Polacca, AZ
Feb. 9, 2015
Lolloma,
On the other hand while everything around here was filled with people practicing their traditions and nearly 15 cancelled appointments Eldet Tippetts and I were able to experience something very rare. We were able to go on the Mesa and experience a lot of the culture that hardly any outsiders get to see. To even be invited on the Mesa is an honor, but to be invited at this time of the year is and honor and a huge step in the right direction. The people out here are recognizing us as not just "Mormanas" here to shove our religion down their throats but as people who are truly here to learn and to help. While were were on the Mesa at a Members house in Hano, the Tewa village on First Mesa (nearly every family has a family house on the mesa) eating lunch the Ogres were going around. We got to eat an amazing stew "Dubee" that is only made once a year during the Bean Dance with the bean sprouts that the Kachinas bring and leave on the doorstep at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. So while eating this wonderful dish the Ogres came to the house. The Ogres are the "Disciplinary" Kachinas, they come around to each house to see if the children have been behaving. There is a huge group of them that go around which consists of the Father, Mother, Grandmother, and Daughter, along with them are a bunch more who are just part of the gang. These extras carry saws and ropes. They rub the saws against the sides of the houses to try to scare the children, and the ropes to catch the children. The Kachinas help the children learn, if a boy doesn't like chopping wood they take him out back and make him chop wood, if a girl doesn't like getting water they follow her to the water tank and make her get water for the family. The family has to "bargain" with the Kachinas not to take their children away and punish them, instead of giving them the children they do have to give them food which is taken to the Kiva and then gets distributed to families who need it. It was a super interesting thing to get to see and be so close to (very few Anglos get to see real Kachinas). It was awesome to get to live the culture for a while. The night before while everything was being prepared we went to a members house in Walpi (an "extremely" traditional village). We had to take flashlights and kerosene lanterns because there is no electricity in that village. It was a fun couple of days.
Well this week was slow. It was the Bean Dance last night so all week people were busy preparing for it and
the entire village of Polacca was basically shut-down and everyone was
preparing for it. We were lucky enough to be able to meet with some
people and have a few very spiritual lessons. We also were blessed to
have a baptism this week. He is a 12 year old named Aaron who I have
need teaching for a while. He is awesome and super excited to get the
priesthood and to keep learning more. I also went on exchanges this
week. Elder Rosengren and Elder Lake came and double worked Polacca
(which didn't help us with our lack of work at all) but everything went
well. Elder Rosengren and I had a lesson on Saturday morning which kind
of freaked me out. The lesson was great until the end when we saw our
investigator's countenance change and not for the better. He started
talking about a lot of "Anti" things and the spirit left the room. It's
been a while since I have been somewhere that felt so void of the spirit
and it scared me. Elder Rosengren knew what to do though. We testified
of what we knew and we left.
On the other hand while everything around here was filled with people practicing their traditions and nearly 15 cancelled appointments Eldet Tippetts and I were able to experience something very rare. We were able to go on the Mesa and experience a lot of the culture that hardly any outsiders get to see. To even be invited on the Mesa is an honor, but to be invited at this time of the year is and honor and a huge step in the right direction. The people out here are recognizing us as not just "Mormanas" here to shove our religion down their throats but as people who are truly here to learn and to help. While were were on the Mesa at a Members house in Hano, the Tewa village on First Mesa (nearly every family has a family house on the mesa) eating lunch the Ogres were going around. We got to eat an amazing stew "Dubee" that is only made once a year during the Bean Dance with the bean sprouts that the Kachinas bring and leave on the doorstep at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. So while eating this wonderful dish the Ogres came to the house. The Ogres are the "Disciplinary" Kachinas, they come around to each house to see if the children have been behaving. There is a huge group of them that go around which consists of the Father, Mother, Grandmother, and Daughter, along with them are a bunch more who are just part of the gang. These extras carry saws and ropes. They rub the saws against the sides of the houses to try to scare the children, and the ropes to catch the children. The Kachinas help the children learn, if a boy doesn't like chopping wood they take him out back and make him chop wood, if a girl doesn't like getting water they follow her to the water tank and make her get water for the family. The family has to "bargain" with the Kachinas not to take their children away and punish them, instead of giving them the children they do have to give them food which is taken to the Kiva and then gets distributed to families who need it. It was a super interesting thing to get to see and be so close to (very few Anglos get to see real Kachinas). It was awesome to get to live the culture for a while. The night before while everything was being prepared we went to a members house in Walpi (an "extremely" traditional village). We had to take flashlights and kerosene lanterns because there is no electricity in that village. It was a fun couple of days.
Also
of Friday night I learned how to make Sumoviki (my favorite native
food). We told a couple of men that we were going to learn how earlier
this week and they started laughing at us and said that it is what the
women are supposed to do, which is true. Luckily we were able to defend
ourselves and tell them that we were learning so we can teach our wives
in the future. That was acceptable to them, thank goodness.
Well that's about it for this slow week. I wish you all the best.
Elder Warnick
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| Elder Warnick, Aaron, Elder Tippetts |
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