Indigenous Living | Teen Ink

Indigenous Living

March 13, 2015
By HeatherTucker SILVER, Hayward, California
HeatherTucker SILVER, Hayward, California
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We accept the love we think we deserve"


 Our village is was it’s supposed to be. Here, the villages stem from all things nature, so naturally our rooftops are in the tree canopies. Many, many years ago, my ancestors found this forest, my home. The trees were tall and abundant. They had lush, vibrant leaves with largely thick branches. They began to use fallen and dead branches to build a roof connecting the treetops. They made sturdy roofs by placing down a layer of bulky branches followed by leaf mulch. This process was repeated three times.
Our walls are naturally grown. When it all started, our ancestors stumbled upon the perfect type of tree. The trunks were thin and narrow. Branches were flimsy and sparse. They dug a shallow, but wide trench around the space they wanted to confine, and planted thousands of those skinny trees that grow so tall. I've come to realize that they did this because trees can be temporary, in a manner of speaking. The village had expanded greatly because we’re able to dig up the roots of the trees where an area is to be expanded, then replant them when new roofs have been constructed and the walls are ready to be put in place. 
As the years have passed and the trees have grown, our people have had to make adjustments to the rooftops in certain areas. In the beginning, our ancestors worked hard and the rooftop of our village spanned twenty miles. Of course they didn't know that back then, but we do now, and the village has grown enormously. After constructing the roofs, our ancestors thought about total enclosure; walls. People would have the option to either be safe and cozy, inside, or go outside to have adventures.
We no longer consist of one village; we are many villages under one roof. Personal homes flourish in groups of thirty to forty scattered all over. They are now our many villages. In between the villages are entertainment centers for all ages or for specific age groups. Food markets are alive during the day, allowing people to come eat delicious food others cook and enjoy as well. There are places you can go with items you no longer wish to possess, and trade it for something else another person no longer wants.
In the very center, underneath the rooftop, lays the history circle. Everything owned by the first of our people is there. It isn't much; a few journals depicting the journey of constructing my home, and some clothing material. The last item is the only item of interest to the oldest generation. It’s a thick, heavy book. Its pages are filled with small printed words, most of which are incomprehensible to the majority of the people who live here. Copies were made for anyone to read in the hopes that one of us might know what it’s even talking about.
I read it myself once, and I didn't understand it much. I didn't know what most of the words were, or what they meant. But from what I could understand of it, there had to have been a time that existed where there was only loss, pain, and lies. No one could have made that up.



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