July 22nd

TODAY IS THE DAY WE GO HOME!!! But first...

I was extremely excited to go home today because I miss my family. But first, inventory.
I took down the tent, stuffed my sleeping bag in its case, returned my backpack and water pouch.

After cleaning up camp and cleaning the van I am ready to head home. I've learned a lot and I have more of a opened mind to nature and reservations focusing on their forest and water. Not only I leave this part of the adventure with new friend but with knowledge along with it.

July 21st

Today didn't have anything planned out but we found out a way.

This morning we drove to Pullman, WA to meet a WSU student that is graduating with his PHD. His name is London Charlo. London is studying the Pileated Woodpecker  (Dryocopus Pileatus). He was giving this assignment by his professor, Mike Schutt, who is the Senior Environment Wildlife Coordinator.

London Charlo explained how he been researching the Woodpecker. He talked about how much g's force a Pileated Woodpecker's brain can take, comparing it to the human brain. The ability for a Pileated Woodpecker to stand g's force in its brian repeatadly ranges from 600 - 1,500  g's force. For a human brain repeatedly being striked at the head can only take around 200 g's force if the most. That is pushing it.

After talking with London Charlo and we drove to the Coeur D'Alene wellness center, to shower up for pow wow.

Once we arrived at the fair grounds of Coeur D'Alene, I felt weird having to be under rules on how to behave at a pow wow and needing a buddy. Overall I enjoyed my time at the pow wow. A few Yakama member were mentioned at the pow wow that I never thought would be there.

One more day to go and I will see my family and be in my own bed and wash my own clothes.

July 20

" Get up girls we are going to leave to o up to shower in 15 minutes" This morning was actually pretty slow and a nice shower would be nice to start off the day. We arrived at the Couer D'Alene Wellness Center to get ready for showers but all the showers were occupied and so I sat waiting then walk around the locker room and found out that there was a sauna, well actually two of them. Best believe I sat in the sauna for 15 minutes waiting for my turn for shower time.

Not much has happened for the afternoon.

July 19th Wellpinit To Coeur D'Alene

Blogging is the first thing to get done before we ever did anything. I enjoyed Wellpinit because i understand how losing culture can be hard to bring back.

Yesterday night really had me at awe. I travled with students for two and a half weeks and did not know how students felt and how thankful they are for getting this opportunity, because something may stressing the students and teachers at home or they needed to go outside their comfort zone.

Today wasn't so intense, traveling to Coeur D'Alene. Tonight is a feast. Of course every feast should be attended with respect. I was thinking of a church with a bunch of members. But actually it was much smaller but more meaningful in my opinion. The tribe had Elk, Deer, Bitter Root, and Moss. Today is turning into tonight and I am ready to sleep.

July 18th

   Another morning to waking up early. I was dumbfound seeing how cloudy it is even though its not clouds. It was smoke.

  Today was more of a learning day. The first place on our schedule is the fish hatchery. Tim Peone is one of many to start the Hatchery 15 years ago. Tim attended Eastern. In 1980 The Roosevelt still had fish that weighed 78 pounds. Once the damns were built the damns were blocking fish but not killing fish. Spokane Tribal Hatchery is cooperative enhancement and restoration project between Spokane tribe, Colville confederate tribes, Bonneville Power Administration and Washington department of wildlife.

   The goal for the Spokane tribal hatchery is to work with Sherman Creek Hatchery and lake Roosevelt rainbow trout net pen rearing projects to produce 3.7 million kokanee salmon fry, 250,000 kokanee salmon and 750.000 rainbow trout yearlings annually for the release into lake Roosevelt.

   I've leaned so much about how Spokane were fish people and how they are trying to bring back the salmon although it can take years but starting with clean rivers and breeding trout.

 

 

 

July 17th

  Pancakes, Hot Cocoa, and milk is what calls my name to wake up this morning. This morning is a volunteer day at the Chamocane Lake with Brian Water who is a fish manager.

  Brian told us the history about Little Falls Damn and how the damn doesn't not have a federal license because the damn is ran by the tribe meanwhile all the other damns are running by the state and ran by the BPA. Actually, Brian said that Yakamas have gotten fish or salmon from their river and went up to Wellpinit to drop fish down the stream (Sockeye Fish). The Chamocane lake has two Hatcheries, the Tribal Hatchery and the State Hatchery.

  My peers and I started getting gear on. Our goal today is to Trap and Release Pit Tagging For Rainbow trout. We continued going upstream for one mile trying to shock fish into nets so we can tag the fish and collect DNA data.

   After we got done and headed out to the camp, we had dinner. After dinner we then drove up to the hill where there is a lookout to watch over the town and trees. Once we reached the top of the hill and on the tower we watched the sunset and watched the night come in.

 

July 16th

" Okay students it is a rest day and we will go swimming tonight" Waking up at 6:30 AM every morning got to me at one point considering before this trip I woke up at 12 PM every day. Today wasn't so busy because we slept in till 10 AM and technically had brunch at 11 AM. Then around Four PM we went swimming at Two Rivers. I am going to fun in Wellpinit.

July 15th Umatilla To Wellpinit

   As the morning starts I'd like to thank the people and the community of Umatilla. Many people who represent their society have taken time out of their lives to teach college students and my high school classmates. Wenix Red Elk a mother, active community member for her people and a great teacher, has opened her home to us and I am thankful for everything she has done for three or so day.
   Wenix Red Elk requested us to check out the damn and the river flow heading to the Washington Border. I got to learn many things on how electricity works. One important resource in the pacific northwest is inexpensive and abundant hydroelectricity generate by Colombia river.
   As we leave the town we have a pit stop to wash our laundry because we are all running low on clean clothes. Four hours out of the day we were just relaxing in the laundry mat washing and drying our clothes and posting blogs.
   We arrive at the camp and we had dinner. Today was another fun travel.

