Creative

Journal Entries Narrative

Part of the course Cultural Narratives included workshops on different aspects of storytelling or narratives. After a workshop, we would expand upon it with as assignment that went with the workshop. For this workshop, we discussed “La Placita”, an archaeology site in Colorado in which anthropologists and archeologists were able to work together and create a life history of the people that lived in that place. In my expansion, I created a book of “journal entries” written from the perspective of a child in the town. I used photos from some of the artifacts we looked at in class as the basis for the story I made up.

Journal

May 5, 1885

It’s a beautiful day out today in La Placita! I have a little bit of time this morning to hang out before my mother will come and get me out of my room to help her with the garden. She comes in and gives me my chores in the morning, and today I have to tend to the chickens in the coop and catch a rabbit for dinner. I don’t have to go out there just yet so I am going

Children’s Shoes / Rubber Ball

May 7, 1885

I am very excited for today! My mother, aunt and grandmother are preparing for a big feast with the community, which will be held tomorrow. We are up very early to prepare for it, all hands on deck. My grandmother will be parked outside, cooking with the horno all day (our huge oven outside) and the rest of us are preparing the food to be cooked. My mother will be preparing the beef and the rabbit, and I have to go out in the garden to collect some onions, chilies, beans, and squash. I cannot wait for the feast! We are even getting out some of our special china. I have to go because I must run out to start working! I can already see my mother with her big mixing bowl hard at work.

China cup / Ceramic Mixing Bowl

May 8, 1885

Today is the day of the feast! We did a lot of the preparation yesterday, so today will be a little lighter load. I did not want to be too full for tonight, so I only had some eggs for breakfast. They were really fresh this morning from the chickens. My mother just walked in and reminded me to comb my hair, and I am making sure I look very nice for tonight!

Comb / Eggshell