| A Week with the Blackfeet |
07.16.12 |
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Sociology adjunct instructor John Gibble and his wife celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this summer with a trip out west. No ordinary vacation, the couple spent a week volunteering at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana.
Set on the wild and beautiful terrain that surrounds the Rocky Mountains, the reservation covers 1.5 million acres. About 10,000 people live on the reservation, of which 8,500 are enrolled Blackfeet. In the past, the Blackfeet sustained their nomadic culture on hunting buffalo. Upon European colonization to the west in the 19th century, the Blackfeet suffered from disease and starvation as the buffalo population dwindled.
Today, the Blackfeet still practice their cultural rituals and ceremonies. Gibble was able to be part of an authentic sweat lodge ceremony during his stay on the reservation.
Despite their rich cultural history, the Blackfeet, as well as many Native Americans, struggle with alcoholism and addiction. According to Gibble, the Blackfeet also have yet to fully embrace the benefits of new technology. With an 80 percent unemployment rate, the people living on the reservation find it difficult to make ends meet and to make matters more complicated, their land and lives on the reservation are heavily controlled by government policies and restrictions.
“The Blackfeet are a proud people,” explained Gibble, “but they are struggling to find their cultural identity again.”
Through an organization called Global Volunteers, the Gibbles helped with landscaping, remodeling, cleaning, preparing gardens and planting, organizing the local library, and delivering Meals on Wheels. The town of Browning has a short growing season, so volunteers assisted in weeding and tilling the rocky soil around residents’ homes. Vegetables started in a green house were brought outdoors to the freshly prepared gardens.
As Gibble and his wife worked hard and enjoyed the company of the community on the reservation, they were struck by unexpected cultural differences. The atmosphere was more laid-back and relaxed than they were accustomed to. In order to provide more organization to help facilitate the work of future volunteers, Gibble is writing a proposal to add a service component to the curriculum at the reservation’s community college.
After visiting the Blackfeet, Gibble said he has many new cultural experiences to share with his sociology students throughout the next semester. Gibble lives out his love for sociology and cultural diversity through his travels. He and his wife hope to volunteer abroad in the future.
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