has been really fun, learning new things everyday, meeting new people, and making new friends.
nativeyouth2college.org 