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“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

Today was a great day, just like every day i’ve been here. Today we did indigenous games, taught by John, and we learned about strategy. I felt the discipline, the unity and the strategy from the techniques. We did lots of running today, we kept formations during the runs. But later was probably my favorite part of the day, we walked out of our dorms and we walked toward the talking circle and I was a bit late but not too late. When i got there i thought to myself “How am i going to start this” I haven’t made baskets in such a long time. Last time I actually made a basket was in the seventh grade and it was at my school. I forgot the strategy of how to make the basket, so it felt good to actually do it again.  While making the basket, I had a pattern, starting with the light color and then going to dark in a pattern.  I love making baskets with a group because you can see how amazing others are at being creative. I would say that i made an alright looking basket, but I saw some amazing designs. I am still enjoying everyday while being here, being here makes me forget and be happy.

The day started off by learning some indigeneous games by Hector and John. It was fun, because we got to do some running which makes me happy, because i like to run. Later on we were assigned to finish our three body paragraphs, which I admit was quiet hard because I had only just started to learn how to write essays and the end of the school year. Later on in the evening i got to learn more Aztec math and i had gotten really frustrated because i did not catch on as quickly as the older students, but Marisa helped me out and then i caught on. Each of the students got to take care of nipplewetzine ( sorry if i spelled it wrong), while we go to Wystoyo. My favorite part of the day was when i got to create a basket. I created a basket for my great gradmother ( Julia Bogany ) for her birthday tomorrow. I know how she likes my baskets so i made her a type of basket shape ive never made before.( that was one of my favorite parts of the day).  As i was making the baskets i felt a connection with how our culture used baskets for so many different things. The best part of my day when when i got to call my great gradfather ( I call him Honey) and tell him happy birthday, and that itself i am truly thankful for. Just getting to talk to him, and getting to make a basket for my Nana made my day the best it can be.

~Marissa Aranda

today was fun. The indigenous games. we learned about what the formations are for the capture the flag game that we will be playing tomorrow. i cant wait until we play the capture the flag game tomorrow. another thing that was fun today was making the baskets. i thought it was really calming and it was fun ti make one for my first time.

Today makes day 5 in the program. We started the day off with indigenous games. I so far love learning the moves of the activity that’s being taught. It helps turn my face from muggy in the morning to sweaty and tried after. After breakfast we had our common app and creative writing class with Shelva. I was working on my common app essay and it was honestly the best part of my day. I love writing on things that’s happened in my life.We also had our Aztec math as well today with Vicente. I am really learning a lot this year. After our free time we were basket weaving in the talking circle. It was really fun for me because my tribe comes from an ancestry of women who weaved beautiful baskets. As others or myself say it’s in my blood to make them. I liked helping and watching those of my peers who’s was there first time making baskets.

by: Tyvon Greyeyes

As we progress with the program with each passing day it grows so much more interesting and the connection with the people grows stronger. My most favorite part of the day was during the Aztec Math which is actually very interesting and the concept of it is so creative just. Another part of the day I enjoyed was when we weaved the baskets which was my first time and I did an average job on making my own basket, my basket was not good but not bad at the same time so that is why I said it was an average job, I also put a lot of concentration and effort into making the basket. I am thankful for the people who are here and for the people who take care and educate us with each passing day.

Today was a great day for me. As the days go by and being here at this program, I feel like I’m accepted into another family. This morning was fun at the Indigenous Games because I liked how everyone was working together and working as a unit. Then when we were learning Aztec Math, it felt easier today than yesterday. I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it, but at the same time, I confuse myself all over again. It’s a process and I’m really eager to learn because math is my favorite subject. Aztec math is a very different method for me, but its a good different. My favorite part of the day was the basket weaving. I’ve never made a basket before, but trying this activity made everything fun.

I’m glad that I’m learning something new everyday because that is my main goal as I grow.  I want to get as much exposure as I can because when I leave for college, there will hardly be any Native Americans at the school I want to go to. Exposure is important to me because my family stresses the idea of me traveling as much as I can on my spare time. Exposure will also help me get over my fear of homesickness and feeling alone. Most Native students are able to go to college and once they leave their home reservation, they notice things are a lot different outside of home. Native kids will feel lonely and they decide to come back home and not go to school anymore.