“When in doubt, head for water.” - John
Jerome (Blue Rooms)
A few Monday’s ago we had the day
off from school; Columbus Day. I’ll
admit, it’s a nice three day weekend on the eve of autumn, but I truly wish it
was to honor someone else. Leif Erikson
came to the “New Land” of North America as a Viking, before Christopher
Columbus, to the Newfoundland area in what is now Canada. That was around the year 1000 AD. It was 500 years later that the Italian
Columbus, sponsored by Spain, arrived in what is now known as the Caribbean
Islands. Perhaps it’s because Columbus
had ulterior motives. Perhaps it’s
because he established slavery on his second journey, to force the natives to
dig for the gold he hoped for.
Regardless, it makes me a bit uncomfortable celebrating someone who
represents such things. It just seems
weird that we ignore the tens of millions of Native People that lived here,
prior to Europe’s push for colonization, to celebrate this guy. I’m not taking away from his adventuresome
spirit. Heading off into what seemed
like an endless sea had to be a bit spooky.
It proves, I suppose, that he was brave, if not power hungry, and allows
you to at least find something positive in his persona. It doesn’t, however, mean that we should have
a day off from school to honor him.
While it is refreshing to have the extra day, I’m with the growing number
of communities who are now using the day to celebrate Indigenous Peoples
Day. I’d feel a lot more comfortable
heralding the lives and efforts of the many tribes nationwide who have fought
the struggle to survive; many against what you can only describe as
insurmountable odds. While speaking with
an Ojibwe educator when I was working on my master’s degree, he noted that
within schools, we should first talk about how First Nation people live and
work in today’s world before we teach how they lived in the past. It gives students a correct, modern
perspective, instead of thinking they continue to all live in wigwams or
teepees and hunt bison for food with a bow.
It would allow classes to discuss the advancements and struggles of
various native tribes and avoid stating, without refute, that Columbus was First
to the Americas (CFA).
 |
| Homework Page for the Week at School |
Still, I made use of the day off by
rallying and gathering some of the members of the “Gulo Adventure Clan”; men
tied either past or present to our school, to head out for a morning adventure
on the Sugar River. We met early in the
morning, threw our supplies and gear into two vehicles, the kayaks/canoe on to
a trailer, and then headed out. By 9:00
we had dropped off our equipment and transferred our vehicles for take-out
before getting on the water. It was
cool, overcast, and a little breezy.
After paddling for a half hour or so, it sprinkled for a few
moments. From that point on it slowly
cleared bit by bit as the day progressed.
With that, the temperature rose and the winds increased. It was the CFA we had anticipated (Clear
Forecast Arrival).
After an hour, we pulled up onto a
sandbar. While supplies were unloaded,
and small twigs were gathered as fire tinder, we broke out sling shots. The targets were various logs, sticks, and
stumps. We used smooth, round stones I
had collected in a small tub. There is
something primordial about pulling back on a slingshot and notching your
fingers against your cheek while taking aim through the forks. After a release, especially when you’ve hit
the intended target, it’s hard not to smile a boyish grin. I grew up with a pocket full of rocks and a
“Wrist-Rocket” slingshot, so I knew what the others were feeling. In that brief moment of time they were all
CFA’s (Country-Boys flinging ammunition) like David slaying Goliath.
While the others were busy defending
the universe, I busted out the flint and steel and got a fire going. Soon after, we had potatoes and sausage
cooking, and then eventually added the eggs and cheese. I love cooking over an open fire, especially
for others. It’s a combination of the
preparation, making the fire, smelling the smoke and food, and then listening
to the activity surrounding it all.
We continued down river and enjoyed
a great morning of talking and soaking up the river’s beauty. Rivers, like this, have been used as a way to
travel within this country for a long, long time. By the time we paddled around the last few
bends, we found ourselves battling small white-caps pushing upriver, against
the current, by the wind. It was windy
now but at least it was warm.
Deep down
you felt the need to enjoy the moment, as such days are dwindling while winter
begins to loom. We made good time by
using the CFA to our advantage (Currents For Advancement). The moving water of a river can do that. We landed at our destination by 1:00; a
perfect amount of time that still allowed us to do other things that afternoon.
All of us in the group are tied to
our local schools in some way. We are
experiencing the educational winds of change, and the growing pains that come
with it. While rocking it out teaching,
we are also evaluating our curriculum, tying this to state/national standards,
developing Common Formative Assessments (CFA’s) while integrating this into our
teacher evaluations. I’m still learning
what that means. I’m still wrestling
with what I have to do, get to do, need to do and want to do with all of the
new information that comes while teaching every day. In the meantime, and in order to put one foot
in front of the other, I seem to require periodic chunks of time where I can
escape. I use these times to recharge,
take a deep breath, put things into perspective, grapple with them, prioritize,
sometimes compartmentalize them, and then forge ahead in one way or another. In the meantime, I thank my God that I can
gather with friends, paddle a kayak or canoe, and Cruise For Adventure (CFA) on
a liquid trail.
See
you along The Way...
No comments:
Post a Comment