Heritage. What does this mean to you? For me, this word has many meanings: family, culture, ethnicity, home. These were few of many things I’ve learned while participating in the LSWHTA program.
My name is Valerie Valenzuela. I am a student attending Cholla High School. I am mixed, Mexican and Yaqui. I grew up in Tucson all my life, and never traveled anywhere other than Phoenix and New Mexico (to get fireworks only). When I learned about this program from my teacher who encouraged me to join, I was hesitant, but then I thought, “why not try?” I wanted to try this out because of the traveling to cultural sites. Ancient history has always fascinated me, and still continues to. Archeology was a career I wanted to pursue ever since I was a child. Over time, my interests grew to include aviation, aerospace engineering, the military, and the justice system. They grew just like I did during this program. My interest in archeology was revived and has opened up a flurry of career paths linked to archeology that I would have never known if I hadn’t been able to participate in this. I don’t regret my decision to just go for it and apply. After all, as Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk.”
A Message To My Heart: I went to many places during my time in the program, but a few spoke more to my heart than others.
People and The Land: There were two people that I met; Raeshaun Ramon (Tohono O’odham) at Sugaro National Park, and Jason Nez (Diné/Najovo) at The Grand Canyon, who taught me about interpretation. From Raeshaun I learned about pictographs and the different ways they can be meaningful to people who see them. From Jason, I learned that the stories of the past are bigger than what we see on the surface. They emphasized the importance of Native voices. Interpretations in archaeology are one of the biggest drives to achieving information. But speaking with the descendants and listening to their stories about their culture and native lands opens up a bigger picture of the past as opposed to a limited view based on the physical evidence alone. Being a Yaqui woman, this speaks multitudes to me. Their speeches touched me dearly, and gave me determination to learn as much history as I can.
Set In Stone: Let’s not forget the architectural feats and inventions these amazing people created. Nowadays, modern humans like you and I think of ancient humans as cavemen with clubs banging rocks together chanting “Ooga booga!” NO! Wrong! We do not give them the credit they deserve! The idea that engineers, problem solvers, creative minds, and inventors are modern is a misconception. They have been around longer than most people think. Ancient humans had to survive by being engineers, problem solvers, creative thinkers, and inventors. And I saw the evidence of this through my time in this program. How else could the human race have evolved and thrived? What seemed dangerous to us, was normal for them. They did not let their circumstances limit their potential. They created groundbreaking architecture that have stood the battle of time and remain well in tact to this day. They built homes in the eroded crevasses of cliffs and mountains, they understood irrigation and ventilation and incorporated it into their structures and daily lives. Ideas and techniques were shared through trade across North America Ancient humans weren’t as primitive as we assume they are.
Migration and Change: Change isn’t always something that should be viewed negatively. Change paves way for new ways of life and new ways to survive. When the Catholic priest came to Tumacacori, he spread his knowledge of Christ to the natives living there. They were introduced to Catholicism but had the freedom to continue the practice of their culture. This lead to the merge of two different diverse cultures. It is like how Catholicism was introduced to my ancestors. Every Easter, my tribe celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ through ceremonies. The ceremonies include parts of my tribe’s native beliefs and Catholicism. Change can led to birth of new cultures. Just how like priests brought new ideas to my ancestors, they brought new ideas such as technology to the indigenous peoples at Tumacacori. For example, processing of wheat was introduced. Sometimes people need to migrate to different places to accommodate their needs. Many of the tribes in Northern Arizona have evidence and stories of their ancestors’ migration. For instance, many of the pueblo tribes migrated from small homes/pueblos to larger pueblos to accommodate their family and community sizes. Migration happens more often than you think. Think about when your family moved homes or countries, that is migration, that is change. Change is the way of life for many.
Takeaway: This program has opened my eyes to the world of archeology. It showed me that there is more to it than finding and preserving artifacts. This program has inspired me to look beyond the surface of things, to dig deep to fully understand the world around me. But it has done so much more than that; it helped me with my socializing skills and pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. During the camping trip, I built many bonds and made friends. Overall, it was a great experience that I am grateful to have lived. My trips around Arizona have inspired me to learn more about my roots. After high school, I am planning on visiting Mexico and my tribe, specifically the Rio Yaqui River. I want to talk to the elders and the people from the community to gain more insight about my tribe. I want to experience what my ancestors experience when living there. This will be my personal migration that will lead to the possibility of discovering and learning new things about myself and my identity.
I want to thank everyone involved with the program. You gave me some of the best moments in my life. I will never forget my time in this program, or all of the people I’ve met. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤️