Table of Contents Letters of Appreciaion
The Connection Between Music and Education
Wild Mustangs
Junk Food or Losing an Organ? You Choose!!
Experience with Native American ceremony
Confessions Of a Decaying Prince
The Memorable Titanic
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Image: zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net http://cablehoover.blogspot.com/ Cover shot by: Brandon Yazzie Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net http://www.belfast-titanic.com/
A Letter From a Starting Writer, If you are reading this, then you must have found some interest in reading our magazine. If you are reading this, then you must have some creative input like the people who have formulated this magazine. We as a group did not exactly see how well we might have done, but if you are reading this, then we must have done a good job. Our magazine is a first; maybe it could be a second, who really knows. But it is a first for creative artists, writers, photographers, anyone who would like to have other people look and admire their work. We as a group set out and wanted to make a magazine that inspires others, (or maybe one person wanted it) but we did in fact compile our work and produce the first full-length, localized, college friendly, magazine that many people in this town can relate to. Most of this gratitude I would like to thank would be, Dr. Marianne Arini. She was the one who had inspired a group (or maybe one) to excel beyond any measure. She had told everyone to put our best work through a short semester into one piece, and I would like to say one thing, thank you. Thank you for the tools to help, thank you for the corrections, thank you for the general inspiration to allow us to be ourselves in everything we wrote. Even though you may not be here, or anywhere near here, there still is this magazine that is a great effort of gratification. We will ever be so your humble students at Coconino Community College. Sincerely,
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Drew Yazzie
Dear Dr. Marianne Arini,
The process of being creative in this project went wonderful. The making of the title for our magazine was difficult because all our articles were very different topics. I agreed on what looked nice and professional with Drew for the cover. Drew is very creative and I thought he did a great job. The part I disliked was we didn’t work together well as a group. Only one person did most of the creating and there were no jobs other group members could do. Overall, the group did not communicate well outside of class. As a group, it was funny trying to think of a good title for our cover. I would say we spent almost thirty minutes trying to think of a good title. The thing I would change about the whole group project is having more time in class to work as a group and more communication. I would say I personally deserve a B but I know Drew showed more effort and he deserves an A. Sincerely,
Andrea Black
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Dear Dr. Marianne Arini,
The creation process is going very good. I like how the
cover of our magazine looked. The process we used was Adobe iD. The part I like is the art work of our cover. The parts I disliked was the work, but overall, we did a great job. The stories matched our cover because all of our stories had random topics. The changes I would make in the magazine is nothing because it looks good already. The grade we should all get is at least an A or B.
Sincerely, Leander Begay
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years ago, but we are still faced with the problem that students are not offered the proper music appreciation. Researchers now believe that we have to change our values and search for an alternative to teach young minds, so we could tell them that maybe it is alright to play and listen to their music while studying or working.
The Connection Between Music and Education
‘Music is a friend of Labour for it
teachers and students faced
lightens the task by refreshing the nerves and spirit of the worker.’ William Green (quoted in Clark, 1929)
My public high school teach-
ers told me that listening or playing music while simultaneously studying would be detrimental and should not coincide. My teachers took for
By: Drew Yazzie
degree to become a doctor, or lawyer, or even a physicist. Itellectual content was imposed upon us, and we could not engage in any educational self-reliance with music. Now, new research led people to realize that maybe we were wrong to do such a thing without music. Does music in fact enhance learning?
the same problem as today. But in ‘50s, the students and teachers faced the problem about music being a distraction from the student’s work. Students were playing their music too much and not paying attention to what the teachers were talking about. But if you saw a student who had a deep passion for music back then, and
granted that students could not pay
attention to two things at once, like
has perceived our way of living as a
listening to an MP3 player and read-
fairytale in a movie. We go to school
ing a book. Adults, such as parents,
and get the A’s and B’s mom and
grandparents, aunts, uncles that I
dad want, just to get that big fatty
grew to know, believed that music and
scholarship to go to Yale to become a
learning should not coexist. Over the
professor and regurgitate the infor-
years, we were told to go to school,
mation we memorized. We are now
then go to college, and then get a
living in the 21st Century and not fifty
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In the 1950s, many
Over the years the media
looked at him now, you might think differently (Robinson).
An example of such a stu-
dent who was never offered musical education, or participation in a club, was Elvis Presley. When he was living in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis wanted to join the glee club or music choir, and with great astonishment, the conduc-
Image: Daniel St.Pierre / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
tor or whomever, said he would ruin
at a loss and would be contradicting
Studies show that early and ongoing
their sound. Well I would surely hate
ourselves.
musical training helps organize and
to be the person who tells a legend no, but he learned by a different way, his own way (Robinson).
This problem of students be-
Another fine example of how
learning is taking an effect is when many students listen to music while they are doing their homework. Many
ing told that they are not qualified to
students like to listen to music, but
actually learn music and math at the
they now think there has to be a cer-
same time persists all over the world.
tain type of music they have to listen
Many automotive teachers across
to. They think that Johann Sebastian
They think that Johann Se-
Bach has to play at full volumes just
bastian Bach has to play at
so students can learn from a textbook.
full volumes just so students can learn from a textbook.
