Category Archives: Education

The Hana Chronicles: Month 10, Day 1

0
Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values

October 22, 2026- Hana has now been ten months blessing our lives and keeping us on our toes. In the past month, she has mastered standing up and scooting. She is actively walking with support and has taken a few steps, independently, here and there. Babbling with intention is now accompanied by pointing to something she wants. She tries to help in little ways-picking up a clean diaper and a package of wet wipes; pulling her shirt off, at changing time; trying to put on her own straps and secure the tray, when placed in a high chair.

My grandchild loves to look at books and makes “comments’, after looking at a picture or two. She does best when given a limited number of books (2-3) to look at, at any one time. Otherwise, a whole shelf of books could end up on the floor.

She also likes our stroller walks, and is still very much interested in the Halloween and Harvest displays that alternate in several of the neighbourhoods we have covered in our meanderings. Her favourites are the skeletons, especially the tall ones.

HANA’S NOTE- I like sleeping in the stroller, on the way back home. The streets Papa chooses for each walk are sometimes the same ones; sometimes new ones. I like the neighbourhoods though.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Alabama-I have been in the Heart of Dixie seven times: First,in 1987, on a bus bound for Phoenix, by way of New Orleans and Houston; then, in 2011, with several days visiting Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Selma and Birmingham; 2015, in Daphne, near Mobile and a visit with a friend in Sylacauga; 2022, to Tuskegee, at the tail end of a road trip by rental car, that began and ended in Atlanta; then a train trip from Atlanta to New Orleans, which went through Birmingham and Tuscaloosa; and finally, in July of that year, making a brief stop in Florence and Muscle Shoals.As in other parts of the South, I have encountered only graciousness and hospitality, from anyone and everyone.

The turf- Northernmost Alabama is covered by the Cumberland Plateau, which extends south from Tennessee. To its southeast is the Appalachian Valley, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. South of the Appalachians is the Piedmont Plateau. The rest of the state is Black Belt, a reference to the rich black soil and coastal plain, whose soil, especially in the Sawgrass Region, of southeast Alabama, is a bit sandier. Alabama is drained by the Tennessee, Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chattahoochee, Tombigbee, Black Warrior and Mobile Rivers, along with their tributaries. The state is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico, on its southwest.

First Nations-Alabama is the ancestral home of the Alabama-Coushatta, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Yuchi peoples. Mound builders were active in Alabama, before the ascendancy of the Five Civilized Tribes, and left some decidedly civilized structures at places like Moundville. Choctaw and Creek maintain presence in Alabama in the MOWA and Porach communities, respectively. All other Indigenous people were removed form Alabama in the 1830s. As settlers encroached on Native lands, in the 1810s, a civil war broke out among the Creeks, The Red Stick faction opposed white settlement; another faction allied itself with the U.S. Government. The Red Sticks were soundly defeated in the Creek War of 1813-14, in the Battles of Tallushatchee, Talladega and Horseshoe Bend. The other tribes were included in the Trail of Tears, as indicated above.

Where I most feel at home- Daphne, Sylacauga, Tuskegee, Selma, Florence

Where I most feel at peace- Sylacauga, Tuscaloosa, Ozark

NEXT: Florida

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 26

0
Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

October 17, 2026- Hana and I went on a long walk this afternoon, as her Mom was taking an hour or so for herself, and it was a beautiful day. Hana enjoyed the walk, but after a while, she wanted to get out of the stroller and stretch. It will be a grand thing, when she can wear socks and shoes, and balance being in a stroller with walking around.

Hana is noticing what other children are doing. She was delighted by a girl of about five, who was walking her much larger dog, and pretty much making it mind. I think my granddaughter will be a rather authoritative pet minder, one of these days. She certainly communicates her feelings quite forcefully.

