Day 6

July 14, 2017

Today Winex took us to various spots. First one was the River Vision Model, where they do restoration programs. They plant trees at an angle so that the water will hit the trumps and so that the trees will give the fish some shade. They will call in a nursery to get some cuttings for more vegetation. Next spot was the Thorn hallow pond with Michael McLad. It holds over 3,600 fish (Chinook, Steelhead, Coho, Silver) from November to May. They have people walk the stream to count how many live and dead fish there are. They also take eggs to a hatchery, which they will bring back to grow and then release. Target Meadow was our next spot. Winex talked about a handshake agreement where one side of the huckleberries is to be picked only by natives and the other side for non-natives. The issue is that the price for Huckle berries is high that people are not honoring the agreement anymore. Non-natives like myself, don’t understand just how important it is to pick huckleberry the correct way so that you don’t ruin the crop for the following year. The mismanagement of the forest is also another huge issue. Winex talked about how before when they would walk through they would clean up all the dead wood. With all this dead wood on the ground and the weather being so hot when there is a fire it spreads out through the forest fast.

Afterwards, Jubilee Lake to have a little bit of fun. Brenda and I decided, or should I say I decided Brenda wanted to sit down, that instead of swimming we would go for a hike around the lake. It was so very beautiful. And even though Brenda didn’t want to go at first we did some little exercised throughout the hike and she was thankful that I pushed her to do it. I even got this great shot of her.

We then went to Wellness Wave to do yoga with Acosia Red Elk. As soon as you walk into the studio you feel a sense of calmness. The lights are dimmed, there is candles and pillows on the floor and a mirror from wall to wall which is rally great. At first I was a little nervous because I didn’t think I was flexible enough. But as soon as she started the class and the movements it felt as if you are one with your breathing and it controls your body. For the first time ever I was able to do a push up which was AMAZING! Halfway through the class I was sweating so much but by the end I was so relaxed and felt like weight was lifted off my shoulders.

The day of the feast was finally here. I had been looking forward to this since I knew we were going to have it because I wanted to learn the different kinds of foods that they make. Thankfully Winex had us all helping in the preparation of the meals. My mom is not a person that like to be in the kitchen a lot so to be with Winex and have her telling you how to prepare it was awesome. I always though Native food was different than Mexican food and to some extent it is but there are a lot of similarities. Like the Jell-O with fruit, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, salads (which everyone makes slightly different), cakes, brownies, etc. Fly bread and Elk meat was new to me and everyone was really open to showing me how it is made and had the opportunity to be the tester. I don't know if it was because I have been spending too much time with Brenda but I am starting to say things that she would say. When they were preparing the salmon, I told them "So it's like preparing fish?" which they then replied, "It is Fish."  We then had the privilege to have Michael teach us how to cook salmon on a stick. It was so cool!

The ritual they do before a meal was fascinating and unique. Throughout this stay I really got a chance to see how ‘Respect’ is such a huge part of their culture. How they all respect their Elders, the food, the environment. It is something that some cultures lack and everyone should have.