Not long ago, a young generation of Southern
Paiute felt unwelcome in their traditional Arizona Strip homelands. Thanks to some important youth-education
program funding, the welcome mat is out once again. The Bureau of Land Management Take it Outside
Initiative and the National Park Service Youth Partnership Program joined
forces to work with several Southern Paiute tribal bands. Together they hosted the first annual Yevingkarere
Camp in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, which BLM and NPS manage
together. On a beautiful fall weekend, 20 Southern
Paiute children, three elders and seven chaperones, and tribal staff, camped
under the tall pines in the shadows of Mount Trumbull. Six Southern Paiute bands (Cedar, Indian Peaks,
Kaibab, Kanosh, Koosharem and Shivwits), including three tribal chairwomen,
participated in the camp. Joined by NPS
and BLM staff, the group was well on its way to encourage tribal access and use
of traditional homelands. The three-day, two-night field excursion
provided
many opportunities for Paiute youth and elders to re-establish their connections
to monument resources, including a visit to the Nampaweap petroglyph site. Elders demonstrated the traditional skills of
making cradleboards; spilt-twig willow figurines; bows and arrows; and skumpa
(rabbit-brush) dolls. They provided
instruction on fire-starting techniques, language skills and other cultural
practices. Agency and tribal staff
discussed current resource-management issues, including wildlife studies,
forestry, fire management, and water-quality activities. The direct interaction with tribal elders and
agency staff will help develop this next generation of tribal leaders, preparing
them for higher education opportunities and potential resource-management
careers. Gloria Bulletts Benson, BLM’s tribal
liaison in the Arizona Strip District and camp co-coordinator, was delighted
the program received funding. “Many
Southern Paiute tribal youth exist with all the modern conveniences and have
lost connections to their heritage,” Bulletts said. “This camp takes them back outside and gives
a chance to see how life once was for the people of the Arizona Strip. They interact with tribal elders and other children
from the various bands.” While gathering around the campfire on
the very first evening, a tribal elder teaching about native culture, language
and song was interrupted when a group of coyotes began to howl. Continuing the lesson after they stopped, she
proclaimed the animals were responding to again hearing the Paiute language and
were welcoming the Paiutes’ return to the mountain. The final evening campfire provided time
for reflection on the weekend experiences.
Comments during the sharing-circle activity made it clear the camp
achieved many educational objectives, especially the important exchange of
cultural heritage from elders to youth.
Plans are already underway with tribal leaders for conducting next year’s
camp. Everyone expects the coyote
welcoming committee to be back on the mountain, eagerly greeting the return of
the Paiutes.
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