Volunteer with First Peoples in the US Southwest | A New Carpe Diem Program Offering

Indigenous Americas

We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our future, and our future is seven generations past and present.
-- Haudenosaunee teaching

In heeding the call of the Indigenous America semester, you will have the opportunity to delve into the more critical questions of our time through the lens of the Native cultures of our land. As a small group, we will meander together through southwestern US, winding our way through various sovereign nations in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. You will not only be able to explore the picturesque canyons and towering peaks of this spectacular region by raft, foot, and horseback, but will also have the amazing opportunity to exchange with Indigenous communities and learn firsthand about their modern cultures and fascinating histories. This semester attempts to embody the spirit of reciprocity - a very important tenet of many Native American cultures - and will thus encourage you to give back to our gracious hosts and the Earth through lending a helping hand in a wide variety of interesting projects that may test you physically and mentally, but also offer you ample insight into your own passions and life's path. If you are looking to better understand the First Peoples of the Southwest and eager to explore the canyons and peaks of your inner world through service, cross-cultural adventures, and introspection, the Indigenous America semester will be an unforgettable journey for you.

Arizona

Orientation

We will enter into the semester from Flagstaff, Arizona, at the foot of the San Francisco, or Kachina Peaks, a sacred mountain range for all tribes of the Southwest. Nestled in this funky pioneer town off of historic Route 66 and beneath some of Arizona's tallest peaks, we will begin to get to know one another, share our intentions for the journey ahead, and set the stage for our entrance into Native reservations. As we both summit the Peaks and meet with local youth and elder activists, you will begin to get the feel for the powerful potential of the holistic experience before us. We will also have the chance to visit Lowell Observatory, where researchers discovered the expanding nature of the universe.

Hopi Nation

Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture

After being perched in the highlands of Flagstaff, we will embark on our first international experience by visiting the Hopi Nation and contributing to efforts in creating sustainable and thriving communities. This project will grant us insight into the Hopi tutskwa - or "the life ways and knowledge of" - by working alongside youth and other community members of Kykotsmovi, the capital of the Hopi Nation. We will engage in projects including orchard restoration, natural building techniques, seed-saving and more. In addition to getting our hands in the dirt, the elders of this village may invite us to participate in ceremonies to honor the land and people of this place while also introducing us to the sacred sites of the area, giving us a rare window into the vibrant traditions of this culture.

Navajo Nation

Black Mesa Indigenous Support

We will then travel northeast to the Black Mesa, whose dark complexion stems from the coal deposits contained in its flanks. Here, we will explore the issues of land rights and intercultural tensions between the Navajo, Hopi, and mining corporations through assisting a volunteer-run collective. The Navajo and Hopi peoples of this area have persisted in this land of biological starkness for upwards of 7,000 years, in part because of the vital water supply springing from the porous sandstone on this 8,000 ft mesa, which emerges abruptly from the flat desert surrounding it. After providing a permanent supply of drinking water to the villages in the vicinity for millenia, the aquifer has recently been threatened by water-intensive coal mining.

In participating with this project, we will live with homestays in the Black Mesa/ Big Mountain area of the Navajo Nation, known as one of the remotest locales in the region. As we assist families with tending their sheep and other basic household chores, we will have the opportunity to explore up-close the profound layers that compose the intense environmental questions of our time. After being exposed to this important issue, we will further forge our connection with the veins of this region's life force - the rivers.

Rafting the San Juan River

Float through the stratified canyon walls of this magnificent river, from Bluff to Mexican Hat, Utah on a multi-day trip. This upper section of the San Juan River Canyon is home to colorful rock formations formed over a quarter of a billion years, as well as cliff dwellings and ancient sites which we will explore and learn about from our Navajo guide. Take in sunsets, the star-filled sky, have time for swimming and feel the power of this southern Utah region.

Preserve the Tradition

After drifting through the depths of canyons and land rights complexities, we will attempt to deepen our understanding of the Navajo way of life. Living on the remote land of a Navajo elder and healer, we will experience several aspects of Navajo, or Dine, culture hands-on: plant medicine, traditional cooking, weaving, fire-starting, arrowhead-making, Navajo language, as well as the sweat lodge ceremony. In the spirit of reciprocity, we will assist elderly families with urgent projects and be blessed with the opportunity to meet these holders of the Navajo culture.

Canyon de Chelly

Words cannot begin to describe what awaits you in Canyon de Chelly. In one of the longest continuously inhabited lands of North America, this canyon is owned by the Navajo Nation and Peoples who continue to live there. Only permitted to enter the canyon with a Native guide, we will be accompanied by a gifted Navajo woman as she shares with us the powerful stories hidden within the canyon, and of the interruption of life from the invasion of Kit Carson. Your dreams that night as we sleep within the canyon will continue to weave the story into your own being.

