"They Called It Prairie Light" Chapter I

As simple as it seems, I felt that it was only appropriate that I insert of picture of my own family. In reading the story of the Chilocco Indian school, it brought about thoughts and emotions. Feelings of lonliness as I think of and miss my sister and brother and what it would be like to be seperated from them for an entire school year. An entrie school year away would feel like and eternity. I can not relate to the experiences of boarding schools, as I was raised at home and attended school at Cheyenne Eagle Butte schools all of my life. In reading about the school in general, my take is this: I could not imagine having ever been away from my family, as I was raised at home by my mom and dad and am proud to say that I come from a "tight Knit" family. Not to say that most of those who were placed in boarding schools did not come from good families. Each individuals' story is different and the circumstances vary. I know that the experiences differ as I hear stories; some good and some bad.
My dad attended the Cheyenne Agency boarding school for most of his life. My dad comes from a big family of five boys and five girls, all of whom have had boarding school experiences for most of their lives. He says that it was good, you got three meals a day, were always cleaning and learned to always fix your bed as soon as you got out of bed. He chuckles and says that to this day he gets up and instantly fixes his bed. He says that the only time they went home was during holidays, which happened to be twice a year. He was sent to live in the dormitories as his family lived too far out in the country and lacked the transportation needed to get to school on a daily basis. My dad says that you could talk to just about anybody and they will tell you about their dormitory experience. I truly believe that boarding school made and molded my dad to be the person that he is.
As I listen to my dad tell of his experiences, I wonder about what my grandparents at home and what they were thinking. Did they truly enjoy this time away from the children, did they miss them or what exactly were their thoughts? As a mother, I would not ever consider sending my daughter or my son away for the school year, as I feel that it is my obligation to get them through school and endure all of the hardships that may come along. I would feel cheated out of the many experiences as a mother; showing them the love and affection, helping them to overcome their fears, watching them grow, being capable of providing them with the proper medical care that they deserve, teaching them about our culture, helping them through when times get tough, and being a part of their education.