This is a long way!

A phrase I heard often today on the way to and from the Coeur d'Alene Tribal school. It is true that the we have a long commute every day, however I think it will be worth the experiences this month. :)


It was pouring rain outside this morning as we drove to school. When we arrived I did not see any students and it was very quiet inside the building. In fact, I noticed that the level of noise in the building was very low compared to the school I have been at the past few months. Overall the atmosphere was relaxed, friendly, and respectful. The staff meetings today made me feel as though these people were close and respectful of each other. I noticed this in the way they address topics of discussion. In every instance I saw people did not address topics directly, as I am used to in other situations, rather they were brought up in a more suggestive manner. This seems to reflect their values of respect (of elders, their culture and the culture of others) and acceptance (non-judgment).

During the meeting we were assigned mentors. In specificity I have been assigned to the Math coach, a mentor who is extremely encouraging and helpful. She has made it clear that she is willing to answer any questions I may have as well as share her office with me. She even gave the three of us a brief history of the Coeur d’Alene tribe.

Later in the day I found that that we (Brook, Megan, and I) ) are going to be in the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Newspaper! The newspaper comes out monthly featuring what is happening in the Tribe and any exciting or new things. A lady who is on the tribal counsel interviewed us asking about where we grew up and our first impressions of the school. I always second-guess my answers in these situations: “Did I truly say what I wanted to say?” “How will the interviewer translate what I have said?” “What will the people who read the paper think of what was said?” Anyway, I hope that it turns out alright. :)


Before I came today I kept saying that I didn’t know what to expect and on arrival I realized what I had expected. I did not expect Christianity to be emphasized like it was. The administrator opened up the morning staff meeting with a prayer and the involvement of the church was mentioned several times in the course of our initiation. They even had the Jesus story played out in the Christmas program. I’m sure that it’s not big surprise, then, that the majority of Coeur d’Alenes are practicing Catholics.

I also did not expect the technology to be at the level it was. They have all new eMac computers to work with in their computer room as well as three or four in the other classrooms! It was great to see the resources they have available to them.

Now I am sitting at my house with a cat curled up on my lap, decompressing from the day. I'm excited to see how the rest of the month looks like and I'll do my best to keep you updated.