Native American Experiences

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Volunteering at Native American Connections was a unique and unforgettable experience. I expected the children that I worked with to be educated, respectful, and likeable. These children absolutely exceeded these expectations which made me very proud of them. I chose this place because I felt like I could help and connect with Native American youth at a grass-roots level. The special, cultural connection I had shared with them surprisingly made processes and understandings easier when I needed to help them. By being Native American and working with kids who have lived a similar life as I have, I just felt more involved and also had a chance to connect with some of them on a personal and cultural level, as well.

My time this semester was spent …show more content…
A typical day would consist of helping setup the learning room, cleaning, tutoring, feeding the children and help closing up. Two of the workers were current students at college and volunteered for the Peace Corps. I could tell most of these workers were familiar with Native Americans and their culture by the way they talked and interacted with the kids. One experience that is distinct among my other experiences there, was a conversation with a child. He noticed I was Native American and asked about me. I found out he was Navajo and Hopi from the northern tribes in Arizona. He also mentioned that he was briefly homeless while living in northern Arizona. He said he moved into the provided housing by Native American Connections about a year ago. He spoke very little of why he was homeless but I remember I could feel and see his pain in his voice and face. This experience made me realize how important kids lives and futures are in these situations. It also made me understand that this serious issue of homelessness is not only present within local Native American communities but is a reoccurring issue within all Native American communities. This experience also inspired me to appreciate all resources provided to me and remember all the unfortunate that are currently struggling. Comparing the first day to the last, I was satisfied with my volunteer time and learned valuable experiences that I will always remember. I think the only negative experience that I encountered would be the timing and having room left in the day for homework and sports. By sharing the same struggles and culture, I feel even more connected with other Native Americans after this experience. I do not regret anything about this experience and would do it full time if I could. Witnessing struggles my fellow Native American youth encounter daily makes me feel awful inside but at the same time inspires me to go to extra
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