HANA’S NOTE- I had a huge breakfast today. I didn’t have much room at lunch time, but by dinner, I was very hungry again. So that was another big meal.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Tennessee-The Volunteer State, along with Kentucky, extends from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains. I have been to all parts of Tennessee, visiting about a dozen times. The first time was in 1979, spending an unusually snowy, blustery nigh, in Memphis, sitting by a fireplace and thoroughly enjoying catfish and hush puppies, at an “all-you -can-eat” hotel restaurant. A dear friend lives in Crossville, halfway between Nashville and Knoxville. Other good friends live in each of those cities, and an extended family member lived for a time in Chattanooga. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to the Volunteer State.

The Turf- Tennessee’s western third is riparian plain, part of the Mississippi Delta. The central part of the state is rim country nearly surrounding Nashville, which itself sits in a low-lying Basin. The Cumberland Plateau rises to the east of the Highland Rim. The peaks and valleys of the Appalachian region. including the Blue Ridge, borders the Cumberland, to the east. Tennessee is drained by the Mississippi, Tennessee,Clinch, Cumberland, Buffalo and Holston Rivers, as well as their tributaries.

First Nations- Tennessee is the ancestral home of the Cherokee, Shawnee, Chickasaw, Quapaw and Yuchi peoples. Other tribes found homes among the Cherokee, at different periods of the adjustment to the coming of Europeans to the middle part of North America. Mound builders pre-dated those nations, leaving their earthworks behind, most prominently at Pinson Mounds, Mound Bottom, Toqua, Citico and Old Stone Fort.

With European, and then American, expansion, came pressure on the nations which lived east of Cumberland Gap, such as the Cherokee. These tribes then move in on their neighbours, the Yuchi and Shawnee, pushing them west and south. The Cherokee, and later the Chickasaw, were moved out of Tennessee in the 1830s, as part of the forced relocation to what is now Oklahoma. Today, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw have a small community in Lauderdale County, west Tennessee. Native people have re-settled in Nashville and Knoxville. There are, however, no other organized First Nations communities in the state.

Where I most feel at home- Crossville, Wildersville, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Shiloh

Where I most feel at peace- Fall Creek Falls, Natchez Trace, Nashville’s Parthenon, Crossville,

NEXT: Mississippi

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 25

0
Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 16, 2026- Hana decided she would help me this afternoon. When I had several items to carry upstairs, she wanted to go with me. So, I supported her, while holding two envelopes. She carried a third envelope. She was very proud of herself for not dropping the envelope-and I thanked her for being a helper.

Yunhee put a pair of pants, with a black and white cow on her, then made a mooing sound. Hana then made her own mooing sound and started giggling. Her intentional babbling has really taken off this week. She is mostly out of the playpen and walking with one of us, then playing quietly in whatever room suits her fancy.

HANA’S NOTE– I wanted to help Papa, so I took one of the envelopes and tried to hold onto a plastic bottle, but I dropped it. Papa just tossed the bottle upstairs.

EXPANDING CIRCLES:Kentucky- The Bluegrass State is one of two that stretch from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains. The other is Tennessee. Kentucky has the shortest Mississippi shoreline of any state in the valley:60 miles, including the Kentucky Bend enclave, that is surrounded by the river-and Tennessee. I have been to Kentucky three times, in 1979, 2011and 2017. My focuses were on the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, the state capital, a large cavern , some friends from my Xanga days and extended family in the Louisville area, albeit across the river in southern Indiana. Family friends have moved back to Kentucky, from southern California. It’d be nice to visit them there some day.

The turf- Western Kentucky, an area known as Jackson Purchase, is the state’s lowland, lying along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, near their confluence, which is in a nearby area of Illinois. The rest of the state is upland or rolling hills: Cumberland Plateau, including foothills of the Appalachian Mountains; the Bluegrass Region and the Mississippi Plateau occupy the northern and central parts of Kentucky, respectively. Kentucky is drained by the Mississippi, Ohio, Big Sandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, Cumberland, Green and Licking Rivers, along with their tributaries. The Tennessee River has been dammed to establish two large reservoirs: Lake Cumberland and Kentucky Lake. Land Between the Lakes is a popular National Recreation Area.

