Today was a very enlightening day. We had the same tasks as the previous days and spent time with the kids too. We had the opportunity to hear from speakers today give was a new experience for us.
The first speaker we heard was a man from a nearby area called "iron lightning", a population of 25 people. He was a really incredible man who has traveled all over North America, but has returned to the reservation area and makes art and jewelry for a living. He talked about how much the Lakota people care for each other and how precious their language and traditions mean to them. It was interesting to hear from a man so dedicated to his ancestry that had also experienced so much in the world.
The second speaker was Julie, the executive director of the organization. She told us some of the back story of the organization and answered questions. This was very eye-opening experience because we are here with another group from another university. They asked a lot of questions that went along the lines of more if suggestions for the organization, and what they think should be done. Generally, they prepared their trip here by having very structured plans and ideas, while we prepared more by learning about volunteerism and non-profit organizations. As a group, we discussed that we believed that we have gained more from our experience by being open to help in any way, rather than following a structured plan. We related back to the first article we read in class, "To Hell with Good Intentions". We believe that the other group here has very good intentions, but very stressed about following the specific plan they have made and assuming that they are doing what is best for this organization based in their opinions. Thanks to reading this article, and other class time preparations, we believe that we as a group were more prepared to do what the organization needs from us, not necessarily what we think they need.
Tomorrow is our final day, it will be busy. I am excited!
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