Why this topic?

In the article “ And Then I Went to School” by Joe Suina is a story about his early childhood at home and going to a school where his culture isn’t welcomed. And how the change affects him and how different he sees stuff now. I relate to it by how my grandparents have gone through this and I hear about their stories. Then also being in a boarding school, I see how scary that could be.  And I chose to look at a podcast called “The big burn” and they explore the history and state of wildfire management today.

Suina, Joseph “And I went to school” memories of a pueblo childhood,”. New Mexico Journal of Reading, Winter 1985, Vol. V, No.2.

Memories and stories are connected to our land as described by B. Toastie in the article,” How place names impact the way we see the landscape.” The stories the place may have or a significant place in the environment. The stories that may go with the land give it some detail and an idea of the place and its sacredness. The idea of giving a place the name of someone isn’t fair to the people who have been there first, and we are constantly remembering the person. 

Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News:    Know the West, 1 May 2022, https://www.hcn.org/issues/54.5/people-places-how-place-names-impact- the-way-we-see-landscape.

\ In the article, “Sharing One Skin,” by Jeanette Armstrong, We learn that everyone is connected by their hearts in Okanagan Culture. To be Okanagan means that everyone is connected to each other and there is no one less or more than another. To be born into a community means that now they are a part of that community and connected to the people, traditions, and land. Place Identity changes our perspective on the way we see the landscape. 

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470.

Satellite images showed an increase of wildfires on a 22 year trend. This is great example of the increase of temperature and the relative humidity going down. The increase of droughts are causing more fires in Russia to occur

An increase of emissions after covid hit, as emissions rise the climate changes with it. Extreme weather due to climate change leading to natural disasters. Scientist studying the effects on climate change and all the possibilities of natural disasters 

Native American's had always actively managed our landscape. They had a complex but deep understanding of preventing wildfires. They had an intimate Relationship with the land, both spiritually and for practical use. That nowadays we should adopt there ways and learn their ways of managing the land by using good fires to keep the land healthy. 

Europeans getting to the new world thinking that everything they believe in is theirs and Native Americans are not important just primitive people. portraying them as bad people resulting in land loss, and losing their cultures and traditions. Their ways of life is wrong and the only right way is the white way. The goal of this was to kick out the Native Americans and take their land. So Native Americans ways would be forgotten.

In the article Texas V. New Mexico, Texas Sues New Mexico for taking a large abundance of water from the Rio Grande. Texas uses the water for drought purposes, or groundwater. They agreed under and agreement to put a dam and sort out the water then. The agreement entitles that 57% of water goes to New Mexico and Texas 43% of the water. 

Their was two major fires around Ruidoso, the south fork and salt fire, burn over 900 homes threatening the communities in Ruidoso. Then major flooding after the fires devastate 200 more homes. The community bounces back and that they are a very resilient community. 

"How does wildfire smoke affect the brain?” by Mr. White it states that we do not know the direct impact of wildfire smoke. There are tests that they are doing with firefighters,and asking them to take notes on how long they are exposed to the smoke of wildfires. More concerns about the long-term exposure to wildfire smoke, “what are the worries of being exposed for a while?” Is it preventable? 

 In the article “Metals in wildfire suppressants” By Mrs. Schammel. They discuss an increase of metal in the environment, ground water, and surface water. They believe the main cause of the increased metals are from the retardants . The abundance of chemicals they use in it shows that it can be the main cause. Now it is slowly affecting our drinking water and concerns are rising about the “Human health Impacts” it has on the people. 

This interview with Neal Flesner and his wife Carmen had experienced half a dozen wildfires, but this was like no other fire. Their family home was burnt to ash, their garage was the only remaining building. Flesner witnessed first hand his house burnt to rubble, his whole street reduced to rubble. Joel Kleinman, also another victim of the Los Angeles fire, cries as his longtime home is just a pile of rubble. These are all  victims of the Los Angeles fire, and it shows how it affected everyone. But as everyone comes back, “i think everyone wants to come back”, to show that the community is strong, and willing to rebuild.