First Nations- Kentucky is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Cherokee, Yuchi and Chickasaw people. The Cherokee maintain a homeland in the Henderson area. There was considerable conflict between the Native peoples of Kentucky and settlers who began arriving in the mid-18th Century. Battles ancillary to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 resulted in defeat of the confederated tribes. The harshest defeats were at Fallen Timbers, in 1794 and further afield, at the Battle of the Thames, in Ontario, in 1813-which saw the death of Tecumseh, leader of the Confederated Tribes. There was a period of voluntary Native American removal, during the presidencies of James Monroe and John Quincy Adams (1821-1829). Under Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, forced removal of Cherokee people from North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as several tribes from Georgia, constituted the Trail of Tears. The expelled nations were forced into what is now Oklahoma. Some Cherokee returned to Kentucky, in time, and live in the above-mentioned community.

Where I most feel at home- Hodgenville, Mammoth Cave, Paducah, Louisville

Where I most feel at peace- Falls of the Ohio, Mammoth Cave

NEXT: Tennessee

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 23

0
Posted by on in children, Community, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

October 14, 2026- Hana passed another mini-milestone today. She decided to walk up the stairs. She did so, twice: Up to the mezzanine and back down, with me providing support and control; all the way up, with her father doing the honours. The second time, she drawled into my bedroom, looked around and went back out. We still won’t need a gate, until she is actually walking on her own. That, however, looks to be a matter of weeks-not months. Good thing we already have the gates on hand.

She is sleeping more independently and no longer wants to be rocked to sleep. When she is tired and in need of a nap, she will come up to whoever is minding her and put her head against their chest. She is then carried to the crib and will curl up to sleep.

This evening at dinner, Hana talked a lot, in between bites of food and “bantered” with her father. We can pretty much decipher what she’s saying by watching her body language. She also points at the object of her attention, usually so we can explain its use.

HANA’S NOTE- I am curious about a little box that is plugged in. Papa says it measures something called carbon monoxide, which he says can hurt of kill someone. I guess I won’t be touching that box.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Illinois- I have sauntered back and forth through the Land of Lincoln about 25 times-first in a van going from St. Louis to Columbus, in 1972, and just about every time I’ve since traveled between Arizona and Massachusetts. Chicago has been a a major point on many of those journeys, especially when I’ve stopped in at the Baha’i House of Worship, in Wilmette, about forty minutes’ drive from the Loop.

The turf- Illinois figures prominently as a part of the Mississippi River Valley, from Galena in the far north to Cairo, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The state is mostly prairie in the northern and central regions. Southern Illinois has some uplands and is more forested. Illinois is drained by the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Rock, Des Plaines, Kankakee, Kaskaskia, Sangamon and Wabash Rivers, along with their tributaries. Lake Michigan forms Illinois’ northeastern boundary.

First Nations- Illinois is the ancestral home of the Illini, Ojibwe, Sauk & Fox, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Kaskaskia, Miami, Shawnee and Iroquois people. The Mound Builders culture was prominent in Illinois, from 1700 BC to about 1200 AD/CE. The preserved mounds at Cahokia are the largest and most prominent burial mounds of the Mississippian Culture. Other preserved mounds may be found at Rockford, Galena, Albany, East Dubuque,and Quincy.

Conflicts between Native peoples and white settlers/U.S. Army occurred in Illinois from about 1802 until 1832, when Black Hawk’s War concluded with the Battle of Bad Axe, at the junction of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, then all considered the Northwest Territory. Illinois provided militia men for the Army during this conflict. One of them was a young Abraham Lincoln, whose attitude towards First Nations people was not helped by his experience in the war. Today, the Prairie Band of the Potawatomi Nation has a reservation near the town of Kansas, Il. Many Native peoples also live in Chicago as well.

