All posts by Jessica

Day 3: Sticker Burrs

Here we are at the end of day 2 (in the field) and I have been stuck by more sticker burrs than I can keep track of. It is a love/hate relationship, me and sticker burs; I hate them and they seem to love me. These sticker burrs are also different than the burr you would find in Indiana; in Texas, they are small, sphere shaped with tiny knives that stick to everything. In my original post, I thought scorpions were going to be my kryptonite but no, it is the dreaded Texas sticker burr.

Reflecting back on today, I am astonished at the amount progress that has been accomplished  within our group as well as the Texas State group. It was an early morning for everyone; arriving at the cemetery at 7am, our groups immediately got down to work. There were three groups working on three different areas of the cemetery and although we were all doing the same excavation work, at the same cemetery, with the same goals; we all faced different challenges.

One of the challenges our group faced was figuring out how to excavate an area that is comprised mostly of sand causing the walls of the burial to be completely unstable. This was an excellent example of teamwork and why having an open line of communication is important in field work. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and develop a not-so-standard solution on how to move forward with the excavation resulting in the recovery of two of the three burials.

Another challenge our group faced was being the center of attention to a large group of media personnel who were at the site in order to bring awareness to this humanitarian issue. It was not until I was able to step back after my excavation rotation that I realized how many people were actually filming us. Media standing over and filming two team members excavating a burial.In the moment, it may appear troublesome having so many people crowding such a small area but it is a small price to pay for all of the positive attention it is bringing to the crisis here in South Texas.

Media filming team members excavating a burial.After each burial excavation is completed, the remains are taken into a private tent area where all the remains and personal belongings are inventoried. Once the inventory is completed, the remains and personal belongings are prepared to be sent to Texas State University for analysis. What we are currently doing in South Texas really is a small first step, in the longer more complicated process that takes place after the remains arrive  back at Texas State University.

Today was a pleasant mixture of exhaustion and Team selfie at a restaurant.excitement as we were able to take that first step in the long process of getting these individuals identified and repatriated. At the end of the day, we are all in high spirits….. exhausted.. but in high spirits as we sit around the table wrapping up day 2 by completing our evening tasks of blogging, mapping, note taking, and logging photos. Its hard to think that this is only day 2 and that we only have 7 days left. I am excited to see what the next week may bring us since we have plans for visiting the Humanitarian Respite Center and traveling to the border. It has certainly been an eye opening experience thus far and I imagine that after volunteering at the Human Rights Center and visiting the various places that it will only become richer. Until next time…

Jessica

Feliz año nuevo!

The time is almost here, in just over a week i’ll be boarding an airplane with an amazing group of people to head to South Texas. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that we sat down for our first meeting and started discussing items on our agenda that, at the time, seemed so far away. I find myself having trouble putting into words how I feel or what I think the next couple of weeks are going to be like. All I can think about is how I still need to go shopping for last minute items, and making sure the animals and my partner have enough food to survive the next few weeks without me. All those things seem so minuscule and unimportant compared to what our group will be doing while we are in Texas.

While in Texas, our time will be divided up into doing excavations at the Sacred Heart Cemetery and most recently, we found out that we will be spending time at the Sacred Heart Humanitarian Respite Center, among other items on our agenda. At the center, we will be volunteering our time to assist immigrant families while they wait to be reunited with their family here in the United States. I wish I felt more prepared but I don’t think there is any real preparation one can do to make yourself feel 100% ready.

I have never experienced first hand a crisis like what has been happening in South Texas and other states along the border. What compelled me to want to participate in this humanitarian effort, is the thought of being able to give closure to families. To assist in getting these unidentified border crossers identified and then return them to their families. If I was in this position, I would like to think that someone would do the same for my loved one and my family although I cannot really understand what these families and gone and are currently going through.

As for now, I will continue procrastinating my packing and shopping for last minute items. I am actually looking forward to my first blog post after being in S. Texas for a few days. I am as ready as I can be when it comes to the amount of emotions I will be feeling and the culture shock that I will experience. Until then, cheers to the New Year and when I come home, I welcome the change that this experience will give me- just like with every new year, we strive to be different, to be better and never the same.

Jessica