Neah Bay

PLU on the Beach. Darlene Reilley

Is it possible to cram the rest of our experience into one blog entry?  We've done so much and had so many great experiences, I'm not sure if I can contain the whole thing here.  You wouldn't think that you could cram so many experiences into 12 days, but it's possible.  Over the last week and a half, we have: helped with a funeral, attended orientation, toured the village and the museum, hiked to Cape Flattery and Ozette, attended Church, rode in canoes, played the Bone Game, helped with service placements, attended basketball games, toured a woodshop, made cedar mats, learned a bit of the Makah language, made Cedar Rope bracelets and letter openers, learned about Tribal Journeys, delivered gifts, watched a carver rough out a small canoe, made drum keychains, attended lectures about Forestry, Marine Mammals, Veterans, Ozette and Chamber of Commerce, and listened to stories around a campfire.  If you've read that straight through, you should be as out of breath as we were at the end...and many of us were debating whether we wanted to come home.

View from our Cabin. Darlene Reilley

Getting ready to do a Polar Bear Plunge!

Stories and smores around the campfire. Darlene Reilley 

Playing on the Beach. Darlene Reilley

The Makah are generous hosts; they have welcomed us into their lives and homes.  It was an honor meeting them.  I can't step away without mentioning President and Dr. Krise and Tamara Williams and her sons's visit.  It was an honor to meet them all.  The entire group shared dinner with them and I hope we were able to convey how special an experience it is to visit Neah Bay.  I know they were able to walk on the beach at Hobuck and tour the MCRC.  Dr. Huelsbeck has brought students to Neah Bay for 18 years and I hope that continues and that other Lutes follow behind us and spend time with our friends.

As we went about our time there, one thing sticks out: people kept approaching us and thanking us for our service, especially at the funeral.  It was an honor to be able to help out.  We appreciate the fact that they invited us into their lives.  We were able to help the community when they needed it and in return give back to the community for allowing us to have the experience of entering their community as junior family members.

The experience of meeting several Makah people and sharing experiences with them has been one of the highlights of my time at PLU.

Best,

Darlene