Where I most feel at home- Wilmette, Chicago (Wrigleyville) , Normal, Lake Forest, Effingham, Vandalia, Dixon, Cairo

Where I most feel at peace- Wilmette, Cahokia, Ferne Clyffe, New Salem

NEXT- Missouri

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 22

10
Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 13, 2026- Today was Yunhee’s birthday, so Aram and I sang “Happy Birthday”, first thing this morning, while Hana smiled and danced, in the playpen. She talked to her mother, quite a bit this afternoon. seemingly about the food she was given for dinner. (She ate almost all of it.) Her speech cadence is quite impressive, with the intonation of her babbling quite measured and emphatic when it would seem to be appropriate. She answers “yeah” and “no”, in response to opinion questions.

We went on two walks today: The first was along our old route, in Hoblitzelle Park, near the middle school and then back to the house. As it was cloudy this morning, Hana’s sun shield could be retracted. In the afternoon, it was sunny again, so we went along a route that allowed full sun shield and saw a few Halloween displays, on various streets. Hana is, of course, too young to be taken around trick or treating, but she is noticing the different decorations. She wants to go up and touch some of them, so she is a bit disappointed that I don’t take her in the stroller, onto people’s lawns.

HANA’S NOTE- It was a happy birthday for Mommy. Of course, I wish she didn’t have to work during it.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Iowa- I have been through the Hawkeye State, end to end, only once. Parts of Iowa have been on my itinerary three other times. In 1997, we crossed from Davenport to Council Bluffs, in the midst of a tornado watch, but never encountered any twisters. My solo visits took in Des Moines, in 2013; Wapello and the Quad Cities, in 2019 and Sioux City, in 2022.

The turf- Iowa is largely covered by rolling hills, especially in the west (Loess Hills) and by bluffs along the Mississippi River, in the east and along the Missouri River, in the far west. The state is as affected by glacial activity as Wisconsin and Minnesota were, and has several small lakes in its midsection. Iowa is drained by the Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Skunk, Des Moines, Cedar, Wapsipinicon,Big Sioux, Little Sioux, Nodaway, Raccoon, Nishnabotna, Boyer and Thompson Rivers.

First Nations-Iowa is the ancestral home of the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk), Otoe, Iowa (Baxoje), Missouri, Kaw, Omaha, Osage and Ponca peoples. Dakota, Pawnee, Arikara, Potawatomi and Ojibwe peoples have had a presence in Iowa, especially in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The first settlement at Council Bluffs was made by a Potawatomi band. Today, only the Sac and Fox (Meskwaki) Nation has a reservation in Iowa, at Tama, which is named for a Nineteenth Century Meskwaki chief. Omaha people have a claim to an area called Blackbird Bend, near Onawa and Decatur.

Iowa has not experienced major conflicts between Native Americans and Whites, as neighbouring states have. I t has been more of a way station for above-mentioned tribes, either passing through, en route to Kansas and Oklahoma or briefly staying, to conduct bison and elk hunts.

Where I most feel at home- Council Bluffs, Des Moines.

Where I most feel at peace-Altoona, Council Bluffs

NEXT: Illinois

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 21

0
Posted by on in children, Community, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 12, 2026- Hana holds her own. When her Dad needles her about something he thinks should be obvious, she talks right back. She then gives him a knowing smile. This is something I noticed, over the years, from both my mother and my wife. Nothing gets past an attentive lady.

We got in a morning walk, and spent the rest of the day indoors, as AUGtober has returned for a few days and I don’t take Hana outside if the temperature clears 90F. More seasonal temperatures are forecast, from Thursday onward. Hana was happy to walk around the first floor several times, stopping here and there to take in a book she had overlooked or to savour the softness and scent of one of her mother’s blankets, or to visit Yunhee in her office.