Ganado

We will begin to understand how important and difficult cultural preservation has been for the Navajo by visiting Ganado, the site of one of the largest Christian missions in the United States. Here, we will peer into the history of the area as a means of gaining understanding of the dynamics of the present. We will have the opportunity to learn from a former President of the Navajo Nation about what it means to live in "two worlds": rooted in the ways of seeing and understanding life as is uniquely Navajo, while concurrently grappling with the influences of the surrounding US culture. During our time here, we will continue to work in projects to assist the elders, as well as visit Hubbell Trading Post, the oldest trading post in the nation, and Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation. We will also have the unique opportunity to explore slot canyons otherwise undiscoverable to the casual visitor.

Zuni Nation

Zuni Nation and Chaco Canyon

Our journey continues as we exit the Navajo Nation to work alongside Zuni artist, farmer and educator, Jim Enote. Camping on Jim's land, we'll assist in preparing the land to rest for the winter season, and spend our nights around fire circles learning from his vast wisdom in language, art, mapping, and work in Indigenous rights. He'll then accompany us to one of the most significant hubs of pre-historic Pueblo Indian culture - Chaco Canyon. As we roam through the highland desert seeking glimpses of mysteriously intriguing and intricate ruins, Jim will help paint a fascinating picture for us of the vibrant life in the Four Corners area during the flowering of the remarkably advanced Chaco culture from AD 850-1250!

Free Travel

Follow your heart and try your hand at forging your own path for the next few days! As a group you'll have the opportunity to work together in designing next steps of the adventure. Working with a budget and investigating the multitude of possibilities for exploration of northern New Mexico, as a team you'll decide whether to spend more time in the outdoors, soak in Jemez Valley hot springs, explore Santa Fe, visit Los Alamos or Taos Pueblo, among other treasures you may find.

Santa Fe Indian School

Continuing our exploration of the Pueblos, we will meet with a diverse group of Pueblo students who have won awards for their powerful abilities in Spoken Word. We will consider how art may allow us to express all the confusions and illuminations of our semester's travels. Watch a clip on youtube.

Solo Journey

After having immersed ourselves in an intense exploration of the region and its peoples for the past several months, we will take the time to address our internal journeys through a powerful ritual inspired by the Indigenous tradition of the Vision Quest. We will base ourselves in the Cochise Stronghold, a beautiful natural fortress in the Dragoon Mountains of the Coronado Nation Forest. Named for the legendary Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise, here was the site of the longest-lasting resistance against the US Army. Immersed in this historical setting, and guided by an experienced support team, you will find yourself immersed in nature, fasting from food and 'alone'. Through this challenge, you will come to know what is meant by 'rite of passage', and begin to glimpse the potential of ritual and sacrifice as a means to unearth your own clarity of purpose.

Tohono O'odham Nation

BorderLinks

Coming full circle back to Arizona, we will be based out of the diverse city of Tucson to contemplate the complexities of border issues which affect Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. In collaboration with the organization BorderLinks, we will work with the Tohono O'odham Nation and consider through a new lens the challenges that arise from two very different paradigms, or perceptions of reality. We'll also take advantage of our location in this outdoor mecca to find our way to an amazing canyoneering spot in Devil's Canyon near San Carlos Apache land, and inspiring sites for rock climbing and mountain biking.

Havasupai!

Overflowing with new knowledge and insights, we will have our last adventure together to Havasupai, a lesser-known region of the Grand Canyon. Hiking down into the dry desert canyon, we'll come upon blue-green waters and immense waterfalls, whose meandering waters will lead us to the Colorado River... a perfect setting for personal and collective reflection on the past dozen weeks of impactful experiences.

We anticipate that you will emerge from this semester with a more expansive sense of this land of 'America'-- what it's been through, what it's going through, and what it's up against, and your unique place within that story. Drawing from your own lived and felt experiences, we will break apart the stereotypes associated with words such as "Indigenous," "Native American," "Indian," and "reservation" and, in doing so, open up to entirely new ways of seeing and perceiving ourselves and our relationship with the natural world around us.

Program Details

Program Dates:

Beginning in the Fall 2012: September 18 - December 11th
Spring 2013: February 6 - May 1

Group Size:

A maximum of 10 Students & 2 Adult Leaders

Eligibility:

Ages 17 and Up

University Credit & Federal Financial Aid:

FAFSA & Up to 18 credits available through Portland State University: www.pdx.edu

Language Requirement:

None

Admissions:

No deadline - applications accepted on a rolling basis until 2 weeks prior to start date.

Program Fee:

$10,900 program fee includes all food, accommodations and scheduled program activities for the duration of the program. Airfare, health insurance and spending money are extra. For information on Financial Aid click here.

Program Policies:

For a detailed description of our Program Rules & Policies - The Sacred 6 - please click this link. These are the rules that we expect of all of our students for their overall safety and to provide the best possible program.

Carpe Diem offers exciting opportunities to travel, study and learn about the native peoples of the US, all while making a difference in the communities in which you'll stay. By volunteering with these indigenous peoples you'll scale mountains, work on meaningful construction projects and experience their wisdom and cultural heritage. Take your Gap Year with us on our Indigenous Americas program and transform your relationship to the world and mother earth.

During many of our semesters you can count on teaching being one of the many types of volunteering that takes place. This video is from our South America program group teaching English to some of the local school kids using the old standby of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." For more videos please visit our You Tube page.