Category Archives: Snapshots

Random things about us

32 Weeks

Snapshots

Each field season is a little different in terms of our goals, the team members and the experiences.  But this year is very different for me. I am 32 weeks pregnant with my daughter.  This has impacted out team in multiple ways from the way I packed and prepared, to our itinerary.

I had to very closely monitor the Zika Virus situation in South Texas. The CDC keeps an updated webpage with information regarding Zika cases in every state. While the number of reported cases in Texas to date is not significantly higher than in states surrounding Indiana, I still need to be cautious when outdoors.  I am following the CDC guidelines to prevent mosquito bites. This includes applying an insect repellent with at least 20% DEET and covering exposed skin while outdoors.  I also decided to pre-treat my outdoor clothing with Permethrin insect repellent. Permethrin is designed specifically for fabric and can last through multiple washes. All clothing that I will be wearing when we do outdoor fieldwork or outdoor events has been treated.

Dr. Latham 32 weeks pregnant in her UIndy Human Identification Center Lab shirt
32 weeks (still fit in an XL lab shirt!)

I do not anticipate the pace or volume of our contributions this field season to be impacted in any way. I am more fatigued at the end of the day than in previous field seasons, but we have a full schedule while we are in Texas. We will be working with Dr. Kate Spradley of Operation Identification on skeletal analyses at Texas State University until Friday. On Saturday we will be participating in Missing in Harris County Day. Our remaining time in Texas next week will be spent in Falfurrias volunteering with the South Texas Human Rights Center. I have an amazing team of University of Indianapolis students with me this year. They did a great job doing skeletal analyses today. In addition, there is a UIndy anthropology colleague working with us this year. Dr. Alyson O’Daniel is a cultural anthropologist embedding herself with our team.

Today we learned about the progress that is occurring in terms of identifications and repatriations across the state. I have dedicated friends and colleagues who are acting tirelessly to change policy and work to standardized the procedures.  This week there are students and faculty from both UIndy and Texas State working to complete as many skeletal analyses as possible to reduce the backlog of cases that currently exists.  Yesterday everyone worked smoothly and skillfully to complete several cases.   We are very excited to share more about what we are doing and the amazing progress our colleagues are making on issues of identification and repatriation. Stay tuned!

~KEL

They remember the Alamo, but I’ve never been

Snapshots

Today we flew into Texas and settled in before beginning our work at Texas State University tomorrow morning.  We began our journey with an early 8 am flight first to Dallas, and then to San Antonio.  I was definitely tired after the flight, but that quickly dissipated as soon as I got off the plane.

Group photo of Beyond Borders team members at the airport
Amanda, Dr. Latham, Dr. O’Daniel, Justin and Helen at the airport

 

Once we arrived, we were able to spend a little time sight-seeing around San Antonio.   Lunch was our first stop, and we decided to go to a restaurant called Moses Rose’s Hideout.  Apparently when you enter you’re supposed to knock on the door, give a secret password, and do something embarrassing for all the other restaurant goers to see before you’re allowed to enter.  Unfortunately for us, it was lunch and we were the only ones there, so we did not get to embarrass ourselves.  Regardless, the food was amazing.

Beyond Borders team members group photo at the Alamo
At the Alamo

After lunch we decided to visit the Alamo, as I had never been there before.  I was
astonished by the beautiful architecture and gardens we walked through.  I was excited to learn more about the history of the Alamo, but I kept getting distracted by the beautiful scenery, and of course the souvenirs in the gift shop.

Beyond Borders Team Members wearing bonnets
Fun at the Gift Shop

Subsequently, we decided to drive up to San Marcos to prepare for our week of lab work. On our way, we stopped at Buc-ee’s, which when I asked if it was a gas station turned out to be quite an understatement.  Not only was the gas station huge, but also the store itself.  They seemed to have everything and anything I could want at a rest stop.  And of course, we couldn’t resist taking a photo with the Buc-ee statue.

Beyond Borders Team Members in a group photo with Buc-ee the Beaver
Buc-ee the Beaver

Once we arrived at our hotel in San Marcos and settled in, we headed to H-E-B to buy lunches and dinners for the week.  The rest of the evening was ours to relax and prepare ourselves for the tough, but fulfilling work to come.    While many of the team members had been to these places before, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the stories of years past and making new memories.  I really appreciated getting to see some of the sites of San Antonio today, and even more excited to get to work tomorrow morning.  I’m thrilled to be participating in this humanitarian effort with this group of people.

–Helen

The Immersion Experience

Reflections, Snapshots

Last week we had a group visit all the way from New Zealand. They spent a week or so at the border helping in various outlets before coming to Brooks County for a day to volunteer at the South Texas Human Rights Center.

We spent the morning in conversation around the table. Eddie discussed the various roles that the STHRC plays, all while taking care to deeply engage each separate perspective so that questions could be asked and a sense of understanding could be built.  This, of course, took the entire morning but it was extremely important because it allowed all of us to examine each root with the respect that each deserved, regardless of the amount of prior knowledge of the crisis,.

At what we thought would be the end of the conversation, Eddie asked for questions, comments, or just simply what comes to mind. And I think this was one of the most exciting parts of the day, because these questions and comments were coming from those who had, in comparison to us at the STHRC, not much experience with migration in Texas. And yet, the insights they had were, in my opinion, some of the most important insights pertinent to this crisis; a reminder that it can be easy to lose sight of the forest among the trees.

“To me, what keeps coming to mind is when we visited the border the other day and we saw the fence. It just seems like if there was any kind of solution, it would be to think about where the people are coming from, and what is making them come in the first place. Because you said they are mostly fleeing violence, and are migrating simply to survive, right? It just doesn’t seem like building a fence a thousand miles away from the problem would really do what it’s built to do in the first place.”

“I was thinking about when we visited the fence, too. But to me I was just shocked that the land on both sides looked the same. In New Zealand, our border is the ocean, so obviously it’s a bit different of a scenario. Didn’t the land on both sides of the fence here used to all belong to the same people? It just seems odd to build a huge fence in land that all was the same at one point.”

Yes! Exactly! To me, these conclusions that they came up with were extremely logical. I was reminded that, while the complexities will always exist, it is important to remember the logical questions that need to ultimately be addressed.

What is the role of the fence at the border? What is its intended purpose? Does it achieve its intended purpose? If so, how? If not, why not? Who owns land? Does it belong to the people, and if so, who are they and what is their history? What was this land and this river used for before it was used solely as a border? Are these questions only to be addressed relative to the current day? Should history be considered?  Our conversation easily lasted another hour or so discussing these questions.

The group then spent the afternoon with us building a new water station that will hopefully save the lives of anyone distressed who finds the station. We experienced a glimpse of the heat, terrain, and environment that this water station was intended to combat.

New Zealand group putting together a flag for the water station

This was an immersive experience for all involved.  For the New Zealanders, they were immersed in our perspectives and complex issues as well as our environment. For us at the STHRC, we were immersed in the intrigue and insights of the New Zealanders, as well as their stories and perspectives of migration in the South Pacific Islands. But for all of us, we better understand issues through exploration of similarities and differences from other perspectives. Being here in South Texas is imperative to understanding what is happening here, and we are extremely thankful for anyone and everyone who comes to visit for any type of immersion experience.

New Zealand group finishing setting up a flag at a water station

~Ryan