Well, actually, it can be anything. It can be Snoop Dogg, or Lady Gaga, anyone, because we are still not all
Well, actually, it can be any-
the same. We all learn in different
thing. It can be Snoop Dogg,
ways (Science Daily, 2010). We all
or Lady Gaga, anyone...
think differently, look differently, and especially learn differently. But it
the globe have not quite realized yet
would be nice to play classical music
how the human brain works. They
whilst studying because the amount
know how a carburetor works on a ’67
of beats per minute can be distracting,
Chevy, but they don’t know how they
or lyrical notation can also be another
learned it in the first place is quite
distraction (Furnham-Bradley, 1997).
intriguing. Everyone on this planet is capable of learning how to formulate an idea, how to build up on something, and come up with something new, but the problem is how to get the younger generation to take part in the same passion (Robinson). Without music as a helping aide, we would be
It doesn’t take a physicist to
know such common sense exists. It doesn’t take a scholar with a Ph.D. in Neurology to say that we are able to learn while being involved in music. If a person doesn’t recognize musical beats right away, then you know that they had a poor musical education.
develop children’s brains. “By approximately age eleven, neuron circuits that permits all kinds of perceptual and sensory discrimination, such as identifying pitch and rhythm, become closed off.” Not using them dooms the child to be forever tone deaf and offbeat (Furnham-Bradley, 1999). These studies, according to Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, make a statement that everything is connected in the brain, and music can be an entry point into a number of different realms of intellectual functioning (Furnham-Bradley, 1999). If they did have a connection, then they would have seen a connection between music and actually learning. It is a demoralizing connection that we overlook quite a lot. We see, but we don’t take action.
If someone, anyone, takes
part in any musical experimentation then they would develop a pattern between the beats recognized and memorize it with their studies. Musical tempos with sixty beats per minute, allows the brain to access some memory from the working memories or the short-term memories. The
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from complex
According to Sir Ken Robin-
mental tasks
son, we cannot face the new
(Furnham-Bradley, 1997). When in the presence of
of tricks. We cannot reform
loud, repeated
our lives, but we have to
beats that exceeds sixty beats per minute, it could, in fact, be quite deteriorating (UOPX Writers Network).
transform them into something else
conducted includes many hours practicing the piano and then doing homework. According to my own experience, music is a very enhancing
Gardner
tool that stimulates and arouses our
states that people
mental capacity to learn. It gives us a
who have musical
very euphoric feeling that allows our
intelligence are
learning to be downloaded into our
probably more
brains as we recognize the patterns. It
emotional, spiri-
is a suppressor that tires our creative
tual, and cultural
side of the brain and allows our left
brain focuses on different types of
the future with the old bag
patterns, which allows it to be more
than people with any other intelli-
brain to focus on retrieving memories.
productive in the presence of repeti-
gence (1997). So according to Howard
While listening to classical music and
tion (UOPX Writers Network).
Gardner, we all can enhance learn-
studying also helps enhance reading
ing, by using music as a tool to recall
and math, it allows us to recognize the
memories in the classroom that have
patterns that a lot of researchers have
been overlooked. Gardner thinks that
recognized as well. New researchers
musical intelligence is a special intel-
had come to the same conclusion that
ligence that cannot be seen the same
music and education enhances our
way other intelligences are seen. So,
higher level of thinking. According
we cannot teach the same way. We
to Sir Ken Robinson, we cannot face
would by boring people with silence
the new the future with the old bag
and lecturing (Gardner, 1998).
of tricks. We cannot reform our lives,
Even in the workplace, many
people showed an increase in production when they were allowed to listen to or have music in the workplace. Many people, who would have redundant jobs, would enjoy and produce better work environments in a place that had music, rather than a place that was silent. But sometimes music
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can be a distraction; it can detract
but we have to transform them into
My own research that I have
something else (2009). CM
Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wild Mustangs
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By: Andrea Black
The mustang horses of today are becoming
North America and South America it was called the
rare because of decreasing in numbers of population
New World until after 1492, way after the ice age and
in the world. The “Mesteno” means the wild mustang,
dinosaurs. The Eohippus horse was so small; they
a stray or wild species have been here longer than any
were the size of a rabbit. They measure half way up a
human that roamed the earth. The question is where
human’s heel, but overtime, these mammals grew in
did wild mustangs come from? How did they get
size, just like human being (The Mustangs 2).
here? Who are their ancestors? And most of all what is happening to them in today’s world?
Mustang horses have been around for fifty-
These animals crossed the land bridge to Asia where the two continents touched each other from one side. After they had crossed the land bridge, sci-
eight million years, although, they weren’t called
entist said that, “Fossils of earliest horse-type animals
mustangs, they were known as the Eohippus horse
have been found in North America.” Some of these
an ancestor to the mustang horses today. The Eohip-
mammals had survived the Ice Age. Scientists do not
pus horse is a mammal from prehistoric times, before
know how some survived, and that is a question to
the Ice Age and after the dinosaurs. They had roamed
them. “How did they survive?” As fossils of the EohipPhoto by: Ree Drummond thepioneerwoman.com
pus horses were found, scientists compared another
see if there was any more species of the same kind
species that they called the Equus horse to the Eohip-
out in the world. That’s when the settlers had arrived
pus horse and found that both species are from the
to the New World known as North America, and at
same descendent. The only thing that changed was
their arrival, they did not see any wild horses. They
their height, weight, feet, and teeth (Wild Horses of
started wondering why these horses were becoming
the West 19).
extinct, and they blamed mankind for using the hors-
When the Eohippus horse vanished from
North America and South America by the Ice Age, scientist found that their decedent the Equus horse had
Europeans settlers came back on the second voyage the Spanish settlers also arrived in the New World on November 28, 1493, they brought with them horses that no white settlers have seen before
es as food. So they stopped and realized they need these animals to help them get to places. Soon these horses became a replacement for mules and donkeys that drove around carts and chariots (Wild Horses of the West 49-79).
When the Europeans settlers came back on
the second voyage, the Spanish settlers also arrived in the New World on November 28, 1493; they brought with them horses that no white settlers have seen
and the Spanish at the time called them before and the Spanish at the time called them the, the, “Mesteno”...
“Mesteno” and that is where the white settlers renamed them “the mustangs” in their language. This
only survived in the Old World, which was Asia. Now,
was also the first time the wild mustang had stepped
to go from fifty-eight million years ago, to eighteen
foot on North America continent. Soon after, Span-
thousand years ahead when first man arrived among
ish settlers had let few mustangs go, and this was the
horses they began taming the Equus horses there
start of the first free wild mustangs in the western
freedom to roam then ended and only a few are left
atmosphere. These horses were then seen by Indians
wild. At the same time, everything around changed;
in the Southwest; eventually the Indians started using
the environment changed, and the earth climate
the horses for hunting and traveling (Wild Horses of
changed as well (Wild horses of the West 20).
the west 49-54).
Several thousand years later, after the first
After the Europeans and Spanish settlers got
man tamed the Equus horse, the Equus population
comfy in the New World, they had brought over other
started decreasing. Then settlers went on a voyage to
animals such as pigs, sheep, goats, cows, and much
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more that immediately multiplied in population. The
killed or captured. This was happening because ranch-
only domesticated animals of North America were
ers and cattlemen needed room for their livestock
dogs, turkeys, llamas, and sheep. The horse were
and crops. Although, some died, a few wild herds
actually the only animal they were interested in at
still roamed but are located in dangerous weather
the time because they helped out a lot in ways that
conditions in the desert but still made it through hot
most other animals weren’t capable of; maybe other
deserted lands. Children and adults began worrying
animals were capable but the horses were much easy
“My long uphill struggle began in 1950
to mentor. They even have them as entertainments in
when I witnessed the physical con-
rodeos (Wild Horses of the West 54-58).
dition of the wild horses that were
caught in an airborne roundup and
While some of these horses escaped from
their owners and began breeding among different horses. Bands of wild mustang horses emerged; soon
were being transported to a processing center to be converted into pet food...”
other tamed horses became exposed to wild horses, broke loose, then ran away with the wild herd. Some
about the wild mustangs and began writing letters to the congressmen and asking the government to save the wild mustangs in 1930’s (Mustangs 5-8). In 1950, a women name, Velma Johnston known as “Wild Horse Annie” heard rumors about wild mustang horses being rounded up and slaughtered for pet food. She did not believe the rumors at first, but
horses were just abandoned by their owners. In the
that year, she witness men driving a truck load of
late eighteen hundreds, there were more than two
horses with blood dripping from the back of the truck.
million mustangs roaming free in the west. Later, mus-
She then followed the truck to a slaughter house.
tangs were been put in danger; they had been either
After witnessing with her own eyes, she then wrote a Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
letter a couple of years later to chairmen of the board
horses. While people have no clue about what’s hap-
of the Ford Motor Company saying:
pening with the wild mustangs; more and more wild
My long uphill struggle began in 1950 when I witnessed the physical condition of the wild horses that were caught in an airborne roundup and were being transported to a processing center to be converted into pet food. My investigation revealed that the bloody commercial exploitation had been going on for a number of years on a large scale. . . . The methods of capture were ruthless and cruel. Payment for the animals was made by the pound, so quantity was the aim . . . physical injuries were a matter of no consideration.
mustangs are being forced off lands and disappearing. They have been roaming the western hemisphere for over millions of years, but the Government and the Bureau of Land Management are careless about these animals. They’d rather listen to greedy cattlemen and ranchers. The history of wild mustangs demonstrates that they shouldn’t be force off lands because they have been here longer then ranchers and cattle. They’re here to be free.
She then wrote more letters to Washington D.C. to pass a law to stop cruelty among horses when rounding them up. After years and years of writing to the Government and Bureau of Land Management in 1971, “The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act Law” aka, “Public Law” passed (Wild Horses of the West 152-153, 177).
As that law passed, today’s economy is still
forcing Wild Mustang horses off public lands and putting them into Government facilities. Most of the wild horses are scattered in Nevada, Wyoming, and throughout eight other states. There used to be millions of wild horses roaming freely but as of today only forty thousand wild horses still have their freedom but that won’t last long (Mustangs 8-9). However, groups of people are putting in the effort to keep these wild horses free by creating foundations where other people can buy these wild
Junk Food or Losing an Organ? You Choose!!
Gallstones can occur
unexpectantly. No matter where you are; it could just happen to you instantly. Gallstones are a huge thing on the Navajo Reservation because parents buy their children junk food or they eat out at fast food restaurants. Gallstones can occur when you eat greasy, junk, and spicy foods. I had an attack during my senior in high school, during the month of December.
On a fine Saturday morning on December 4, 2010, My older brother, one of my little brothers, my mom,
my grandparents, and I were getting ready to go to Gallup, New Mexico. I was up and ready to go on this fun, joyful ride to Gallup. Our first stop was at a gas station called Conoco, which is in Pinon, a place in the middle of nowhere. We stopped there to get some gas and some delicious snacks. I ate some fiery, red Hot Cheetos and a green Monster energy drink. Then, we were off on our joyful ride to Gallup. While we were driving towards Gallup, I put on my bumping, bass music and enjoyed the ride while my chunky, little brother was asleep; His head kept rocking side to side. My older brother and I would just laugh about him. Later on, my older brother asked me if he could listen to my phone, so I gave it to him. Then, I would look outside the window and enjoy looking at the rocky terrain, the slopey hills, and random color vehicles driving by us. Then, we entered Ganado, Arizona, where we stopped for a restroom break. Then, our grandma bought us some delicious breakfast from Burger King. I felt like I was in heaven after I ate those croissant breakfast sandwiches. My older brother and I felt like Harold and Kumar when they ate those delicious White Castle cheeseburgers. Then, we took off again to Gallup.
