In the spirit of choosing our own adventures, we decided on Monday to split into two groups: Abby and Ole headed off towards the crimson rock spires surrounding the town for a hike while Hannah, Mike and I opted to have our own “urban” hiking adventure. We set off from the Super 8, our home for this leg of our trip, towards a part of Sedona referred to as “Uptown”… Read More
November 4th –November 11th Last night we had the privilege of camping in 18 degree weather, nature welcoming us to Chaco Canyon. Even though I slept in the back of our van, I was just as cold in there as I would have been outside. At 11:00 we took a tour of the Una Vida dwelling, the ruins closest to the visitors center. The region contains dwellings that date around… Read More
October 28-November3 We kicked off our week twisting through reservation roads fraught with potholes and washboard, our destination the Johnson’s Ranch in Cornfields. Elizabeth and Justin Johnson met us with much hospitality and welcome. They told us about the history of their Ranch going back to their parents, the work of their local chapter and its impact on the community (Local form or Navajo government), and the struggles and… Read More
Yah T’eh Friends, Family, and Loved Ones!
On October 20th we embarked on our hike into Canyon del Muerto (one portion of Canyon de Chelly) near Chinle, Navajo. We went with a wonderful and informative guide named Colleen, who recounted history, personal stories, and various information about plants, animals, traditions, and more. As we walked along, we were amazed at the fresh beauty of the canyon as the cottonwood leaves… Read More
Dirt roads and rising dust initiated our 4th week of the Indigenous America semester. We arrived into a beautiful canyon called Dove Springs were we spent a week with a Navajo family, Tim Johnson and his wife Belinda. They welcomed us into their home and we immediately began chopping wood and digging up posts for a new sheep enclosure. Having spent the past two weeks assisting in the building of… Read More
For our second week in Hopi we have been working more with Hopi Tutskwa (http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1678&Itemid=33) on helping to build the cob home for Lillian’s mother Serena. The walls are going up quickly, especially after we put in the window frames. This past weekend we got the opportunity to visit Roberto and visit his farm where he is doing the permaculture work through the Black Mesa Water Coalition. (http://www.blackmesawatercoalition.org/) We took… Read More
Hello to family and friends!
The past six days have been truly inspiring as we have spoken to influential individuals and encountered beautiful landscapes. We have spent quality time with the earth and each other, delving into our minds, hearts, and souls. The first few nights in Flagstaff, AZ were cold as we camped on the San Francisco Peaks, but we had fun and gazed at a night sky unpolluted… Read More
Greetings Family and Friends,
We write to you from Portland, Oregon. Heather, Mike, Amanda (Program Director), and I have been meeting with head quarters acquainting ourselves with the details of our adventuresome journey! So far it’s been a time packed with adding our final touches to make this trip one of profound impact. This is the first semester of Indigenous America. We are looking forward to exploring its spiritual landscape… Read More
In 1992, at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 12 year-old Severn Cullis-Suzuki delivered a passionate speech generative of the quality of moment when time seems to stand still, and cannot help but imagine a large booming voice ringing out with a command of, “LISTEN!”. She spoke on behalf of a small group of children united in the struggle to defend our earth home. Her message was a… Read More
One of the more powerful days I experienced as a Carpe Diem educator was along our trek in Guatemala toward Lake Atitlan. After a full day of hiking up and down and around gorgeous mountain landscapes and humble communities, we still had yet to arrive at our campsite. Our group rustled through our packs to don our headlamps, and began a steep descent through lush tropical forest with weary legs… Read More
Working with Carpe Diem over the years has been energizing and empowering for the multiple ways in which our programs facilitate reconnection and raise awareness. For many of us born into a US lifestyle, we take for granted so many aspects of it—water coming out of our faucets, electricity at the flip of a switch, food consistently available at grocery stores. But to what extent are we aware of… Read More
