Assignment - Ktunaxa
When I woke up, I knew I wasn't in my own room because
everything around me was so different, the ceiling was close to
me, and my bed was stiff. I must've teleported to a different
country because the people in here look different. Everything I
saw looked like it was made of plants and animal hide, same as
the mat I'm on. I saw a family inside this house, they were
cooking food, with a pot in the center of the structure. I was super
confused, so I left the lodge and I saw other lodges around the
lodge I'm in, there were no cities around me, I was so scared
because I've never been to a place like this and I didn't
understand the language they were speaking, it was super cold,
so I went back in. They were super nice and gave me food and
treated me as part of their family. After a month staying there, I
learned many things. At first, I was using
a type of sign language, to describe or point out some objects. I
found over time that I lived in the lower Ktunaxa, and the
language they spoke was Ktunaxa which took me some time to
speak and understand. They rely more on fish and other aquatic
resources. The men were mostly focusing on fishing, hunting, and
care for horses. They taught me how to build a Salish canoe, they
were using this in the rivers. Women were responsible for root
gathering, preparation of food, hides and making clothing. I
learned that when a man is wealthy and generous, he is treated
with lots of respect. I was amazed by their religion and spirituality.
They believed in spirits, and they performed many ceremonies
which were very interesting to look at. They were drinking water
from the rivers, I was helping the family I was living with to get
food and materials, and they taught me how to speak the
language and explained what the object and tools they used.
Many tools they used were made from bones, stone and wood.
They used root digging sticks, fishhooks, and a Ktunaxa fish trap.
The weapons I saw them using were bow and arrow, harpoons,
spears and a type of sling. At the end of the month, I learned a lot
of things. I was almost like a part of their family and their people.
In conclusion you can learn many things from staying at a village
or tribe for just a month.