Once we got into Gallup, my grandparents were hungry, their stomachs were growling like they wanted to
eat a lion. We ate at a Mexican restaurant at a plaza just off the highway. I ordered some fiery hot wings. After we got done eating, we went to the crowded mall. The mall was packed with people like bunch of ants running around. After a while, I got this pain, a little pain like something was pinching my skin. I told my mom, “Mom, I’m getting
Image: SOMMAI / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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this pain right above my stomach area!” when she said, “It’s probably just an upset stomach.” Then I said to myself, “hmmm, my mom is probably right, it’s probably just an upset stomach,” so I just left it alone. Then, when we were inside Wal-Mart, the pain got worst, where it felt like somebody is grabbing on an organ, and trying to tear it off of me. I drank lots of water to let the pain go away, but it didn’t. The pain kept getting worst and worst by the hour, felt like I was giving birth to a ten pound baby or something, and I threw up a couple of times on the way back from Gallup. Once we entered Ganado, my mom decided to take me to the hospital. She asked me, “I’m going to take you to Hopi Clinic?” Then I said, “Okay.” But just then, my older brother said, “Take him to Chinle Hospital!” Then my mom asked, “Why?” My brother answered back madly, “because someone is waiting for me at Chinle Junction” I told my mom, “Let’s just go to Chinle Hospital!” My mom answered with a mad groan, “Okay!” So we were rushing towards Chinle, like we were in hot pursuit of a police chase, then we pulled on to the side of the road to drop off my older brother with his girlfriend. Then, we rushed again to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, my mom and I rushed into the emergency room side of the hospital. Once we entered, there were a lot of people waiting. The people stared at me, like they never saw someone cry, then we checked in. While, I was in the waiting room waiting to be called, I was holding my stomach area, crying like a little baby. Then, the nurse called me out, I felt sorry for myself because there were a lot of people in front of me waiting to be called, but my pain was worse than theirs. The nurse sounded mean when she asked me,”What was wrong?”, but turned out she was nice. Then I told the nurse, “I have this pain right in my stomach area” I tried to talk to her coherently but the pain had me stuttering. Nurse said to me, “How did this happen?” I answered back, “While, we ate this restaurant at some plaza in Gallup” She answers back, “What did you order from there?” Then I said, “I ordered hot wings, then thirty minutes later, I felt a really bad pain in my stomach area”
Nurse answers back, “Okay, you probably have gallstones.” Then I looked at my moms’ face, she seem shocked when she heard it. I asked the nurse, “What are gallstones?” She answers back, “Gallstones are like balls in your gall bladder. When you eat too much greasy, junk, and spicy food, the fat builds up in your gall bladder, and balls start to form inside the gall bladder.” I was shocked after she told me that. Then, the nurse told us to go back into the waiting room, so we did. Then a minute went by, another nurse shouted my name, “Leander Begay!” So, my mom and I went. We followed the young, good-looking nurse who was taking us to a room, and she gave me some nasty, yucky medicine. Then she told us, “Stay here and the doctor will come to see you soon.” My mom responded back, “Okay.” Then ten minutes went by, an old, nice doctor came in saying “Hi” to us. He told us what was wrong with me. My mom told him, “Well we ate at a restaurant in Gallup, and he started to feel a bad pain around his stomach area.” Doctor says, “Okay, well let’s check out your gall bladder.” He took some weird-looking machine and told me to pull up my shirt. He put some oily stuff on me, and he took out some tool off from the machine. The doctor said, “I’m going to do an ultrasound on you” And I answered back, “Okay.” He told me that I had gallstones. I saw with my own two eyes on the screen. After that, he told me to stay a night at the hospital. Then, the doctor asked my mom if she wanted to stay with me over night and my mom said, “Yes! I’ll stay with my son.” So my mom told my grandma to drive the truck back home. My grandma said, “Aoo’!” Aoo’ meant ‘yes’ in Navajo. The next day, he told me and my mom that I had to stay another night because my white blood cells were high. So, I got released on the next day.
Then, my winter break came along, and I went back with my mom back to Chinle because she was working
there. On December 22, 2010, on a Wednesday, I came in the morning at seven. I put on some comfortable clothes
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like sweat pants and a t-shirt. Then a mean-looking nurse came and told us to follow her, and she brought me to a room. The room also had some patients there, but there were curtains, where I couldn’t see them, though. They took my clothes and gave me there blue, hospital clothes. Then another nurse or doctor came in, and they injected some medication in me so I could sleep through the process of the surgery. While the doctor was talking to me, I was knocked out, like Mike Tyson just KO’d me. A few hours pass by, I was put back in the room, and I could barely open my eyes. After a while, I was sent to a room and it was noon, when the nurse brought in food. Then I woke up around three in the afternoon, when I was going to sit up, my abdominal was sore. Whenever I moved around, it hurt so bad like Chuck Norris did a roundhouse kick to my stomach. Whenever I tried to go to the bathroom, it would be really hard for me to get up. I have to press the button on the hospital bed to a point where I can sit up and get off the bed without much pain. I stayed another night at the hospital. It was boring staying at the hospital because there was no cable in the room I was in, just some advertisements kept showing up and repeating it over and over again. I was like, “Ahhh, get me out of this place, it’s like prison.” While I stayed a night there, the nurse told me to walk around, so I did. When I walked, the pain hurted a little and the more I walked the less pain I got. So, I left the hospital Thursday morning and I was happy that I was out of the cableless hospital; also I was relieved that I am still on this beautiful planet called Earth. I thought I was going to be a goner, but my blessings from my lovely, caring family helped me get through it.
Overall, gallstones are a pain in the butt. After all of that happen, I slowed down on eating greasy, disgust-
ing, junk, and spicy foods. As of today, there is no pain that hasn’t occurred to me yet. I lost a gallbladder and I don’t want to lose another organ of mine. My gallstones looked like two bumpy, egg-looking shaped balls. It was just disgusting, felt like I was going to throw up after I saw it. I still think of my surgery to this day and how I manage to get through it.
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Image: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Experience With Native American Ceremony By: Andrea Black
When I first found out
about the Native American Church, I was curious. Hearing it was very interesting, but actually going into a Native American ceremony was amazing. When I went into the ceremony, a lot of things where on my mind, I was distracted by the frustration of life and scrambled like my letters in a scrabble game. But, life is wild, and I can’t sit and figure the words out. I just felt weight on my shoulders like I was carrying a big load of things that had piled up since my childhood. But when I came out of the ceremonies the next day, I felt a huge relief. I felt
school but that was kind of a blur
really light, almost compared to
to me. When I kept going to these
yoga, but better because I actually
ceremonies, it became very famil-
felt it in my mind and my heart.
iar to me. Once in a while, I read
My entire body felt so energized
articles or even heard people say
and refreshed. I felt like I was born
that peyote use is bad because
again.
they see it as a drug, almost like The first time I ever went
into a ceremony was back in high
marijuana. However, the traditional understanding is that Native Americans use it for a bigger
purpose rather than recreational. Going to ceremonies has really helped my life and everyone else in my family. It starts from putting up the teepee, to walking out of the teepee in the early morning, to having the peyote walk you through everyday life and helping
23
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you answer your prayers. A couple
my mom’s high school friend to
boys were setting up the teepee
of days after my sister graduated,
Farmington. Her friend is a guy she
getting everything ready for that
we had one done for her. It was for
has known for years. He was the
evening. Being the patient’s sister,
her to go further with education
one who told my sister to get a
I was kind of nervous because I
and for her life regarding where
ceremony done for her, and so he
didn’t know what was I supposed
she stands and what she wants to
asked his brothers to help prepare
to do? Do I just sit there? All these
achieve. Although, the ceremony
one. They agreed, and it was set.
thoughts were squirming in my
could be conducted for a very
My sister would be the patient
mind, and my nervousness contin-
sick patient with cancer or other
at the ceremony. So that day, we
ued.
diseases and even happy occasions
went to buy food for the next day
like birthdays and many more.
after the meeting to feed all the
So as that day started, my mom, brother, and I went with
people who showed up. While we left that morning, the men and
As that day went on, we were in Farmington, New Mexico for almost the whole entire day. Soon we headed back to Many
Farms, Arizona. I would say about
dress, just normal and plain. The
started off with her name, said her
two to three hours’ drive from
funniest thing about it was I didn’t
four clans, and spoke about herself
Farmington Back to Many Farms.
have any moccasins to wear, so I
and why she was having the cer-
As we got back, it was windy with
had to wear my regular black Nike
emony. She hoped to be successful
red sand almost like a dust storm
shoes. It looked funky. When I
in her higher education and in life
in a desert. We could hardly see
entered the teepee, there was a
without difficulties. While she was
houses in the distance; it was just
moon in the center of the teepee.
talking, the rode man handed my
red. I thought it was weird because
Those attending can sit anywhere
sister a pouch of tobacco with corn
it was very peaceful in the morning
except where the patient and their
husk to use as rolling paper. Then
when we left, and this had oc-
family sits. When leaving out of the I like to see it as the
everyone passed down the to-
curred out of nowhere.
smoke being blown out of our So we got back to the house, took out the food, and carried it inside the house. When I got
mouth being a pencil, and when it’s going up, God is writing all of it down on paper.
in the house, I saw the rode man who guides the whole meeting with the help of the fire chief, the drummer, and the lady who brings in the water in the morning, heating up the peyote, in other words, the medicine for the ceremony. It was green with water, and I just stared at the two filled up pickle jars of medicine which gave me chills because I know the taste. It isn’t all that tasty. So as the sun was setting over the mesa, we got dressed. I had to wear a dress, not a fancy
bacco and rolled their own smoke while they passed the lighting stick down clockwise to everyone. Then we started praying about ourselves or family members who were not
teepee, you have to walk out clock-
there. We blessed our lives just
wise out of respect for the peyote.
like praying in church, but we use
As we got settled in, our mother
tobacco. It isn’t bad tobacco that
told us to sit on our knees all night.
gives cancer but the good kind. I
This was a way to show respect
like to see it as the smoke being
to the (peyote) medicine. I really
blown out of our mouth being a
hate sitting on my knees, it makes
pencil, and when it’s going up, God
my legs go to sleep, and it vibes off
is writing all of it down on paper.
a stingy tingle feeling that, afterwards, is painful. Through that night, I did
After that is done, the fire chief goes around clockwise picking up whatever is left on the
not complain because I wanted
smoke and puts it at the end of
to try and see how it went. So as
the moon on each sides. Then, he
we sat there, the rode man told
sits back down at the entrance.
my sister to introduce herself. She
Then there is the guy who is sit-
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ting by the rode man. He carries
safe. Sometimes I sang along when
we just pass that back and forth
the drum all night, drumming for
I felt like it.
afterwards. While we are pass-
the people that are going to sing, unless someone wants to drum for their own relatives. But when the rode man begins the singing he first drinks and eats the peyote.
