Great Pic

I love this photo of Forrest deep in thought at Soco Falls.

Why I Love My Job

I just saw this article on how to get the ultimate bikini for your Spring Break trip this year. And then I thought about the fact that I am in Cherokee with 8 college students who have chosen to spend their break getting up early, working in a Head Start, and generally serving other people--all of whom they have never even met before and may never meet after this week is done. And that's why I love this gig. When the cynicism gets to you, you look around and see idealistic young people who care and work.

And you can't beat that.

The Falls

Soco at Sunset

We're Here!

We arrived in Cherokee today around 4, and we have had gorgeous weather so far! We checked in and then had a picnic by the Occonoluftee River. We took a walk through the bamboo garden and then headed out to Soco Falls. Finally, we checked out the Kituwah Mound at dusk. It was a full and great day. Tomorrow morning we get to work at the Dora Reed Child Care Center doing whatever we can to help out.

Ready to Go

A picture from one of our trips to get you motivated! This picture from 2010 at Soco Falls is one of my all-time favorites.

Testing

Ok--one more quick (hopefully) test to see if all the social media is synched up!

Special Guest!

Dr. Ann-Marie Clark will get to spend a day with us in Cherokee! I'm so excited to have Dr. Clark with us!

Tsalagi Language Work

This is an exciting article about some of the work being done to preserve and pass on the Cherokee language. These types of initiatives have reinvigorated much of Cherokee culture and made the Qualla Boundary a vibrant indigenous community.

New Page Added

Check out the new page dedicated to Cherokee Spring Break alumni on the bottom right side of the CSB blog site. It's still under construction but will bring news about the outstanding students who have been a part of this program over the last five years.

Tweet!

This year marks the first year that the Cherokee Spring Break will have a presence on Twitter. You can follow us at @CherokeeSpringB all week long. Hope to find you with us as we tweet through our time on the Boundary.

The 2012 Lineup!

This year's Cherokee Spring Break participants will be Abby Gac, Leanne Jeffcoat, Sumer Walser, Cody Beasley, Brittany Wright, Brittany George, Forrest Yermen and Kaitlytn Hutchinson! I am proud of these folks for choosing to spend their break in service--that tells you all you need to know about the kind of young people we have at Appalachian State! If you see them, thank them and wish them well!

Memory Lane

A trip back as we prepare for the new trip!

Coming Soon!

The lineup for the 2012 Cherokee Spring Break is already set--in record time! We'll be announcing this year's students soon, so stay tuned!

Brooke's Reflection

Last week flew by; our trip was packed with time at Dora Reed and visiting local restaurants and spots around Cherokee. At Dora Reed I worked in a one and two year old room. The kids were absolutely wonderful. Spending time with young children, while exhausting, is refreshing. They are so happy and excited for life. Waking up at 6:30 is not something I am used to, but going into the classroom and seeing these bright little faces made it worth it.
On Tuesday, we were outside playing on the playground and one of the kids found a worm. A teacher starts looking for more because every child on the playground immediately ran over in an effort to hold it. One of my favorite memories was hearing the squeals the kids made at the sight of the worm, half in fear half in delight. We ended up finding over a dozen worms, and the kids even made me hold one. Its easy to forget how new and exciting things are when you are a young kid. That was one thing that surprised me about this week. When I found out I would be in the one and two year old room I was expecting a lot of sleeping, crying, and dirty diapers. I definitely underestimated the ability and capacity of the children. I was astounded at the kids' ability to learn. By the end of the week, I honestly stopped seeing them as babies, but truly as young people with distinct personalities.
It was sad to hear about some of the things going at Dora Reed. I sincerely hope the center is able to stick around, because despite whatever may have happened, it is needed in the community. I don't know what a lot of the parents would do without it. It provides food and stability that some of the kids wouldn't have otherwise.
I am so happy I went on this trip. I loved spending time in a new community, and not just as a tourist. I think getting to work at Dora Reed, I got a much wider glance into the life and community of the Cherokee people. We had the chance to visit the brand new school, consisting of an elementary, middle, and high school. It was amazing. I would love to work in a school like that. Not only were the facilities beautiful, but there were so many ties to the culture. The entire campus was built with the Cherokee tradition in mind. The school also offers Cherokee language classes, and also classes for traditional Cherokee crafts like basket weaving and carving.
I can't describe how much I enjoyed this week, and how much I learned. I got to spend it in a beautiful place with a great group of people. Thanks Dr. Bryant for putting the trip together, I had an amazing time!

Building the Palace

Jessica helps one of her kids build a "palace" for his action figures!

Banquet

Our last night in Cherokee we had dinner together in one of the meeting rooms at the Holiday Inn. Each of the participants received a children's book that tells the story of Selu and Kanati, the Cherokee Corn Mother and Hunter. We were able to relax and talk about our week and what lessons we were taking home with us. The students, Ryan, Mary-Claire, Arden, Whitney, Jessica and Brooke were fantastic and a real credit to Appalachian State University.

Ready to Rumble!!

These three young men are obviously ready to take on any bad guys who show up in their room (especially the one in the middle who is striking his best "ninja pose")!!

End of an Era

We will be heading home tomorrow. Sadly, a CSB tradition won't get to happen. Each of the last three years we have ended our trip with an Indian Taco at Grandma's Pancake and Steak restaurant. Grandma's has been around over thirty years, and I have been eating there for almost twenty.

Unfortunately, on December 2nd of last year Sam Parker, the smiling guy with the gift for cooking chili and frybread, passed away. Sam was a true gentleman. Grandma's closed at 2 each day, and we work at the Head Start until 2:30. When he found out who we were and why we were in Cherokee, Sam would hold the restaurant open for us and then cook us up whatever we wanted. Last summer, when my wife was complaining that she could never get her frybread to taste like the ones at Grandma's, Sam came out of the kitchen, gave her his recipe, and told her the best way to make it.

He was one of those rare genuinely good guys left on Turtle Island, and he and his magical Indian Tacos will be missed.

Too sad

In some ways, this year's trip to Cherokee has been a depressing event. The children at Dora Reed and Big Cove have been their usual adorable and heart-stealing selves. But this story has dominated the news and gossip here during our time on the boundary. It is such a horrible, horrible story that it almost can't be processed. Sadly, the students and I have heard many more recent stories about domestic violence and child neglect and abuse. This just isn't the kind of stuff you can learn about and then grab a burger and head out for bingo.

Without doubt the trip has been a worthwhile experience. I think we have all had our eyes opened and been painfully reminded how dark and frightening the world too often is for the most vulnerable among us. I suppose we could all be at the beach sunning ourselves. But I for one would rather risk my heart in the mountains than bury my head in the sand.