Realities of Living on a Reservation

A City Girl's First Encounter

Please visit: http://reservationrealities.dynadot.com/ for more information in learning the realities of living on a native american reservation! The birds are chirping, sun shining, and bees busy getting in your face! Living on the Pinwell, WA reservation with a population of about 900 people, no cell phone service, and little wifi may deter many students. However, I grabbed this adventurous rotation and starred it dead straight knowing I would gain invaluable experiences, comical stories, and Native American wisdom. The "town" has one of each of the essential basics: church, grocery store called "The Trading Post", post office, jail, community center, elementary school, a combined middle/high school, tribal college building, a safety emergency services building and an Indian Health Service Clinic. The Indian Health Service Clinic was to be my home, away from temporary home away from home. The clinic is part of the Indian Health Service, a federal health program for American Indians and Alaskan natives throughout the country. The most surprising aspect of living on a reservation was how the people looked and acted. I had imagined the people living on a reservation would dress in powwow outfits, know about herbal medicine, and tell of stories about the greatspirit. In reality many of the people here are mixed with Caucasian, French, and Hispanic descendants and dress mainly in jeans and tee shirts. If you leave a bottle of water out, it will still be out there until you get it or an animal tries to eat it. Now if you leave a basketball out that's a different story. The natives here love their basketball and are very skilled at it. I was beat by an eleven year old... and she was only wearing socks! If you're interested in learning more about Native American culture, wondered how it is living on a Native American reservation or want to learn about a student's rotation experience on the reservation then this is the book for you. I invite you to read my adventures as I reflect on comical moments, scary mysteries, and heartwarming experiences of caring for the Sacubit tribe community in Washington State. Understand the reality of Native American life, the healthcare issues surrounding this minority population, and fun road trips outside the reservation. It's comical, adventurous, and educational!