From Wednesday, March 11
Yesterday was my first workday indoors. My group stayed at the Re-Member site to finish painting the neighboring, HEATED housing unit in preparation for a larger groups of volunteers coming after us.
Other groups were scattered across the Rez. Some, like us, were on-site, staining and chopping wood in the nearby workshop for bunk beds and wheel chair ramps.
In the workshop. Photo by Brad Roland.
Some began installing a wheelchair ramp for a couple where the husband was disabled. The government was supposed to put in the ramp a year and a half ago and never did. Those who worked on the project were filled with a great sense of satisfaction, each stating that he or she would have stayed there all night to complete it if it were possible.
Installing a wheelchair ramp. Photo by Bryan Banville.
Yet another group went back to the home of Bob Bear Killer to complete the flooring and wall installation. Before they left we loaded them up with extra socks and scared them into bundling up extra tight for the cold. "How many layers do you have on? Four? No, you need at least seven.
I had never felt so happy to be indoors, in the heat. For me, to be painting was to be in my element, and it felt good to finally have a worthy skill to offer and a task that my muscles could associate with home. It was a good day...at least, until the evening. More on that later.
Painting pretty stripes. Photo by Thomas Dilena.
Other groups were scattered across the Rez. Some, like us, were on-site, staining and chopping wood in the nearby workshop for bunk beds and wheel chair ramps.
In the workshop. Photo by Brad Roland.
Some began installing a wheelchair ramp for a couple where the husband was disabled. The government was supposed to put in the ramp a year and a half ago and never did. Those who worked on the project were filled with a great sense of satisfaction, each stating that he or she would have stayed there all night to complete it if it were possible.
Installing a wheelchair ramp. Photo by Bryan Banville.
Yet another group went back to the home of Bob Bear Killer to complete the flooring and wall installation. Before they left we loaded them up with extra socks and scared them into bundling up extra tight for the cold. "How many layers do you have on? Four? No, you need at least seven.
I had never felt so happy to be indoors, in the heat. For me, to be painting was to be in my element, and it felt good to finally have a worthy skill to offer and a task that my muscles could associate with home. It was a good day...at least, until the evening. More on that later.
Painting pretty stripes. Photo by Thomas Dilena.
3 comments:
I love the stripes:)
Thanks, Lisa Fong! I should have mentioned the meaning of the colors. Think of it as the landscape from the bottom-up. Green for grass, blue for sky, yellow is the sun, red for the sunset and black for night. The colors are sacred in the Lakota culture.
Oh, yeah...that is really beautiful!
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