This was my fifth time down to Oklahoma for the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma's annual Pow Wow. The food was great, as usual. The only time I ever eat fry bread or Navajo tacos is when I am in Miami, so the sounds, smells, and tastes all made me feel like I was back in a familiar place.

Two women a few years older than me started the project in an effort to create a real and meaningful bond between the tribe and the university. Considering the history the university has with the tribe, this was the first real movement towards creating a truly positive relationship. We had about seven oral history interviews which is our yearly average.

We drove through Picher, OK and Treece, KS again. They are two towns which were completely stripped mined and are surrounded by enormous mountains of toxic mine waste, chat. Lead blood levels are twice the state average here. The EPA finally agreed to buyout Picher, providing citizens a pittance of their homes value. Treece has failed to receive a government offer.

Defining the weekend:

Dear Companion by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore on their album "Dear Companion"

My Friend with the Ink by Shout Out Louds

The Spooklight