Upon arriving in Montana, my preconceptions were centered around its stunning landscapes and Western Americana. These elements have indeed played a part in my journey here, albeit a small one. What has truly captivated me about Montana is its people, particularly those we have engaged with on the Blackfeet reservation.

The Blackfeet reservation, located in Browning, carries a complex history that I can only begin to grasp from my limited perspective. As a glimpse, today we traveled from our lodgings at the Methodist church, passing numerous 'Jesus Saves' signs, to partake in a traditional spiritual Blackfeet sweat ceremony. The significance of spirituality and religion has become increasingly apparent, especially through our interactions with Dan, a community partner of Global Volunteers. Dan’s deep pride in native traditions and religion has provided us with a unique perspective.

We were fortunate to receive an invitation to join Dan, Tom, and others in a sweat ceremony. I embraced the opportunity with gratitude, despite knowing absolutely nothing about what a sweat was or signified. The journey to the sweat site, with its winding road, heightened the sense of anticipation. Along the way, we paused at a Sundance lodge. This intricately constructed structure, dependent on a central trunk for stability which symbolizes the Creator, serves as a space for prayer and healing. During the Sundance ceremony, dancers commit to a four-day fast, dancing and praying for healing in the community.

Finally reaching the sweat site, we encountered Joe tending to the coals that would generate the steam for the sweat lodge. As more participants arrived, we were introduced to the leaders: Tom, Rusty, and Joe. Once the coals were ready, we gathered inside the lodge. The leaders began prayers for healing, filling pipes with tobacco and passing them around while praying.

Coals were moved into a hole within the lodge, marking the start of the first round. This first round was particularly impactful, as darkness gave way to prayer and song. With the sizzling of water turning to steam, the room grew increasingly hot, creating an environment conducive to reflection. Amidst the heat and sweat, the sense of community made the experience bearable and even comforting. 

Subsequent rounds felt more familiar, making the sweat less demanding. However, the final round proved to be the most challenging, given the intense heat of the coals and the amount we had already sweated. Volunteers were invited to pour water over the coals and offer prayers.

Through engaging with those at the sweat, we were able to learn more about Blackfeet religion. The ability of the Blackfeet to continue this tradition, and to be kind enough to share it with others, has been impactful.It will shape the rest of the week as we continue to immerse ourselves in the community, and serve others.

With my spirit and body cleansed through sweat and song I was ready for a day of hard work. The sweat lodge left me a bit too at peace however and woke up at 7:30 and had to rush to make our morning meeting. Clothes thrown on, up the stairs i go, coffee down the gullet. Christian‘s reading of his latest journal entry reflecting on Yesterdays events beautifully and Santis selected quote inspired me to work hard for the rest of the day. After the eagle shield and painting groups left, Justin, Lizzie, and I were left waiting for FAST, the Blackfeet food bank, to open.

 Finally, it was 10! Time to get down and dirty. Eagerly, we crossed the street and met Cindy and her associates at FAST. They informed us that they’ve recently been donated a refrigerated truck with plenty of produce inside, some rotted though. Our job was to extract all rotten produce and sort produce by species in preparation for distribution on Thursday. The three of us quickly got into a rhythm with an effective assembly line strategy that eliminated almost all downtime. Thanks to Don Henley and the Eagles, we were having a great time with our rotten veggies and fruits. Returning back to the church, I caught up with the other project teams and learned about their experiences so far. For example, Neal talked to me about how chill the elderly at Eagle Shield were and how rewarding it was to help and interact with the community so closely. 

After today’s volunteering tasks were completed, Bob Tailfeathers visited to teach us about powow culture and his art, which was amazing to see in person. He also spoke on how thankful members of the Blackfeet community are for Global Volunteers long after we have left. This really moved me because it was a testament to the mutual relationship that us volunteers have with Blackfeet Nation; because we truly contribute to and respect their community, we are welcomed warmly and receive their respect in exchange. His fibbed stories were just as memorable though. Looking forward to new challenges and lessons tomorrow.

Today we were visited by the local leader of Alcoholics Anonymous. He told an incredibly emotional tale about his upbringing, and how that caused him to turn to alcoholism. The story was not a sad one, however, rather it was more about the power of determination and the unrelenting human spirit. 

What spoke to me on a personal level was how he said that if given the opportunity to do it all again, he would not change a thing. Through all these trials and struggles he was molded into the man he was today; a great man that tries his best to fix the issues that plague his community. It is a very selfless act to have to relive his worst moments in order to help others that are suffering the same way. 

I think that from this, we can glean a new perspective on life that can be hard to remember in the moment. We should stop treating the bad things that happen to us as this great misfortune, the world being completely against us, and fall deep into a hole of our own self pity. Instead, we should think of it as a test, knowing deep within our hearts that once we get out of this mess, we will be better people because of our struggles, not despite them. 

Later in the day, we were thrust right into the heart of Montana. I have never seen a landscape as unique as the rolling hills and open fields at the foot of enormous Mountains. We all rode horses. Mine was named Spirit, which was a good name because he did not want to stop for a single second, always anxious and eager to get to the next location ahead of everyone else. I never had close interactions with horses before, but I was pleased to see that they have their own personalities much like we do, shown through their riding patterns. 

