Winding Down to the End

Last night the immersion group visited with Marty Martain a member of the Blackfeet Indians and he shared his stories, some history and a bunch of artifacts. In his discussions he talked about the changes in the reservation going back to the beginning and it is easy to see how the Blackfeet and all Native American's can feel mistrust and anger toward non Natives. The Blackfeet reservation at one time included the majority of Montana as well as parts of other states (Idaho and Wyoming). The treaties and agreements with the government over the years slowly shrunk the reservation to a size that is remarkable. There is always two sides to every story but the decline of their culture is undeniable and their efforts to save and recapture it is a great story.

Marty told many stories and about the culture of the Blackfeet and though sometimes he seemed to embellish a bit, it made for great theater and the sentiment of the stories was sincere. He is great ambassador for the Blackfeet Nation. As you can see in on the flickr page he shared many of his treasured artifacts including: War Bonnets, Eagle Wings, Ceremonial Regalia, as well as pictures and language translations.

It made for a great evening and as we woke Thursday morning you could tell the boys were starting to settle in and also miss home. After Marty left the boys scattered to get cell reception to call home and also to investigate an area behind the Mission Church. Bleary eyes in the morning and a greater appreciation for what the teachers and aides do at DLSBS is becoming evident.

As it is with most trips these boys are settled into somewhat of a routine that will be rudely turned on its ear this evening as we clean the bunkhouse prepare our last dinner and start to pack our gear. I only hope that patience and excitement of going to Glacier National Park on Friday keeps everyone fresh and excited. Even though they said all the right things they were less than chipper about doing dishes and preparing lunches for the day. I think they will welcome the creature comforts of home when they arrive back on Saturday.