So after the drum goes around twice, it should be midnight. Then the fire chief goes out and brings in the water, he prays and blesses the water. When he
Then he begins passing it around. So when that is passed around, now we just wait until the drum goes around the teepee twice. This takes a while, depending on who is going to sing, and it does not matter what age sings or what gender. Whenever a person is going to sing, they have to hold the staff. The staff is a skinny stick that may have bead work designed on it and feathers along with the rattle; it all depends on how the person designs it. As the drum goes around along with the staff, we all have to touch it and bless ourselves with it. So as they start singing, everyone sings too if they want. As for me, I just sat there and looked around, or I stared at one thing. Hearing them sing was so soothing and comforting to my ears. My nervousness melted away, and I felt
ing it, we are praying silently. We then give it back to the fire chief; he picks up the ones at the end of the moon, puts all of them in the fire, and sprinkles cedar on it. After that, we all bless ourselves. After,
Sometimes people puke, and when they do, the fire chief has to go out. Get a dust pan and a stick to sweep up the
they start singing again and passing the peyote around while the fire chief sweeps around the teepee with a handmade broom.
puke and dispose of it. This is a good thing because when vomiting, you’re throwing up all the bad things inside you.
He can’t sweep where the drum is until it’s on the other side. Sometimes people puke, and when they do, the fire chief has to
has prayed and blessed the water,
go out. Get a dust pan and a stick
he drinks as much as he wants, and
to sweep up the puke and dispose
it goes around. Everyone gets to
of it. This is a good thing because
drink the water as well. When the
when vomiting, you’re throwing up
water came back to him, he takes
all the bad things inside you. This is
it out, and he comes back in and
where the peyote helps us because
wraps a smoke. He can pray when
it’s working in our systems, almost
he wraps it or not. After he is done
like fighting with a bad aura. But as
wrapping the smoke, he lights it
the drum goes around twice, and
up. He then hands it to the rode
we take the peyote twice we might
man. He smokes it then he hands
also take a break or not. So, as it is
it to my sister, then she hands it
getting to the end of the ceremony,
to me, then my brother, and my
we stop singing, the rode man clos-
mom. Then back to the rode man
es the ceremony by praying, and it
seems like he is just talking. Then we sit there waiting for the morning food to come. I would say this is the best time because when the
When I stepped out, the
Then we are done. Although, when
first thing I looked at is the sun
we felt energized and our minds
coming up from the mesa. The
are at ease, we seem to be very
color of it as it rises was so beauti-
sleepy, but now it felt like I was a
ful. It could make a person stand
new person.
sun rises we
Overall,
can see every-
the outcome of
one clearly. We
a Native Ameri-
are all just so
can Ceremony
happy, and the
known well as
rode man talks
Native American
about life to
Church (NAC)
the teenagers
helps make a
and adults. It’s
change in a
funny, but true.
person’s life and
So as the morn-
open doors with
ing food comes
no problems in
in there is elk
the way. What
meat, blueber-
I’m trying to say
ries, red ber-
is, if a person is
ries, corn, and
jealous of an-
much more.
other person
The people eat
just because he
however much
or she is doing
they want, but
well in life for
after it’s gone around, we soon get
there looking at it peace-
example making good decisions,
up with our Pendleton blankets,
fully, but as I took a quick glance, I
doing well in school or even being
and the rode man goes out first,
began going around touching the
beautiful. That one person can ruin
and in order, we follow him out.
teepee four ways and going back in
that other person she or he hates
blessing ourselves with the ashes.
through witchcraft.
Photography by: Andrea Black
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I would never feel. I am petrified with fear; I am demonized by anguish, and the entire world left to me is empty. It is an old sickness lingering on a helpless victim. It is a dry basin yearning for replenishment, a dry basin seeking a revival that will never come. The main thing that troubles my mind is how much my mother had told me to be still; I am like a rotting corpse knowing there isn’t anything left for them in this world. I am empty; I am distant. I am finally still.
“Knock, knock.”
“DJ, you still in bed?”
“Wake up, get out of bed. The sun is way up in the sky. He beat you up there.” That
was a phrase that I used to tell my parents when I was nine or seven.
“DJ talk to me, say something..” She told me as she had quivered her bottom lip; she
had been broken like I was. She slowly had hit her breaking point; she was building redness behind her eyes.
I just stared at her with blackness behind mine. I had slowly started to see her
cry; I had then watched her beg on her hands and knees crying. All she wanted was nothing more than a tiny smile from my mouth. All she wanted was a sign telling her that I was still in there somewhere, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t close at all. I was a lobotomized vegetable miles away, that forgot about pain, that forgot about me. I was broken, and everyone could see it.
“You hungry?”
“Say something, anything.”
I didn’t, not a word, not a hand gesture. I was nothing; I was a nobody. I was
By: Drew Yazzie
Confessions Of a Decaying Prince
Pain, searing pain. A pain that I never knew could exist, a pain that I thought that
a person taking up someone else’s breathing space. Who am I? Am I just fit to be screwed? Am I just a Lemming who just up and checks out when he wants? Am I
doomed to banishment? What have I done to deserve such a punishment? Why must I not be the only one to be punished? I wish I was made-up empty space. Not a care in the world would worry over me, I would just be space.
“I’m going to make some soup, maybe it will make your stomach or something feel better.”
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I watched her leave in disarray. She had been crumbled to ashes from my not speaking.
That’s all she had barely been, she just had barely scratched the surface of losing the one you love the most. She hadn’t come close to when they actually depart, she is one of the lucky ones, it tests us all.
“Hey stupid, wake up, WAKE UP!” My brother yelled as he violently kicked the bed. My old-
est brother: the unconscious genius, the lazy end of the stick, the thorn in my back. He had spent most of his entire life tormenting my will to live. He’s the one who pushes you around in the school yard; the one who gets everything his own way, as if he’s king.
