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Thanks to the Baylor Bears

Reflections
Baylor and UIndy group photo with some sitting, squatting, and standing in 3 rows

The UIndy & Baylor teams

This field season we were very fortunate to be able to have specialized positions that allow us to interact with the Baylor students in a very different way.  The Baylor students are divided into 5 different teams and each team was assigned to their own quadrant (a 4 meter by 4 meter area of the cemetery).  We have had more of an instructor role this season and have been responsible for explaining and showing how to use certain archeological techniques to best utilize the equipment and document what each team is uncovering. I have been amazed by how well the teams are doing,  these students are incredibly inquisitive and enthusiastic and continue to work hard in this hot Texas sun.  Just a few days into this season and it is evident how much the students have learned and still want to learn.  It has been great to see the teams work together to brainstorm strategy and support each other and the other teams. The teams quickly learned that the quadrant distinctions are being blurred as the burials cross the set grid lines.  However the teams were able to quickly adapt and are doing an excellent job working together to coordinate people, equipment, and documentation.

Going into this field season we knew that this section was going to be more challenging and it has already proven to be different from last year’s section as far as soil density, burial depths, and burial types.  We would not be able to complete this excavation alone, this is a large site that we would not be able to tackle without all of the help from Baylor University.  They provide so much support in the field and they truly make this project possible.

The more we become invested in this human rights issue, the more we are seeing the many different organizations, universities, and individuals that need to work together to solve this daunting issue.  I am honored to work with Baylor University and I look forward to seeing the students further progression throughout the next week in the field.

Erica

Through different eyes

Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

This has been the third day of 5:45 wake ups and each day I am slowly getting to breakfast later and later.   Every day I have gotten in the pool but mainly for a type of medication. I never realized how much better mosquito bites feel in chlorine or maybe it’s just the water. I do not know but it’s about the only time in the day I am not scratching bites.  Since I did not post yesterday I have two birds of the day but I am not going to give a list of the birds I saw since they are mostly duplicates.  But yesterday’s bird of the day was the golden-fronted woodpecker and today’s bird of the day would have to be the summer tanager because I saw the male and female together almost the entire time.

UIndy team members working in a tight area of a burial from the ground levelToday was a big day on site and the team took a big step.  For me this was a huge first of something I would not mind doing the rest of my life.  Today I think everything really set in.  I wrote earlier about the fact that these individuals were unknown.  After accomplishing today’s task I really reevaluated life.  There are so many things that come so easily and unexciting to many of us that we unconsciously take them for granted.  I can’t sit here and say that I will never take anything for granted ever again.  However I can say that each day is a gift and I am grateful.  After the events today and after reading “Showdown in the Sonoran Desert” by Ananda Rose I was torn:  I have read about the reasons why people leave in search for better lives but there is no way I can actually fathom it.  Leaving family trying to make a better life for them is a sacrifice. Not knowing if what they seek to accomplish will be a success is also a sacrifice.  These people are doing what they think is best and today I embraced that they are making the ultimate sacrifice.  I am grateful to be a part of this group and to feel as though we are making some difference.  I appreciate the welcome that we have received here in Falfurrias and hopefully we can continue to help this crisis and help people realize every little bit does help.

The cover of Ananda Rose's book reading Showdown In The Sonoran Desert Religion, Law, and Immigration Controversy - Ananda Rose with an image of 3 people assisting each other in climbing a fence
By Ananda Rose

Cheneta

Day 3

Environment, Snapshots

DAy three group picture with 3 fingers in the air

Before we get to day 3, I need to re-visit day 2.  If the word of the day on day one was “tamales”, on day two it was definitely “hot”. While the temperature was similar to day one, the cloud cover did not linger and the humidity increased. But with the sun on our backs we lifted our trowels and began our excavations.  I’ve worked in this heat before and knew to keep hydrated.  I diligently checked my students throughout the day to make sure they were drinking water (and peeing).  We completed our day, went back to our hotel and had our normal debriefing meeting.  And that’s when it hit me. It started with an excruciating headache radiating from the right and left temples and quickly progressed to shakiness and nausea.  At first I was embarrassed because it was a sign of weakness to let the heat get to me and I tried to hide it from my students.  But they know me well enough to know something was wrong.  They got me to my room and I tried to think back through my day to figure out what went wrong. I was sick most of the night and the only person I can blame is myself. I was so worried about everyone else that I forgot to worry about me. I’m not blogging about it for pity, I’m blogging about it because being in this environment is no joke. You don’t feel heat exhaustion creeping up on you. By the time you get sick it’s too late. I know I was drinking water and taking breaks yesterday, but just not enough. I was only out there for 6 hours. Even with the luxury of coming back to an air conditioned hotel with cool showers and drinking water I was up all night in misery. As I lay in my soft bed wishing I would just feel better I kept telling myself I’m the lucky one. I’m in a bed, in the air conditioning with the option of medical care if I need it. Someone is laying in the desert right now with the same symptoms with no chance of getting better. Unless you’ve been to South Texas it’s hard to truly understand the harsh environment and the ease at which the human body can crumble in its grasp.

I woke up feeling much better and put myself (and my students) on a strict water and rest routine today.  We are facing many more obstacles this year than last, including concrete like soil that is heavy and hard to excavate and burials averaging 100 cm (over 3 feet) below the surface.  Keep in mind that all excavations are done by hand using shovels and hand trowels, and the dirt must be moved from the working area using buckets. Even though we worked hard today, we are all feeling healthy and strong.

Two UIndy team members working in a burial

Over the past few days we made two new friends: Sarah Friedland and Esy Casey. They are independent film makers that are working on a new documentary called Memorials, which documents how we treat our dead (http://www.perinspire.com/). Esy left today and Sarah leaves tomorrow. We’ve had a great time sharing our mission and our passion with them and can’t wait to see their new film!

~KEL