Camp Day 14 People of the Big River 2017

Camp Day 14

July 22, 2017

Up this morning ready to head home. We didn’t have any animal issues last night so I slept well. We are packing up our gear and classmate Cristy Fiander and I decided to go take a dip in the lake. The water was cool and fresh; I didn’t want to get out.  But home is calling. A bitter sweet ending I will cherish all the memories can friendships built along the way.

Camp Day 13 People of the Big River 2017

July 21, 2017

Camp Day 13

Last night did not go well at all. I was asleep and abruptly awoken by a deer jumping my tent. I felt the hooves hit my body and I screamed. I heard the girls in the tent next to mine scram too. I layed in my tent unable to sleep after that, thankful that no-one was hurt. It also made me think that all the buckets with bate in it attracted the animals. I say that because thirty minutes later a coyote was howling on the same mountain that the dear ran down. So I did not get good rest last night. I’m very happy we are almost home!

This afternoon we meet with Landon Charlo, he is a graduate student at WSU. He will be complete with his masters this fall and his hope is to start his next project with Yakama Nation. His current case study is the Pileated Woodpecker, understanding the ecological and adaptation and ecological niche of the woodpecker. Unknown to me the Pileated Woodpecker is a keystone species the largest woodpecker in our area. This bird prefers the old grown forest because it need trees at minimum 24 inches or larger to excavate for nesting. Other organisms relay on the abandoned nest for refuge squirrels, chipmunks and ducks just to name a few. We spoke about pursuing graduate school for a future goal.

We finally got our showers today and will be heading to a local pow-wow, every one is excited! Upon arriving at the pow-wow I felt good energy. We all had some fry bread then I walked around and looked at all the venders. There was a lot of nice pieces of art, I had to restrain myself. As the pow wow started and I heard the drums start and singing began the groups were called in to dance one by one. I spotted a group of older men, the men that must have experiences and stores to share. I brought happy tears to my eyes because I felt the beat and the songs sound so sad like cries to me. We didn’t stay very long but I was happy to go and see all nations together.

Camp Day 12 People of the Big River 2017

July 20, 2017

Camp Day 12

 

Pedro C.

We got up this morning a hit the shower at the Coeur d’ Alene community center. We went back to camp had dinner, made lunch and headed to Coeur d’ Alene casino. We had two guest speakers Quanah Matheson and Dave Matheson; father and son. They shared the importance of native peoples intimate relationship to the land and environment. Mother earth gives us everything we need to live and survive and that is why we must protect and care for our planet. They also shared how energy moves and transfers, so in traditional teaching about people being in good place in your heart before pre-pairing foods so that the bad energy does not transfer into it. Todays world is full of apathy, greed and self indulgence. We need to return to a place of simplicity and gratefulness. We need to share our information with others and bring back the old ways to preserve our planet. Culture is law!

Our evening event was a Mammology 101 class by Pedro Chavarria. We reviewed several options of traps. We build a small rodent trap to capture our target using a five gal. bucket, pvc pipe and sticks for a ramp. We used peanut butter, chips, and gummy candy as bate. My team members were Zane and Coalby. We placed our trap in the highest point location we had access too. In the morning we will check our traps.