My brother is mainly the rude awakening that I hate, so I venture to my world, my last re-
sort of forgetting, my last perfect world. I closed my eyes, and I took a deep breath, and relaxed my eyes.
I opened my eyes and saw the enormous, resilient, calm, crystal, cerulean ocean. I saw the
baby blue skies as far as I could squint. I saw white, untouched shores to my left and my right, stretching on farther than any open coastline I had seen. I turned around and I saw a three-story beach house with full-framed windows and crimson red drapes. I am home. I walked towards the house and saw a boy and a girl playing by the wooden posts. They had been building a sand castle for quite some time. I walked over and asked if they were hungry. They had replied yes, and then quickly followed me up the steps to the patio deck. I opened the glass sliding door and lead in the two, and began to prepare stir fried vegetables. After some time of being there, I finally heard the sound of leather boots hitting the floor outside the window. I heard the door slowly open, and I heard a familiar voice speak hello to me from behind, one more time.
Before I could turn and see that beautiful smile one more time, god wakes me up and
brings me back to reality. I am devastated that he would do such a thing. I then looked up at my morbid ceiling with a rotted, churned stomach, and flaming, piercing eyes. I noticed that it had gotten dark out, and yet I laid on my death bed waiting for my ending. I have no more hopes, no more yearnings for a perfect life. This was my life now; this was my bittersweet victory.
I slowly got up and wandered to the bathroom. I walked down the darkly lit hallway blind-
ed, but managing. It seemed as if I was in the twilight zone, and it seemed as I had walked for hours. I finally got to the bathroom and turned on that one bright, white light. It shined on me; it shined on my face and body. I looked deep into the mirror and see myself again. I don’t get to
see myself a lot anymore. I had seen my swollen, empty, red eyes, my gangly body, and my depressing state of un-will. I cannot cry, for I have no more tears to shed. I cannot speak, for I have nothing left to say. I cannot eat, for I have no reason to satisfy my body.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a bit; I stared at my slowly tiring body wanting repen-
tance. I then washed my hands and got ready and walked out the front door. I silently shut the door with ease, and I walked down the road. I abandon home and made my journey to the west, where the sun sets on life.
I had walked on the dark road for some time; a road that is not damaged but old. A road
that does not crumble at the rubber linings, it is a strong, durable road. I am used to the same road that I had driven on for over eighteen years. It was the main road that lead into my life. It is the same road that will take me out of it. I slowly walked thinking of yet again nothing. I just walked like a zombie with no purpose, with no reason.
After an hour of walking, I got to the main road that lead to two places, south, and north.
I headed north. I hadn’t even notice that it was cold out, and I hadn’t even thought of bringing a jacket.
A familiar silver Jeep Liberty had slowly passed me and pulled to the side of the road.
“What are you doing out here Spoof?”
“Where are you going? You do know that it is 3’o’clock in the morning right?” She said to
me again. I just told her that I was going to school; she likes my sense of irony.
Danielle then keeps on talking to me, but my one thought repeats my mind and can’t remem-
ber what she says. So I just get in with her, with no specific purpose. She said she was headed to Albuquerque. I replied fine, take me with you. She doesn’t question why; she just tells me to buckle up. Everyone knows about me; everyone knows my pain. They just don’t know what had happened to me.
“So dude, what the hell happened?”
They all had asked the same question, and I gave the same answer.
“I was sad when I didn’t get an A in math.”
“Haha, bullshit.”
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She knew I was lying. I knew I was lying. She knows I don’t want to speak; she knows
I just want to sleep. She had been here before, but it had only lasted a minute. Mine will stay with me till I break into two. I looked out the window of the moving vehicle and saw dark shadowy figures pass by. I kept thinking that maybe if that was people’s punishment, having to watch their loved ones suffer. They had been reincarnated to be the night; a dark loamy essence that just stays with some people. I can feel them watching me. I can feel their eyes forsaking me.
“Do you have your Zune?” she had asked me way out of left field.
“Sorry, no.”
I remembered where I exactly left my sleek, charcoal, Zune. I left it in the back seat of a
moving ’86 Pontiac. I left it in the backseat of an un-helpless victim of drunk driving. I had shed one last tear before I closed my eyes again. I just want to return to my perfect world, and leave my un-resolving, tormenting, hallow one behind. I just want my days back; I just want him back.
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The Memorable Titanic The Titanic is a great research topic to talk about because individuals want to know the history about Titanic. People want to know: how did it happened? When did it happened? What happened to the sunken ship? and Are there any facts or clues that still remain in the ship. The Titanic was a tragic accident that happened back in 1912, a ship that sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. It was going from the United Kingdom to New York City. She hit an iceberg about 11:40 pm on April 12, 1912. There were more than 700 survivors and more than 1,500 people died. There are artifacts that were found in the ship and around the ship (Wikipedia.org).
The voyage of the Titanic took place at noon in Southampton, United Kingdom. RMS (Royal Mail Steamship) Titanic left on
April 10, 1912. Captain Edward John Smith, who was senior to the White Star Line’s captains. He was transferred from the Olympic to take command of the Titanic. The Chief Mate of Titanic was Henry Tingle Wilde. The First and Second Officers were William McMaster Murdoch and Charles Lightoller. The ship had 883 crew members on board. She was designed by an Irish builder named William Pirrie. The Titanic was supposed to be the safest ship ever built, unsinkable ship. She was one of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners ever (History.com). Titanic carried the wealthiest people all over from Ireland, Great Britain, and Scandinavia; they were looking for a new life in the United States. Titanic was 882 feet and 9 inches long with a maximum breadth of 92 feet 6 inches (Wikipedia). Her height was 104 feet, gross register tons was 46, 328, draught was 34 feet 7 inches, and she weighed about 52,310 tons (Wikipedia. org). She had sixteen compartments. The Titanic carried twenty lifeboats, fourteen of them were standard wooden Harland and Wolff lifeboats, which carried about sixty-five people each. Four of them were Englehardt lifeboats, which are collapsible lifeboats and carried about forty-seven passengers, and two emergency cutter lifeboats, which carried about forty people (Wikipedia.org).
