Life on the Rez
For someone who doesn't belong there ...
I haven't really written about what it is like to live on a native reserve. I know I can't possibly understand or know what is going on for the most part, like 99.9%, or all the crap behind it, but I have my own opinions.
This reserve is very different from the other reserve I lived on in Northern Alberta. This reserve is much smaller and seems to have less of a substance abuse problem. I am not saying that there isn't a substance abuse problem here, but there seems to be less of one.
Living on the other reserve was so wrapped up in fear, that I don't know if I really stepped outside of my teacher box. Also, there was a much larger school and I could really just socialize with the other teachers. Last year up here, there were only two other teachers and 1 was my roommate. This year there are 3 other teachers and 1 is my roommate. I strongly feel that working with someone, living with someone, and spending all your free time with someone is too much. I didn't spend that much time with my so, when I had one, and wouldn't have wanted to, even though he was dynamic and personable. I really don't think I should have to spend so much time with someone who I didn't choose at all either.
The people out here are much different too. In Northern Alberta most people on the reserve still had their language, or a semblance of their language, or at least could understand it. Even though this place is much more isolated, or maybe because it was more isolated, only 40 and above have any semblance of their lanaguage left. Residential schooling kicked these people down and 2 generations later they are finally getting some trust back into the school system, with their children's children having success. This school has a large overturn of teachers (to say the least), with most not even staying a full year. The principal has been here for the past 3 1/2 years, and has made a lot of positive ... I don't know, just brought positiveness and stability to the school. I am also a huge exception, having returned after last year. I wasn't going to, but, you probably know all about that.
There seems to be two type of people out here, but they go back and forth with that as well. The ones who 'party' and the ones that don't. There is another village that is about 70 km away from us and there the people party all the time and it is more like the place I was in at Northern Alberta. This place seems cleaner, but I know there is a lot of garbage under the surface.
I haven't really written about what it is like to live on a native reserve. I know I can't possibly understand or know what is going on for the most part, like 99.9%, or all the crap behind it, but I have my own opinions.
This reserve is very different from the other reserve I lived on in Northern Alberta. This reserve is much smaller and seems to have less of a substance abuse problem. I am not saying that there isn't a substance abuse problem here, but there seems to be less of one.
Living on the other reserve was so wrapped up in fear, that I don't know if I really stepped outside of my teacher box. Also, there was a much larger school and I could really just socialize with the other teachers. Last year up here, there were only two other teachers and 1 was my roommate. This year there are 3 other teachers and 1 is my roommate. I strongly feel that working with someone, living with someone, and spending all your free time with someone is too much. I didn't spend that much time with my so, when I had one, and wouldn't have wanted to, even though he was dynamic and personable. I really don't think I should have to spend so much time with someone who I didn't choose at all either.
The people out here are much different too. In Northern Alberta most people on the reserve still had their language, or a semblance of their language, or at least could understand it. Even though this place is much more isolated, or maybe because it was more isolated, only 40 and above have any semblance of their lanaguage left. Residential schooling kicked these people down and 2 generations later they are finally getting some trust back into the school system, with their children's children having success. This school has a large overturn of teachers (to say the least), with most not even staying a full year. The principal has been here for the past 3 1/2 years, and has made a lot of positive ... I don't know, just brought positiveness and stability to the school. I am also a huge exception, having returned after last year. I wasn't going to, but, you probably know all about that.
There seems to be two type of people out here, but they go back and forth with that as well. The ones who 'party' and the ones that don't. There is another village that is about 70 km away from us and there the people party all the time and it is more like the place I was in at Northern Alberta. This place seems cleaner, but I know there is a lot of garbage under the surface.
posted by Muss at 7:50 am
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