So far we've visited some AMAZING sites and gotten acquainted with the amazing staff @ Montana Heritage Commission. No joke, I totally want Janna's job - or Kate's. It just seems that it would be ridiculously awesome to do some of the stuff they do every day. Of course, it would be a lot of work. Kate is the sole archaeologist here in Virginia City w/ the MHC and Janna is constantly having to deal with over a million items in the collection, many of which are still locked away in boxes that she's trying to get through and catalogue. Can you imagine? Still looks awesome.
Apparently this afternoon we'll be traveling the 15 miles to Laurin from Virginia City - that's where the 1868 treaty was signed, etc. This morning we had an organizing meeting and then Kate came in to talk with us about Shovel Testing and Pedestrian survey for artifacts. Looks like that's what we'll be doing in Laurin, or rather a mile outside of the town, so as to find the location of the Agaidika camp during said 1868 treaty meeting. Should be kind of cool, even if I'm pretty nervous as I've never done anything like this before and am seriously worried I might mess up (I'm a little neurotic that way).
Leo, one of the coolest people I've ever had the opportunity to meet, has joined us now. He's an Agaidika and came up here to help us determine where the Agaidika camp would have been in 1868. Also, it looks like a cultural committee of several members of his tribe will be joining us next week for a presentation focusing on the SNHP (Sacajawea National Historic Park) project, so that's pretty darn exciting. It looks like the five of us who are @ field school and were also enrolled in the 528 survey course this last spring will be presenting together, meaning that we have to take all of our presentations and mash them together and cut out a lot so as to keep the presentation much shorter than the roughly 3 hours it took a few weeks ago when we did our preliminary presentations while Leo visited the WSU campus. Keep your fingers crossed cuz that's going to be hard.
In addition to our primary assignment, we're doing two other "side" projects in relation to the Virginia City treaty, etc. The presentation is counting as one of my projects, but I'm also attempting to create a curriculum to be used in classrooms of 4th - 6th graders (I'm really thinking 5th grade but not sure why I'm hung up on that as much as I am). Let me tell you what, I already respected teachers a great deal but after just this little bit of curriculum work I'm even more amazed. Seriously, it is arguably the hardest job I can think of as they have to know their stuff, be amazing planners, and manage to do it all while being relatively nice to students. However, it is also turning into a lot of fun for me so maybe "real" teachers feel that its a fair trade-off, y'know do something you love and are energized by even tho' you aren't being paid nearly enough.
I keep thinking if I were to talk to future field schoolers what I would say as far as "advice" and I think it comes down to just a few things.
1) Take yourself seriously and enjoy the hell out of it; you're a serious scholar now! But don't take yourself too seriously because this is fun, the area is beautiful, and you get to do stellar things. ENJOY!
2) Don't just double or triple check to make sure you have your backpack with you; check like four or five times. I thought I had mine and when I went to snag it on our first day I realized I was wrong and have regretted it every day since. Hiking, etc. is so much more enjoyable when you haven't things in your hands, esp. since you'll want to take photos and notes.
3) Wear sun block, even if you don't think you'll burn. Esp. you ladies because the sun ages us so fast. There's some beautiful people in V.C. but there's also a lot of people who would be knockouts if they'd smear some SPF 30 all over.
4) Make sure you room with someone you like, not just sort of tolerate, and be sure to have some kind of a conversation on roommate etiquette/expectations. I lucked out and am rooming with one of the coolest people I know AND we're very similar, but you gotta make darn sure you can stand three weeks with each other.
5) EAT BREAKFAST! AND LUNCH! AND DINNER! (haha)
6) Watch the sunset and if possible try to watch the sunrise. Montana is beautiful, a kind of wild, untamed and rugged beauty with mountains and cliffs and the most amazing scenery. Take advantage of some of the most beautiful times of the day to stand in wonder @how amazing this land is.
And most importantly - be polite to EVERYONE, especially the people who live and work in and near Virginia City. Rudeness just shows off ignorance.
That's it for now - I'm off to work for another half hour or so before lunch then off to Laurin. I'll hopefully write more soon (like tomorrow or something) so check back for more ramblings by me.
To date coolest thing I've seen: Bison in Yellowstone
Song stuck in my head the most: All my exes live in Texas (thanks Hay Bail opening night)
Thing I'm missing the most: My piano
Thing I'm most eager about: EVERY SINGLE THING WE GET TO DO FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF FIELD SCHOOL (totally coming back to V.C., possibly with field school if I can convince Dr. Svingen that I'd be an asset).
This sounds like so much fun! I think your advice need one more item: make sure you have comfortable shoes! Everything looks better when your feet don't hurt.
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