July 14th

  Make your voice be heard from all around the region. You have a voice, use it. Our stories passed on to us from our ancestors are what make us the person we are today.

 Today is the last day in Umatilla. Wenix Red Elk has a dinner planned for us and the community. I really appreciate the things she has planned out for us and the activities she had us take part in. I've learned that all the tribes have the same way of life. As a women you cook for your visitors, you introduce yourself and your parents or grandparents. Wenix is a women of hospitality for cooking a meal for all the students and staff.

Before the feast was taken place. We went to Wenix's sister, Acosia Elk ( a pow-wow dancer and Yoga Instructer). Acosia had beautiful ways of using tradition in yoga and bring out yourself in your own way through stretching your body "connecting your body to the ground, the core of earth and reaching within to release the trauma from our ancestors) as she said. This trip out of both places we have traveled to in this passed week. I find this part of the trip to be the best one yet.

July 13th

Always remember were you started and never forget the ones who helped you get there. Today was one of the best part of my trip so far.

Wenix Red Elk was our host for the trip in Umatilla. Our group drove over to the agency to talk about the meaning of their traditional foods. I learned something new.

Our longhouse goes by Salmon, Deer, roots, then berries. Umatilla is similar but instead of having the deer represent the meet they use Elk first. She presented to us that the plant they take care of, are off the reservation and to keep vegetation alive and healthy is to buy more land back and it’ll be in the tribes hand to keep their tradition going without having to lose their traditional plants and culture.

It is similar to the Yakama reservation because we have huckleberries on our reservation but not enough to feed Children, women, men, Hunter, fishers, and/or visitors. So when we have to camp 3 days picking our big sister (Huckleberries) or as Hilnú we have to go off the reservation. After learning how national resources is important to them, we drove outside the town to a small Plant Nursery. Gail Redberg the Native Plant Nursery Interim manager showed our group of students the plants she’s is growing organically without hurting the plants. Redberg explained that "plant production is important because one day climate change can change the way ALL plants grow". An example that I can know why her guess is starting to happen is because The Toppenish Creek Longhouse has feasts to honor the traditional foods that keep us healthy, open minded, and connecting back to Mother nature. Past years we know by January when our first root feast is. However for the past 2 years we could not determine when the roots are ready. In March we still had snow on the ground but that is usually when the roots are ready. Today’s activity was amazing and I do plant on make a garden for my home to keep in mind that the vegetables we buy at our local store are sprayed by toxins.

July 12th Deschutes To Umatilla

  This morning is a travel day to Umatilla Reservation. Packing
up and leaving feels good because I get to leave with a good spirit and good
Intentions and more knowledge. Majority of the morning was difficult because everyone had to upload their blogs and some laptops weren’t working. We then went to Starbucks and connect to the Internet and I was the first one to finish.

  So I just browsed the Internet for internships for high school students. We made it to Umatilla and I thought we would be on a campsite but we’re in someone back yard. I liked the idea because birthday wouldn’t be much of a issue for dirty shoes.

July 11th

July 11th Day 3
Time Written: 9:50 PM

Place: Deschutes National Forest

　
The morning started with breakfast and a group game that I ended up being horrible at. Our first scheduled event was going North Twin Lakes, we hiked up and down removing plants that were pointing out in the trail. I had the most fun when I was able to saw a stump and I did not notice how fun it is to be outside and volunteer. It impacted me because that doesn't just help me understand how the little things count helping the environment, but helps other people around the world who enjoy being outside.

The next event we were able to move old trees to the creek to help protect willow trees when they grow over time. I was kind of exhausted having to help carrying the trees because I had walked quiet distance back at the other Lake.

My favorite part of the day was swimming in the Lake. I tried to go swimming out to the middle but this is the first time in the year to go swimming and I did not want to risk my life trying to reteach myself to swim.

Other than the long day I had it was fun and I enjoyed the time spent with new people. Although in my most humble way I am kind of fed up with the cold night and hot days and I did not even pack well but I've went camping but it was just around 2-5 days and not to, two weeks straight. I am ready for day four.



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As the day ends I took a picture of the trees reaching as high as they can to touch the starts.

July 10th

July 10th Day 2

Time Written: 9:02 PM

Place: Deschutes National Forest

　
Today was basically ''my'' first day of this field trip. The ride over was just beautiful. I knew that these two weeks were going to be fun. This morning started off with a really good breakfast by our two new cooks. The first activity on our agenda seemed kind of boring at first (just wait til' the middle) because we were heading to Lava Lands in Deschutes National Forest.

As the day was starting to begin driving to our destination I noticed we are surrounded by hills that are big, small, pointy, curvey, even snow on some of the taller mountains. When we arived at the Lava Lands Deschutes National Forest, this wonderful man who was the Lead Ranger named Jim greeted us. We then sat and listened to many people who are into helping their forest in many ways. Not just why they help but why they want to take a huge role in their enviroment. Today's event was wonderful.

July 9th Home To Deschutes

As the morning starts by packing for my two week journey with new faces and personalities, I am excited to see what is to come. I woke up this morning full of joy knowing this will be the best summer yet, although I haven't even done anything all summer since it started. I spent two weeks buying things that I may need on my trip. I've traveled before, many times actually. But this trip, its different and I cannot wait to head out today. To me this trip is different from the others because we'll see other peoples way of life and how they life on a daily basis. How nature takes a big role in the environment. Can't wait