SIght Seeing and Learning the Culture

This last weekend my neighbor took me to two fun places. On Saturday we went to the Knife River Village. They had exhibits going on. There were demonstrations on pottery, black smiths, making things with flint, bow and arrow making, flute music and native dances. Also it is located where the original villages existed of the Hidatsa and Mandan Native American tribes which are the tribes that live on the Forth Berthold Reservation where I live.

This is a replica of an earth lodge. This is what the Mandan and Hidatsa lived in during the summer in their summer camp. The Tribes were slightly nomadic. Meaning that they moved in the winter where there were trees that could shelter them from the freezing wind. These lodges are made from mud (lots of clay in it) and timber. Trees grow nicely around the rivers. In fact you know in North Dakota where the rivers are because that is where the trees are mainly.

Above is the door way. It is a hall that is made of timber with a wooden roof. The door itself is made of buffalo hide that has deer hooves tied on the inside it so you can knock on the hide and it rattles like a door bell. Pictured below.

Inside it roomy and has a high ceiling. This is like a home that Sacajawea would have lived in. She is the woman who lead Louis and Clark to the Pacific and back. A couple of cool facts about her. She was married to a Frenchman, adopted by the Hidatsa, she was pregnant and had a baby boy who went with them on the expedition and her name is actually pronounce Sakawea (sa-cock-a=we-a). The native are as picky about how her name is pronounced as us Oregonians. For those reading this not from Oregon it is Or-i-gun not Or-e-gone thank you very much.

This is a wood pile with a wall behind it this is just inside and to the left of the door in the earth lodge. Living near the river wood was plentiful they used it to build their lodges and for heating and cooking. When out on the prairie hunting they would use the buffalo chipsTo the right of the door the room starts to open up and you can see that it is round with high ceilings. This is a picture of the post where the warriors kept their tack for the horse
This is the main area of the lodge. It has a large fire pit. On the left is a buffalo robe that depicts the family's story. It has tools laid out for use and in the background you can see a bench and one of the beds. Not all natives slept on the ground like in the movies.

Above is a closer look at the buffalo hide. Behind it is a wooden wall and behind that is the door. On the ground under the hide are their musical instruments and pipes used in ceremonies.

The above picture is their beds. They used buffalo rugs as blankets and had pillows. Their beds are made from wood like small cots. The ropes are to keep people out of the exhibit area. On the bottom left side of the picture you can just see a hole. The next picture shows the hole. The hole is where they stored dried food like corn, beans, wheat and sometimes meat. It was layered in a special way to for proper use of the space as well as storage then covered until needed. The women had gardens and grew corn and beans and sunflower seeds. Below is also a picture of their gardens. One problem the natives had with the whites trying to make them live the white way was that farming was women's work. They were not being chauvinists because the women owned the lodge and you inherited your clan from the mother's side. It was out of respect for the women. What would they women do if the men took over farming, was the question the men asked.












Below is a mini sweat lodge that is inside the lodge used for cleansing and bathing. The last picture is the ceiling. They made boats to travel the river called bull boat that were made from untanned bull buffalo hide and willow branches. The old boats were used to cover the ceiling opening when it rained. The boats were round and light and they would row from the front and put the wood or trade goods in the back. Apparently it took great skill to steer and keep from capsizing.



The second place we went to was Fort Mandan. I will tell about that later.

I Think I Know At Least in Part What God Has Planned for Me in North Dakota

Today I found out that a classmate from college is going to teach in Mandaree. I told her about the job, she applied and they hired her. Then we talked more. She is 22 a year younger than my youngest son. This will be her first year teaching and first year living on her own. Moving to North Dakota where she knows no one. Sound familiar? Well, we discussed what could be less scary for her and that would be if she could room with me at least temporarily. So I will have a new roommate at least temporarily.

I am actually excited about this. I usually do not want a roommate because I need solitude. I don't like showing my dark side to people. Few people including my family have truly seen me angry. I try very hard not to be around people at times when I am having my darker mood swings because I don't feel the want to hurt people or spew out my disgusting stuff on other people in a moment of yucky emotion. I am very empathetic and when I hurt people it hurts me. I also am very set in my ways and don't usually like to share space. But last year I had lots of time to be alone and I realized when I went to Oregon I have been very lonely.

Plus I know how scary and overwhelming this year is going to be for her. So I am happy to take her under my wing and share in her big adventure. I hope she fits in well and enjoys it here. I will enjoy having her here and I have high hopes for this year of school. I will find out the first part of August what grade I will be teaching and in my ideal world I will get the fifth grade and she will get the fourth grade and we will be across the hall from each other and we can help and vent and rejoice together.

