Preserving one's heritage...

It's official...I survived my first day! I feel a sense of relief now that I've finally been able to put some faces to what were only the names, thoughts and ideas before today. And from what I can tell...there's so much potential stirring inside these young people...

Our day began with welcomes, introductions and warming up to one another, while our afternoon was spent touring the reservation:

We visited the Cultural Heritage Center, where tribal members can learn more about their geneology and family history. Then, we visited four restored log homes (pictured above), which demonstrated how the tribe lived in the early 1900s. And lastly, we visited with one of the tribe's language specialists.

The Oneida language is in danger of becoming extinct and several initiatives have been put into place in attempt to restore it; unfortunately, only five fluent Oneida speakers exist in Wisconsin to date. The reality is that although all of my students were raised on the reservation, not one can speak or understand the Oneida language!

I was immediately reminded of my own relationship to the Filipino language. Tagalog is actually my first language, but as I grew older my parents spoke only English at home to encourage us to use English at school. As time passed, I slowly lost all ability to speak Tagalog. As an adult, I make out any understanding of the language by putting words I recognize into context through one's pitch and tone. I think of my children and the fact that they will have no understanding of the language as well and I wonder what responsibility I have to pass on my Filipino heritage to a new generation? Also, what compromises are made as a culture changes from one generation to the next? And, what negotiates these compromises? I think these are some important questions to marinate in as my students and I consider what it means to preserve one's heritage...

Before I close, I thought I would share some tidbits of my students' writing from this morning. Here are some student responses to some prompts...

I come from...
...a lot of lessons learned the hard way.
...a big family that sticks together.
...the union of my mom and dad's love for one another.

I have been built to...
...listen.
...work.
...educate myself.

I want you to know that...
...I am a perfectionist.
...I swear A LOT.
...I am shy.
...I'm kind of a dork.