HANA’ NOTE- I like to go in my mommy’s office, except when Papa says she looks busy. It’s okay, when she looks up and calls me to come in.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Wisconsin- I have been through the Badger State, solo. four times, each time when traveling between Illinois and Minnesota. The basic decency of the people and the serenity of countryside have cemented fond impressions of the state. I was quite impressed with the layout of Madison and the State Capitol, in particular. On my second visit, in 1987, the three of us were welcomed to a Christmas dinner in Milwaukee. Our only other visit as a family was in the course of passing from South Dakota towards Michigan. We stopped briefly in Wisconsin Dells.

The turf- All of Wisconsin, save a section of the southwest, was covered by glaciers, in the lat Ice Age. The state’s prime recreational feature on land is the Ice Age Trail, which follows the glacial moraines. The west is generally upland, as is the north, except for a coastal plain along Lake Superior. There is a Central Plain and the eastern part of Wisconsin is upland (along Lake Michigan).

Wisconsin is drained by the Mississippi, Chippewa, Wisconsin, Rock, Black, Milwaukee and Fox Rivers, along with their tributaries. It is bounded by Lakes Superior and Michigan, along with the latter’s large inlet: Green Bay. Lake Winnebago is a large glacial lake in south central Wisconsin.

First Nations- Wisconsin is the ancestral home of the Ojibwe, Dakota Sioux,Pottawatomi,Winnebago(Ho-Chunk), Menominee, Fox & Sauk peoples. In time, the European settlement of neighbouring regions pushed the Cheyenne, Huron, Illini, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Oneida peoples into Wisconsin as well. In 1804, a treaty was signed between the Governor of Indiana, who controlled Illinois and Wisconsin at the time, and the chiefs of the Sac and Fox tribes. In 1820, lead was discovered on Sac and Fox land, and settlers moved in to take advantage of that mineral. When Sac Chief Black Hawk and his men returned from a winter hunt, in 1829, they found settlers living on their land. This sparked the Black Hawk War, which ran from 1830-1832. The Battle of Bad Axe (1832) was the major battle fought in Wisconsin during that was. It was a major defeat for Black Hawk and his forces, largely because of Dakota and Menominee warriors fighting on the side of the U.S. Army. Several hundred Sac & Fox warriors, along with their tribal allies, were killed in the battle. Black Hawk and his ally, White Cloud, eventually surrendered to the U.S. Army in August, 1832, at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

In 1975, Menominee in northern Wisconsin were angered by the termination of their tribal status, by the Federal government. Militants took over a semi-abandoned property in Gresham, known as the Alexian Brothers Novitiate. The Menominee Warrior Society and members of the American Indian Movement at first tok the caretaker and his family hostage, then released them. A group of white vigilantes tried to storm the Novitiate, but the Wisconsin National Guard was deployed to keep the peace. Some shots were fired by both the Gresham whites and the Menominee, but in the end, the commander of the National Guard negotiated a truce, the Menominee leaders were arrested, tried and convicted. The property was purchased by the Tribe for $1, but was relinquished after the Tribe was re-instated as Federally-recognized. in December, 1975. (This incident drew the presence and support of the actor Marlon Brando).

Where I feel most at home- Milwaukee, Madison, Hudson, Mauston

Where I feel most at peace- Capitol grounds, Madison

Future Five- Apostle Islands, Door Peninsula, Ice Age Trail, Kenosha, Peshtigo Memorial

NEXT-Iowa

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 19

0
Posted by on in children, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 10, 2026- Hana’s walking effort got a boost today, in the form of a support harness. This will do two things. It’ll give her more arm and back support. It will also give her adult helper more back support. She walked about seventeen feet, with her father tending the harness. With my Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassador session today, her parents took her for a walk in the stroller. The three of them also went to H Mart, and to a car wash, which Hana thought was rather exciting.

Hana had plenty to say, at mealtime. She warmed up to the ground beef that her mother prepared for her, but didn’t take so much to the white cabbage, which is rather bland. All in all, though, my granddaughter is more inclined towards a vegetarian diet. We will see how that shakes out.

HANA’S NOTE- I was so glad to have both Mommy and Daddy on the walk this morning!