I have to get busy though because she needs her own space so I need to clean out my art/sewing room and give it to her. Unless we get a dining room table I may set up my art/sewing room in the dining room or not. Anyway it goes I need to condense so she can have space. I am not giving up the garage that is where my baby (Celest the Saturn) sits when it cold outside or too snowy. Cant have my baby getting cold.

I am thinking about getting a small portable hot tub. Then we can sit in it when it is cold and we are worn out and had it to relax and rejuvenate. But how do I move it when I go? I don't think there is a good resale value on used hot tubs.

I did attach pics on a beautiful day in my neighborhood.

I'm Back

Sorry you have not heard from me for awhile. I went to Oregon and I have just returned for anouther year of teaching in North Dakota. Right now I am depressed and having trouble adjusting to being back. This is not what I had hoped for to tell the truth. But I am surrendered to God and He does know best and has a plan. I just wish He would include me in the why and what am I suppose to do a little more. Maybe I am not as receptive as I should be. Looking into that thought.

It was a very long drive home (North Dakota). One of the things I realized makes this so hard on me is that I am so alone here. I spent a month rooming with my old roommate and best friend. It felt so like home. I do like my own space and solitude but I sure have too much of it in North Dakota. I have friends but not like my best friend who I have known literally forever. We like to do almost all the same things and we do a lot together. Here I do a whole lot of things by myself. Not as much fun.

I am hoping for the abilty to drop to a lower grade to teach this year. I would love the fifth grade and the fifth grade teacher did not come back this year. I emailed a request to my principle to get the job but he is not coming back either. I just found out they have been interviewing for the fifth grade so I am going to talk with the superintendent on Monday in hopes that I can still get the job. Keep me in your prayers.

Another thing I think makes it hard for me here is that I realized an adventure which is suppose to be exciting, fun and scary (according to the movies) is mostly scary and challenging and last more that a few hours, weeks, or years. I am hoping for a more possitive adventure this year. I am trying to change my attitude so I don't just get through but learn to enjoy at least some of this year.

Native Life

A special "Sky lantern" they are lit, fill with hot air and it floats off. The pic on the left is them taking the colors.

I am exhausted. My Native friend who took my under her wing and shared her grandchildren with me, invited me to a memorial service for a friend who lost her son three years ago in Iraq. That means I get up early and go to my friends house and spend three hours frying bread for everyone that was planned to be there. Then we shower because you smell like grease and change and drive down to the grave site. Unlike in Oregon, North Dakotans bury their dead on their property. It was a beautiful, quiet place in the country.

They had guest speakers and members from each military service there. They had traditional food. I have had great experiences when it comes to traditional foods. First, when you go to a Native's house you are given food and something to drink. You cannot turn it down because it would be an insult. They believe that giving food and drink to their guests is to give them good health. SO I learned real early not to eat if I am going to a traditional Natives house. SO if they offer you native dishes you have to eat them. That said, I have eaten buffalo tongue, buffalo kidney, wonderful soups made with chunks of dried meat and squash, and today I had snipe soup. Snipe is cow stomach. YUCK, it does not look to bad and the taste is kinda okay. (Side bar to those who don't know I love sushi and sushimi. My favorite is raw tuna and raw halibut). But the texture and the chewiness is terrible.

Oh how they laugh at me. I try to be real polite with all these natives watching me and not make a face or gag as I eat what it placed before me. I have learned to make good fry bread though. If I keep going to traditional meals with Native Americans I am going to loose a lot of weight. At least the peppermint tea was good and the deserts were worth the snipe.

Now for the part that really ticks me off. There is a radical and I repeat radical Baptist church that is going around picketing the funerals and memorials of soldiers. I think they are protesting the war but I am not sure. They have been banned from the reservation so we have been saved the heartache. There is also a motorcycle club that escort families and block protesters from access of the funerals in North Dakota. The motor cycle club was there at our memorial, they had ridden up to ensure there was no problems since we were on the edge of the reservation.

As most of you know, my oldest son served as a Marine and I am extremely proud of his service. I am also a major patriot. My son and those who have served in the arm forces laid down all they had for the freedom that the people of this country enjoy and sometimes take for granted. There is a time and a place for everything and the time to protest the war is not at a fallen warriors funeral. Enough said I am now stepping off my soap box.