Four days away from their voyage from Southampton, United Kingdom, they hit an iceberg; they were only 375 miles of their
voyage from United Kingdom. The Titanic hit the iceberg at 11:40 pm. Fredrick Fleet, who was doing the lookout, saw an iceberg com-
ing in front of Titanic. The ship struck the iceberg, creating holes below the waterline. Five of the ship’s compartments were breached. The compartments began to fill with water, so that made the Titanic break in half. They were sending distress signals by flares, rockets, and lamp, but none of the ships that were near, but got no signal. The RMS Carpathia was less than twenty miles away from the tragic sinking of Titanic. She failed to hear the distress signals. The lifeboats had only enough space to carry about half of those on the ship. The officers didn’t know how many passengers they could put aboard safely. The crews weren’t fully trained in carrying out an evacuation (Wikipedia.org). While the ship was sinking, people were jumping off into the water. Some were injured while jumping off: some died, also. The ships unsupported stern rose out of the water, exposing the propellers. She split apart between the third and fourth funnels due to the immense strain on the keel (Wikipedia.org). The remaining crew and passengers were plunged into lethally cold water with a temperature of only 28 degrees. The people who left with the lifeboats only picked up about thirteen people; although, the boats had room for about 500 people (Wikipedia.org). Most of the survivors were mostly women and children. More than 1,500 people died during the tragic sinking of the Titanic. Around two a.m., April 15, 1912, the Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 hundred miles south from Newfoundland, Canada (Wikipedia.org). Titanic sunk about 2:20 a.m. with latitude of 41:46 north and 50:14 west. When four a.m. came around, that’s when RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene and took more than 700 survivor aboarded. Three days later, RMS Carpathia arrived in New York (Wikipedia.org).
Seventy-three years later, on September 1, 1985, a French expedition discovered the sunken ship Titanic below the ocean about
13,000 feet. They found the two sections of the ship in a canyon on a continental shelf off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The sections hit the sea floor at a considerable speed where the bow to crumpled and the stern entirely collapsed. After the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, they took photos and found that there might be human remains beneath or in the ship (Wikipedia.org). A watch was found from a body of a steward named Sidney Sedunary. A piece of cane from a damaged seat was also found and recovered. Also, several name boards from the lifeboats have been recovered, treated, and placed for sale. Life jackets, seat supports, and flags from the lifeboats have been collected and displayed in several traveling displays at museums (Titanic Facts, Titanic Artifacts). One of the recovered artifacts is a collection of sampled perfumes from Adolphe Saalfeld. He was a perfume maker from England, and he was a survivor of the sinking of Titanic. He carried about sixty-five vials of perfume of which sixty-two were recovered. They were found on the sea floor in 2000 (Titanic Facts, Titanic Artifacts). A deck chair was found and sold for $77,000. These are some of the artifacts that were found: ticket stubs, bars of soap, stemware, Letters from passengers, menus from the last meal served on board, plaques used as signage on the ship, currency, cooking and dining room items like a cutlery, jewelry, clothing like shoes, reading glasses, passenger lists, a liquor bottle, smoking tins, and wine bottles. The first artifacts that were found were sent to France in 1987 (Titanic Facts, Titanic Artifacts).
In conclusion, Titanic was a ship that sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912. She was the largest ship
aboard coming United Kingdom to New York. The Ship hit an iceberg causing it to sink. They were more than 700 survivors and more than 1,500 people died. A French expedition rediscovered Titanic in 1985. Some artifacts were discovered and recovered and some were put in displays at museums.
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Remembrance
Nyikchole (Nicole) Antoinette Begay May 23, 1992 - May 4, 2012
Everyone who knew this beloved angel were insanly lucky to be apart of her life. She was wild, she was beautiful, and she was not like any other girl on earth. She was our star, she was our sister who would not have a care in the world for problems. She never liked conflict, she was a love child, for she was loved and she loved us. The main reason onto why I keep thinking why she left us was, it was because she was just to perfect for our humble world. On May fourth, 2012, she had gone out skateboarding to her new favorite sport, Paradise. Paradise is a street intersecting E. Linda Vista, and there she was hit by a car. She instantly went unconcious on impact, and she never woke up. I am glad to know her, she was marvelous, and I’m glad and found it beautiful the way she left. She went without suffering, without pain, she left all of us in a deep sleep. She will foreverly be missed. She now shines above us. She will always be Nyikchole, perfect.
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Photography by: Tylene Halfmoon
The biggest, littlest closing in a magazine ever. Thank you for reading, I’m sure you will read this over and over, well most likely not. But thank you for reading this magazine. It is just a quick rough that came out pretty good. It was pretty fun making our first printed magazine. It was fun designing and editing. I found quite a few mistakes that I kept trying to remind everyone to edit their papers. I guess now I know how it feels to be an editor, stressful. Well thanks again for reading this magazine dedicated to many students with amazing talents to write, take pictures, and draw peoples attention and paying close to detail. i would surely like to make another, but with a little more help from my immediate members, because more people need to know about people’s talents. I also would like to thank coconino community college for the technical help, really couldn’t do it at all without their care.
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