Rosebud Indian Reservation Movie Analysis

I had the great opportunity to spend a week on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Although, I do not think one week was adequate, it was a great learning and growing experience. I was able to serve with Tree of Life Ministry and others in the community. The director of Tree of Life, Linda, did a great job getting things set up and planned for us so as to make the most out of the trip. The group did a great job together and had an enjoyable time as we were able to accomplish a lot of various and needed projects. The work we did was important along with the relationship we were able to build and we were able to show the love of Jesus to those in need. We were also able to learn more about the Lakota people and their values through different events …show more content…
Training and preparation are important aspects to a successful mission trip. Kurt Caddy was the leader of this mission trip and has lead many trips to Indian reservations and other places in the world. I think that his knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated and was helpful. I believe that I was properly trained and prepared for my trip to South Dakota. Kurt had the group read “Neither Wolf nor Dog,” which gave us a narrative of the interaction between the author, Kent Nerburn and his time spent learning and growing with Dan, a Native American elder. This gave us some insight in how the cultures and society differ and where they are similar. We also watched the movie based on the book, which also helped us view things in a different manner. We also watched “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” and this gave us some insight in historical engagement at Wounded Knee and helped prepare us for the opportunity we had to visit the location while out in South Dakota. This was supplemented by our weekly meetings and occurred on Mondays from 4PM to around 6:30PM. I think that this was adequate time for us to learn and understand our identity and how this worked into …show more content…
I loved the variety of work that the group was able to do over the week. I felt like it was all useful and needed work as the ministry had had a harsh winter and this hopefully gave a new life for the start of spring there. I also enjoyed working with those from Tree of Life and also from my group. We were able to have fun and keep a positive mindset during the week while we were working. I think part of this is due to the reason why we were working and how we were trying to show the love of Jesus. There was many small but meaningful interactions through the week that I enjoyed and gained from. For example when someone started to give the oral history of the origins of the Lakota and the values and lessons that could be reaped from these stories. I did not like how fast the week went by. I was pretty busy during the week and I tried to keep a positive attitude. This helped me not to focus on the negative things, which were small and of minor importances. I think the week was worth it as I grew and developed so much as person. I was able to start valuable relationships with the people there. I felt like the work that I did was more than just work and made a lasting impact. There was plenty of work to do during the week and everyone had an enjoyable time serving as a group. Tree of Life Ministry and Linda did a great and wonderful job accommodating us. This was helpful to the productivity of