Being Family

The group descends the Buffalo Jump

Have you ever been away from your family for a week?  Have you ever gone to another state with your friends and not know what to expect? Well this week was the first time I wasn't just away from my immediate family for a extended period of time, but also my first time away with my peers. This week started with a fun and interesting voyage to the great state of Montana. We departed from Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday both nervous and excited. After many connecting flights, long waits, and a ten hour train ride, we arrived early Sunday morning in Browning, Montana. Once we reached our destination, Brother Ray was waiting with open arms eager to greet us and show us this place he calls home. Our first night on the reservation consisted of going to the mission, meeting the teachers, and getting a home cooked meal from Brother Dale. As I chatted with the teachers and Brothers, they informed me what was in store and to have an open mind about the school and the students. After hearing their kind words of advice, I was anxious to go to sleep and prepare myself for the challenge ahead.

The group returns from a hike

The next day, I was awoken by the voice of Mr. Sudnik at about 6:15am. Tired and grumpy, I awoke and got a quick shower, had breakfast, and then we were off to school. School started with playing a very intense game of basketball, followed by morning prayer. After that, James Stupar and I made the long walk down the hall to the sixth grade classroom not knowing what to expect. We went into the classroom and were greeted by the students. We observed how the students act and how the teacher instructs the children throughout the day. The long, eight hour school day was not what I had anticipated but was definitely worth it. I learned a lot about my students and each one's personalities and work ethic. When the day came to an end, I was excited to come back and help the students more, and also anxious to see what kind of dinner Sam and Mike were cooking for us. Dinner was very good (not as good as mine), and the subsequent group discussion was necessary to properly reflect on our experiences of the day. During the discussion, we reflected on how the day went, what problems we faced, and how we can make each day better and better.

Snacking and talking around the table

The next days of class continued to get better, and the students began to like me more and more. I was able to become friends with many of my students and connected with them in a way I did not anticipate. Some students embraced my presence more than others, but I was not upset because I probably would have felt the same way if I had different groups of visitors come to my school every week.

Herding horses back to their field

Nevertheless, I am truly glad that I had the opportunity to enter into these kids' lives and see what it is like being in another place and culture. I think the most significant thing I gained from this week is that we are all family no matter where we are from, what color our skin is, what language we speak, or in what we believe. Being a family and having others think about you and care for you is something that is saldly not experienced by all people. This family connection is why I'm so thankful that I was able to experience another part of the world and interact with other people that made an impact in my own life. 
I would just like to say thanks to the Blackfeet Nation, the sixth grade students, my family, and my school for letting me travel across the country and experience Montana and all the wonders of it. 

Bill Butterfield '14

St. Kateri Tekakwitha photobombs our group photo.

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Kindness Defines This Community

John Wolfe '14 and Nick Walnoha '14 at the JV basketball game

Throughout the week, I have seen things on the Rez that I've never imagined before coming here.  When we first arrived in Browning, I was struck immediately by the poverty I witnessed. However, I soon came to know that the Native Americans on the Rez are some of the friendliest, most welcoming group of people that I have ever met.

For example, when we visited the Medicine Bear Shelter that serves the area's homeless, we did not know how the people would take to us. To our surprise, they were immediately friendly with us and praised our actions at the De La Salle School. I think that they really were grateful that white people were paying attention to them on the Rez, because the Blackfeet, as with other tribes, have been traditionally ignored or abused by "the white man" aka the US government. I think that this makes the residents here on the Rez appreciative of our presence. Many Native Americans are suspicious of the federal government for good reason, due to years of mistreatment they have experienced. At the shelter, I was told stories of mistreatment by the federal government, which sickened me to hear. I could not believe that the government had treated the Native Americans with such disrespect. I hope that one day the government will realize their mistakes in the past pertaining to the Native Americans, and make up for the years of suffering that they were forced to endure.

John Wolfe '14 tutors his 5th graders in math

At the school, I have been working with the 5th grade. The kids are great kids, with a strong love of basketball. They are all very smart, but they sometimes get pulled off task. For example, when I was helping someone, all they needed was a gentle nudge to work, and they would go above and beyond the expectations of the teacher. They have also touched me with their kindness and their willingness to accept us. On our first day, some of the kids acted up, while others were really shy with us. However, as the week went on, the kids started to open up with us, they asked us to eat lunch with them, and they realized that we cared about them and their success. I know now that the kids in the 5th grade class are creative, smart, and have a great senses of humor. Some of the kids are also in Kindness Club, where it is their job to do kind acts throughout the week. While we were here, they wrote letters to the teachers telling them how grateful they were for their dedication and presence here. They also visited a local nursing home where they distributed cookies they had baked and art work they had created. More important than their gifts was the opportunity the kids had to interact with their elders.

These kids will make great leaders on the reservation one day because they love their home and their community. I hope that the 5th grade students have been as affected by my presence as I have been by theirs. I will never forget my experience here, and I hope that I can one day return to the De Lasalle Blackfeet school and the beautiful Blackfeet Reservation.

John Wolfe '14

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Appreciating Differences

With my week slowly coming to an end, I have noticed that the life of people on the reservation is quite different from my own. Whether it be the school, the community, or their beliefs, it is very different. This immersion experience has taught me to appreciate differences, especially when it comes to culture.

My own experience has been quite sheltered which is quite different than many of the students here. The De La Salle Blackfeet School serves as a safe haven for these students. They come in early to play basketball, and after their long school day, stay and take part in various enrichment activities. From what I can tell, these kids truly enjoy coming to this school. I believe that the school is impacting their lives, and it will help them in later years. Though their classroom behavior may not always show it, they are happy coming here.