Felix’s horse, for example, was a massive troll that seemed to take the path that would be the most uncomfortable for his rider. As Spirit and I trotted through the mountains, I felt like I was in an old Western film: dogs running to my right, coyotes howling on the left. I was in a living, breathing, ecosystem. I realized that this was probably the most organic experience of the great outdoors that I could possibly hope to get. I also kind of want a ranch now, maybe I should transfer to MSU to study agriculture? We also had some amazing burgers after and watched Lizzie’s private crawling lessons. 

For most of us, today was completely occupied by helping with the weekly food pantry distribution at FAST Blackfeet (Food Access and Sustainability Team). As soon as we arrived, Cindy, the leader of FAST, put all of us to work sorting through produce, portioning out servings, and transferring what felt like 1000 lbs of chicken to the pantry in preparation for the open distribution period starting at one o’clock. By 12:45, there were already five to ten people lined up outside in the 95 degree heat waiting to pick up food for them and their families. As soon as the doors opened, we had a nonstop flow of people for an hour and a half straight. It died down slightly for the next hour and a half the pantry was open, but we ended up serving around 300 families by the end of the day. As we had to work quickly to serve everyone in a timely manner, we were challenged to work efficiently as a team. We divided up responsibilities, communicated effectively, and supported one another in any way we could.

While we have helped provide service to the community in many ways since we arrived, there’s no impact as tangible as helping them put food on the table for their families. Hearing the community members express the difficulties they’re facing with rising food prices and households of eight, nine, or ten people, I was really inspired by the work that Cindy and all of her volunteers are doing each week. It’s a lot of work, but they are really making such a big difference. Also, as people came in picking up groceries for other families or offering rides to others, I was really moved by how the community supported one another and a found a way to help each other to the extent they were able. Today was a hectic day of volunteering, but it was easily the best one yet. 

After we closed up the food pantry, Dan, a local Blackfeet tribe member, drove us out through what seemed like an endless dirt road - on which we had to abandon Paulina’s Kia - to a sacred site of ancient tipi rings. He explained how these rings of rocks held down tipis 800 years ago. Dan, always eager to talk and teach, continued on about many different things including the history of his ancestors, the spiritual experience he’s had at the tipi rings, and Blackfeet culture. One thing he mentioned that really stuck with me was that the Blackfeet people are not in any hurry to do anything. Instead, they take their time and just live in the present. This is something that has definitely been very apparent to me throughout the week. 

On our first day here, we were told that as far as punctuality goes, the Blackfeet tribe members have three times: morning, afternoon, and evening. This couldn’t be more true. At first, this was an adjustment for me that I didn’t enjoy. When we arrived for the sweat lodge, we waited over an hour to start. Last night, we spent about an hour and a half at the ranch before we got on our horses. I didn’t enjoy the waiting. I was impatient and wanted to get to what we were there for. However, as I reflected on how I felt and what Dan said, I wondered why I was so impatient. What was the rush? And more importantly, why couldn’t I see that regardless of what I was looking forward to, there was still so much to enjoy in the meantime. Waiting is only waiting if you treat it as such. At the end of the day, that’s all valuable time to live in the present and enjoy what you’re doing now. I believe this is a mindset I’ll take with me way beyond my week here in Browning.

Friday started off by going to Eagle Ridge for the last time of the week, and packaging up chicken salad sandwiches and tomato soups for 80 meals that had to be delivered. Christian volunteered to help Linda in delivering the meals on wheels, while Neal, Paulina, and I stayed back to help set up the dining area and prepare for meal service. After we had finished packaging the meals for delivery, we were told that less visitors were expected to be at Eagle Ridge than normal for the day, and that we should package the rest of the meals in to-go boxes rather than serve locals on trays as they arrived to dine in. We completed serving lunches, and helped out with cleaning the kitchen area.

We made our way back to the church and had a bit of time to relax, shower, and prepare for the rest of the day. Around 5 pm, we were greeted by locals we had been around all week, and dined on some delicious Indian tacos. Bob, Joe, Dan, and many other Blackfeet came to celebrate our last evening in Browning, and we finished the celebration with a delicious cake that Lizzie baked for everyone.

After dinner, we said our goodbyes to those that spent so much time teaching us about Blackfeet culture and traditions. We are all incredibly grateful to have met and spent time with some great role models and community leaders. They accepted us all week, and ensured that we felt safe throughout. We were included in all the activities that they were participating in such as the sweat lodge. 

We quickly headed to the local basketball courts before dusk arrived, and played king of the court 3v3 games with a few local high schoolers that were up to the challenge. After getting back from basketball, we took some time to freshen up and finished the week with a big game of hearts. With 9 people playing, and two decks on the table, we played for two hours, as Aidan triumphed and beat us all with a jaw dropping 21 points at the end of the last round. It was a great ending to what had been a jam-packed week full of learning, laughs, and living in the moment