Time for Summer

I can not believe summer is finally here. At times, I thought I would never make it. But with God and a lot of prayers I made it. Now I have a ton of material to read for next year. I am applying for jobs in Oregon. I have till June 7 before I sign my contact here. I hope to be able to move back home this year, but it is all up to God. Waiting on him is very difficult. I have my ups and downs, lately mostly downs.

I have been trying to relax and unwind while I wait for news on whether I stay or go. I have included my Zen tangles. They are doodles that help to reduce stress. It is also a nice creative outlet for me.

If I don't move this summer, I plan on having a road trip to Kansas to visit cousins and then to drive to Oregon stopping at spots of interest on the way. Then back here to plan for next year. Hopefully being able to plan ahead will help next year go a little smoother.

Four more school days left

North Dakota lawnmower Badlands Beautiful deer posing for me

It is almost done. This year of mine that has been very difficult and I would like to say rewarding but it is too soon to tell. I am tired and pour out. I only survive by the grace of God. I am hoping and praying to return home to Oregon this year. I am waiting on God. Easier said than done. It is hard to wait when there is only silence and waiting is all you can do. It finally stopped snowing and raining and it is warming up. The grass is green but the only flowers around are dandelions. Never thought I'd find beauty in those weeds.

On my way home from grocery shopping I had to stop and take a couple of pictures of the badlands close to where I live. I also took pictures of the North Dakota lawn mower. I hope to be home to visit if I don't get to move home this year.

God is Amazing

I am awestruck on how well God has protected me. Easter weekend, I and a friend went back down to South Dakota to enjoy the peace that can be found in a house in the middle of nowhere. On our way it began to snow. It was not that much snow as we drove through it, I remember it because we were talking about the fact that it was snow like in Oregon. You in Oregon know what I mean, big, wet flakes swirling and floating down. North Dakota mostly has the very dry powdery snow. After a five minute discussion and about an eight minute drive in the snow, the snow was forgotten. On our way back four days later it was dry with no sign of snow.

The next night, I was listening to the news and those fat snowflakes did a lot of damage. We were driving through the front of the storm. It snowed for about eight minutes and the snow got so heavy that it took out 12,000 power lines. Eighteen days later and there are still 600 miles of power lines to be fixed and about 500 houses still without power. This happened about a four hour drive from Mandaree. What amazes me is that if we had been about 2 or 3 minutes slower we would have been stuck in a blizzard and stranded in snow. Instead we barely even saw the flakes. God has always been good to me. He just keeps underlining it for in the news and other avenues.

Talking about God always being good, I have 22 more school days left. I cannot believe that I have made it. I am almost finished from my first and I hope most difficult teaching year. I have had some joys and lots of trials and heartaches. But God did as promised and saw me through the whole thing. Now I face kids that are as excited as I am to be out of school so they are bouncing off the walls (sometimes literally). The weather it beautiful. It is sunny and in the seventies with a nice breeze though the wind can be very strong here. In fact, last week the wind was blowing so hard it made the East Wind at the Gorge look and feel like a light breeze. We are suppose to be getting a rain and thunder storms this weekend.

Spring is very different here. There are no flowering trees bursting with color or flowers like daffodils and crocus. Just green grass. The trees have not even began to leaf out yet. Very different than I am use to. But I am not complaining, the snow is gone and I have almost thawed out. I just wish the school would turn off the boiler so my heater would stop radiating heat. I have an upstairs room with large, east facing windows. Then I now have sixteen students to help generate more heat. I come into my classroom at 7:30 am and it is 75+ degrees. I throw open the windows (I have two that can be opened) and turn on the fan and air conditioner that does not work as well as it should. SO I have a fan and air conditioner on and windows open and a heater running. We could probably cut utilities in our budget a lot if they would just turn off the boiler. I do not know who is cold but I do know no one on the second floor is.

I have put several applications into schools in Oregon. Including one that would be a dream job for me on the Coast by Astoria and another in Coos Bay. I think I would really love to settle in one of those towns and jobs. Living on the Coast has been my dream since I first saw the ocean when I was thirteen. But I am surrendered to God and He has my best in mind. So I will accept what His plans are for my future. I do reserve the right to make requests and I have those in. I hope to know whether I go or stay soon. The not knowing drives me crazy. I have packed a few things I am not using in faith that I will be moving home. It is hard to not go over board and have everything in boxes and eating on paper plates because everything is packed and ready to move home. If I don't move, I will be home to visit this summer. I have a 30 year high school reunion to go to and my grandson turns TWO if you can believe it.