- Expedition: Apr 16-21, 2001
- Virginia
- West and Woodlake High Schools
- Hite's Cove
My Birthday!
It's raining...a lot! and this sucks! our sleeping bags are sooo WET! We are cold, wet, and hungry. I don't have anymore dry clothes and I'm in shorts now. A while ago we went to the Riverside and tested some water. it was FREEZING! We ate lunch in the rains so my food was wet. So far this isn't the Best Birthday. I bet it would [be] a LOT better if we were Dry. About the reason for us being here, I still don't know! to get rained on and tired maybe. It's been a cool experience and all but I could only be here for so long. and I think so long has come. [It] Is only about 4:00 and the sun has decided to abandon us for the rest of this week. I am praying it doesn't rain on Saturday while we're hiking because I will probably ride the river back home (seriously). I wish it would stop pouring on us and I wish we were dry. So far these wishes ain't happening! (Melissa went on a bear hung and caught herself a big one. She wasn't scared, sang this cool song to[o].
Well Lena said only 5 more minutes so I have to go. It's time for dinner and it's only 4:30, this whole food thing is going by kind of fast. At home I would [be] eating dinner at 7:30 P.M. Well, gotta go out (in shorts) now see you later.
Students share their journal entries.
Book: Part Two
Today is April 20, 1853. My name is Agua Nichie. I am from the Aguanichie [Ahwahneechee] tribe. Yesterday, I went to the Chinese store to buy a new blanket. They kicked me out because I was from a tribe which was supposed to be known as savages. I am only 14 and I still don't understand why the men at the store with raindrop shaped eyes don't sell or even trade things to the young girls from our tribe.
Out of the store I met a woman of snow with hair of fire. I politely asked her why it was so different than mine. She said it was fine and that it didn't burn. I didn't understand. She asked me why I cried. I told her my story. She told me it was unfair but here I don't know what fair means. I had to go home to care for my younger sister Chiki, ever since our father died, our brother, Seemore, has been taking care [of us] making a promise to our father that we would grow up safely. My sister Chiki is very special, she calls our brother father for she knows no better. When our father died, Chiki was to[o] young to realize all the pain.
We both work at a hotel near here owned by a woman of snow with clear sticks on her eyes, named Margaret. Her husband died a long time ago and left the hotel in her hands. She's a nice woman I guess, she's had her eyes on my brother Seemore for a while. I think something could turn up between them two.
At work I saw that same woman with hair of fire. Turns out she lives there. Me and Chiki went into her room one day and she taught us a card game. Poker I think it was called. We were excited and Chiki couldn't wait to teach her friend, Lupe, how to play. I told her not to though. Her father might be angry. We left Tamara's room so that she could sleep. Our shift was over and we had to go make supper for Seemore/ I will report back later.
Agua Nichie