Two days later -- Reflection on Trip to Makah Nation

As I re-enter the rat race of my life (literally – we’ve caught two more HUGE rats in the past 24 hours), I take a few minutes to share quotes overheard on my inspiring trip to the Makah reservation at the Northwest tip of the United States:

“The van is just around the corner” – Said by someone about ten minutes before our van actually showed up….

“We’re the RENEGADE van!” –Tyson, as Kevin was tearing out of the rest stop, leaving all other vans in the dust…

“You were doing 59 in a 45, here’s a ticket for $122” –State Trooper to Kevin about an hour later…

“We’re on FIRE!” –Kevin, as he surveyed the van’s tires after we all smelled burning…

*singing* “We’re not GONNA MAKE IT!”—Nate as we all disembarked to check out the tires…

“How is it that we’re all considered ‘highly-qualified’ teachers, yet not one of us is mechanic?”—Julie, as we all pondered the van’s tires…

“Whale! Whale! Pull-over!” – Erin, “I’m pullin’ over!”—Tyson, as Erin and Julie saw whales a few minutes before we arrived at the reservation…

“You are all doing very well…”—Tribeswoman trying to teach us to speak the Makah language….

“Mmnpf, urfewi, Simona, you’re really good at this!”—Someone with cedar bark bracelet in their mouth, talking to Simona, who was quite the cedar bark craftsman…

“It’s amazing what our grandparents have done with no formal education. This is the beginning of the world.”—Tribeswoman to Eugene and I…

“I looked outside and I saw a bunch of GI Joes rolling by, and for once, it turned out the US government was doing something to protect us.” –Amazing tribal ambassador, speaking about how threats were made against the Makahs and the government stepped up to protect them – he said many other great things the essence of which I cannot convey….

“That van is going to come and get into our van, wait, no they’re not! They’re driving away!”—confusion caused by van drivers staying at different hotels…

“Just don’t lock the door” –Makah man who ended up sharing a bathroom with two other ladies and I….

“Unlock, lock, lock, unlock, unlock, lock?”—Julie and I asking the pattern by which we would make sure not to lock the Makah man out of the bathroom we were sharing…

“That’s a bit Eurocentric!”—Julie’s response to a line Tiffany read from a children’s story (for our elementary bonding bedtime story)…

“This is a DRUG song!”—Brad, while entire van listening to Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit”…

“ASS! ASS! ASS!” –Laxmi, chanting at Nate to moon another van AGAIN because they seemed to miss his first moon…

“Dude! What did you do!? Ohh! Arg!”—Kevin, responding to Tyson’s spitting on the hood of the van, after the tire smell returned….

*high pitched laughing* --Nate, cracking up after ladies went into bathroom after Mazen reportedly made it stinky….

“It smells like the vet – a mixture of cat and leather.”—Erin’s synopsis of the alleged bathroom smell…

The tribal members who shared with us were profound. The Makah culture exemplifies humanity in a way that I’m not sure I even have a handle on it. Big respect for them, their ability to share their land with those of us whose ancestors tried to steal it, their traditions, and their efforts to restore culture amongst their children. As the woman said, truly they are “the beginning of the world.”