Tribal Envy

Seems like I do a bunch of my thinking while I am driving in to work every morning--in between the good songs on the XM radio (they should pay me for the plugs). Well, I have often thought about the fact that in my 30 year career, I have worked with tribal programs over 25 of those years. I lived on the Hopi Reservation, worked with tribes in Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada. I have gotten to go to pow wows, bean dances, katsina dances, feast days, isolated clinics on the Yomba Reservation, casinos in places you could never imagine there would be a casino, and I can tell you, it wasn't easy, but I loved it all.

I started thinking about what the draw was for me, and I think that one of the draws to my time spent especially in the Southwest is the intact culture. I grew up as a Southern girl(born in Georgia), whose Dad was in the military and moved around, so I never got to stay too long in any one place, and my English, Irish, French and German ancestery (although I claim the Irish more than any other) didn't translate to many traditions other than Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving.

When I was on the Hopi Reservation, I got a chance to really see an intact culture (at the time, hopefully it still is) in all its splendor. There were ceremonies throughout the year. There were ceremonies that happened ever several years like Shalako . There were many things that I only saw from the periphery, but it all came down to "if you were a Hopi woman", there were many things that you were expected to take part in, provide for, dance for, care about. And, as an outsider, I fell in love with the tradition, the colors and smells, and sounds, the food and the anticipation of it all. Like, being in the Kiva on a cold winter night and you can hear the sounds of the Katsinas as they approach the kiva, stomp on the roof, and decend the ladder into the cozy warmth of 30-40 women and children waiting with expectation.

So, as I thought about one of my many books that one day I fantasize that I will write (see older posts). I thought about my "autobiography" and it's title. I decided that it should be called, "Tribal Envy". I know it sounds crazy, but for a mainstreamer like me, sounds like home. Until I get to that point that I can write it, don't be stealing my title.