Nick Walnoha '14 in action with the 5th grade

The Blackfeet reservation is a very interesting place. While lacking some of the material possessions that we are accustomed to seeing around Pittsburgh, one thing that stands out is how kind the people are. Every car that drives past us on the road waves to us. During my experience at the Medicine Bear shelter, where I personally got the opportunity to serve and talk to many of the community's homeless, I met many kind people who, despite life's challenges, retained a positive attitude. For example, I met a man named Tony who used to be a firefighter. He talked about his experiences fighting wildfires, his past and his family. I also talked to a woman who was very depressed about the bad decisions that got her to where she is today. She explained that she started with drugs and alcohol when she was very young and how it messed up her life. Yet, despite her past difficulties, she remains positive. The people in the Blackfeet community are truly very kind with no one acting rude or saying anything unkind to us.

Marty Martin teaches Mike Gibbons' 14 a history lesson

Last night, we were able to meet a man named Marty Martin, or as he's also known within the Blackfeet community,BEWARE OF SLEEPING WOLF. He told us stories about the history of the Blackfeet people. He also showed us many artifacts hundreds of years old. He was a very interesting man, and he further explained all of the unique religious beliefs of the Blackfeet




The Blackfeet Tribal Nation, through history, has always had a great tradition of spirituality. They have their own culture and beliefs and have many sacred objects and places. One thing that the Blackfeet believe is sacred is the mighty buffalo. The Blackfeet depended on the buffalo for food and shelter back when the roamed the praries. Today the Blackfeet community still believe in the significance of buffalo. They treat all buffalo objects as sacred, including the very place where they used to kill them, The Buffalo Jumps. I had the opportunity to visit these cliffs, and the sheer size and the very thought of what happened there was very cool. Another sacred place is Chief Mountain, which is the most sacred mountain for the Blackfeet. It is surrounded by cliffs and is nearly impossible to climb and we can see it every day as we approach town.

Having the amazing opportunity to visit the Blackfeet reservation in Montana, and helping out at the De La Salle Blackfeet school, I have learned so many interesting things. I have met very nice people and learned so much about the history of the Blackfeet people. I am truly blessed being able to take part in this amazing program. The De La Salle Blackfeet school impacts many lives, and I believe that it is making a big difference, giving the kids the future they deserve.

Nick Walnoha '14

Nick Walnoha '14 and James Stupar '14 listen intently as Marty shows his sacred artifacts.

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Patience

Before we departed for our immersion trip to the De La Salle Blackfeet school, we had several meetings after school (a sort of pre-game for what we had in store). As the meeting went on Mr.Allen gave a presentation of the Twelve Virtues of a Good Teacher, a classic Lasallian text by Brother Agathon. Several of the virtues he discussed were gravity, silence, wisdom, patience, zeal, gravity, prudence, vigilance, and piety to name a few. Our group of students then discussed the virtues and gave examples of where we have seen these virtues practiced and so on forth. Many of these virtues we immediately saw in almost all of our teachers at CCHS. As the meeting dispersed we were told to remember these virtues and practice them when at DLSBS.

As we left the mission on our way to the school for the first time, I recall sitting there thinking to myself, "What am I getting myself into?" The night before we were told about what to expect from our class, and, to be honest, I was slightly worried. However, I did my best to remember what we were told. My classroom partner, Bill Butterfield, and I made our way toward our classroom and, as we walked in, we saw a room of kids sitting quietly in their seats. We met the teacher, Mr. Hairsine, and I was impressed with his classroom management. When kids were talking out of order he would sit there without saying anything. The students soon realized that they were not getting any attention and immediately stopped talking. I realized that he was practicing the virtue of silence. Silence is golden, while duct tape is silver, and in this case, it truly was.

Mr. Garesche teaches his students about the Holy Rosary

Mr. Hairsine and his fellow faculty members also practiced several of the other virtues in his classes. As we watched the class with each subject and teacher we saw the same thing. Patience. At times, all of these teachers had it rough, but they had to ignore the snide remarks from the kids and continue on with class. When teaching class, each teacher had an idea of what they hoped to accomplish that day and had a plan to make sure each student could reach that goal. After introducing the concept and handing out the worksheet, the kids were so excited that questions were spurting out of their mouths. Most of the students would raise their hands, but many others would start yelling without being called on. The teacher would tell the student they need to raise their hand quietly and wait to be called on before talking. The teacher would wait patiently until the student would finally raise their hands and correspond with the rules before being called on. The amount of time it took for kids to finally listen to the rules and wait patiently to be called on seemed interminable, but the teacher would sit there and wait patiently for them to do so. These teachers really did not care how long it took but would wait until their students chose to obey the rules.

Patience is something I have not really needed to use much, but during this immersion my personal patience has been tested. I have never needed to exercise much patience other than waiting for a test grade or a cast list to be posted. However, during the week, a situation arose with a particular student that caused me to lose my patience and speak harshly to her. I realize that I could have handled myself more appropriately because it caused quite a ruckus. However, realizing my mistake, I confronted the problem in a mature way and now things are better than ever.
Long story short - be patient! There are times when you need to really bite your lip and buckle down. These kids are absolutely amazing and have great potential, but, just like me, they just need buckle down and put their heads in the books.

With Respect,
James Stupar '14

P.S Shout out to my family and friends back home in Pittsburgh who are praying for my friends and me on our journey. Also, a special shout out to Miss Corda for literally changing my life in Kindness Club.

James Stupar '14 (far right), with his fellow "Noblemen" (L-R), John Wolfe '14, Nick Walnoha '14 and Bill Butterfield '14

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The Scenic Way Home