Rising senior social work major Rebecca Sanders trekked many miles and asked many difficult questions during Professor Dr. Andy Watt’s Maymester program as she and her team learned the history of the western U.S.’s land and people.
The trip began May 12 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where Sanders met with tribal elders and local artists to hear their stories and visit important, local sites. The next stop was the Crow Reservation in Montana to learn about the Battle of Little Big Horn and Crow culture. Soon after, the group traveled to Yellowstone National Park to participate in the park’s Wolf and Bear Exploration and Cody, Wyoming for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The trip concluded May 29 in Keystone, South Dakota with stops at Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Sylvan Lake and Badlands National Park. Continue reading
Our Pharmacy group from Pine Ridge arrived back in Nashville last night at about 10:30PM. We were happy to be home, but we came to the realization that we left so much behind. The Lakota people were so welcoming and shared much of their beliefs and health concerns with us when, in reality, we were complete strangers. Despite all the pain of the past the people we encountered taught us the “Lakota way” and trusted that we will help them as much as they helped us during our 10 days in Pine Ridge. “Mitakuye oyas’in”. (translated “All my relations”).
When I signed up for this trip, I thought it was a “cultural immersion” trip. I thought we would be seeing some new things, participating in some cool things and eventually working on our community health project…But never did I imagine I would have such an amazing spiritual experience! To get to know and understand the Lakota culture is to delve into spirituality completely. You cannot know their culture without opening your mind to a beautiful way of thinking.
This place is indescribable. The feelings that run through you are unlike any other. In this “circle” world, there is no need for a mask to guard you, no fear of judgment, but rather an acceptance, an understanding, and a warm “blanket” of family.
There are three areas of focus that Leonard Little Finger has described to us. They are the physical, the spiritual, and the metaphysical.
It’s now Tuesday, May 18 and it’s a beautiful day in Oglala. Yesterday was a memorable experience. The group built a Lakota teepee together and had time to reflect out in the hills. The teepee is a symbol of the link between heaven and earth (the triangles and inverted triangles meeting where they cross). What is in heaven is on earth, and vice versa. Once the teepee was finished, Stanley Good Voice, with his young counterparts, presented us with unique Native American music from various ceremonies that are held within the culture. We even got to do the Circle Dance! But we’ve met so many people here and they’re all a piece of “wonderful”.
It is Saturday morning, May 15th, and I’m on Belmont campus amidst the many preparations for Commencement. The music from the carillon is calling all of us to gather, remember, and to celebrate. Our Belmont phrase is From Here to Anywhere and as the 630 names are being read we will all be having our own images of Anywhere.