Monuments and Movement

On Saturday we had the chance to kindle our patriotism while looking over the majestic faces of Roosevelt, Jefferson, Washington, and our own Illinoisan Abe Lincoln. Honestly I was shocked at how moved I was by the colossal monument of American ability and ingenuity.

I was also shocked at both Trent's creepiness...

...and jump-kicking abilities.

After Mount Rushmore, we headed over to the Crazy Horse carving—an absolutely gigantic monument still under construction more than fifty years after its inception. It reflected another facet of American values; while Rushmore exemplified skill and polish, Crazy Horse showed the individualistic resolve of Korczak Ziolkowski's focus on his passion. Both are impressive testaments to the power of diversity as it manifests itself in our country.

And to learn more about diversity, finally we have arrived on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. Yesterday marked our departure from the exceptional hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Statz. Though there were tears and sadness on all sides (just kidding—they were probably super-excited to get rid of our hungry bellies), I was excited to finally saddle up and head for Pine Ridge. Over the last few days in our limited contact with Lakota Sioux I have developed a great deal of questions: what, exactly, are their religious beliefs? How are their traditional healers integrated into the larger structure of healthcare delivery? What is their relationship with the broader American society? While they obviously revere their people who commit to US military service, do they see any tensions in devoting their youth to the institution that has caused them so much pain in the past? Will I get a chance to have any of these insanely complicated questions answered?

We only arrived last night, but already I'm looking forward to today when we get a chance to get out into the field and do what we came here to do: learn as much as we can and start assimilating what we find about the Lakota Sioux into our existing knowledge of underserved medical communities.