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Kansas-The Sunflower State is often the Poster Child for “flyover country”, which to me is an epithet. I have driven across much of Kansas about a dozen times. My first visit was in 1972, partly on a Greyhound bus and the rest of the way in a van that got me as far as Kansas City, MO. There were a few other van rides in the ’70s. We camped at Wa Keeney, in 1997. I explored parts of the state’s southern tier, on three different visits, finding much more variety and scenic beauty than is commonly recognized.

The Turf- Kansas is largely flat, but not as treeless as is commonly thought. The western Great Plains region is largely treeless, but has several small arroyos and canyons. The Flint Hills and Smoky Hills dominate the central part of the state, while eastern Kansas is home to many rugged hills, which are more forested. Kansas is drained by the Missouri, Kansas,Arkansas, Republican, Solomon, Neosho and Cimarron Rivers, along with their tributaries.

First Nations-Kansas is the ancestral home of the Kiowa, Comanche (Numunuu),Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kanza, Pawnee, Wichita, Otoe, Osage and Missouri peoples. Prior to Kansas’ statehood, clashes between Native peoples and the U.S. military took place at Solomon Fork (1857) and at Crooked Creek (1859). In 1867, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors attacked a unit of the U.S. Cavalry at Beaver Creek, killing 12 men. Numerous clashes continued until 1878, when the Cheyenne returned to their home in the Black hills of South Dakota. Today, the Kickapoo, Iowa, Potawatomi and Sac & Fox nations have reservations in Kansas.

Where I most feel at home- Dodge City, Hays, Sedan, Emporia, Wellington

Where I most feel at peace-The Hollow, at Sedan; Flint Hills

NEXT: We leave the Great Plains and look to the states that are drained by the mighty Mississippi-starting with Minnesota, where the Father of Waters begins.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day18

0
Posted by on in children, Education, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 9, 2026- Hana showed interest in a long cord that was plugged into an outlet, by her favourite book shelf. I ran my fingers up the cord and showed her that it was attached to a very large air purifier, on top of the bookshelf. She has since stayed away from the cord, and will occasionally look up at the machine, then will focus on the books.

We have walked around the first floor, an average of 3 times per day. We went on two outside stroller walks today, which we will be able to do a few more days, until AUGtober returns next week, albeit for just a few days. Then SOGGtober will cool things off. Hana loves both kinds of walks.

HANA’S NOTE- Papa had to go out somewhere tonight. I wish he could have stayed home.

(I went to help clean up, after a Baha’i Regional Conference.)

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Nebraska- I have visited and crossed the Cornhusker State, six times. My first was in 1979, for a visit to Scotts Bluff National Monument, then across to Omaha. In 1984, we stopped at Crazy Horse’s gravesite, at Fort Robinson Historic Site, Crawford and visited the Omaha Reservation, in Macy. In 1997, we came across and stopped at Henry Doorly Zoo, to visit the rainforest, as Aram was nine and had interest in that environment.. It happened that he left his plastic Batmobile on the ledge of the rear window. It was 104 that day. So long, Batmobile. Traveling solo, I’ve stopped in North Platte, York and Lincoln, since 2011.

The Turf- The Sand Hills and the southern third of Pine Ridge cover Nebraska’s western half. Dissected Till Plains, left after the glaciers retreated, cover the eastern portion.Nebraska is drained by the Missouri, Niobrara, Platte and Republican Rivers. along with their tributaries. The Missouri separates Nebraska from Iowa.

First Nations-Nebraska is the ancestral home of the Oglala Sioux, Santee Sioux, Otoe, Winnebago, Omaha, Sac and Fox, Pawnee and Ponca peoples. The Ponca were forced to move to Oklahoma, in 1877. This was challenged by the Ponca leaders, in court, and in 1879, Standiing Bear vs. Crook was decided in favour of the Ponca. Today, they have a small reservation in Knox County. Not all relations between tribes were peaceful. The Sioux and Pawnee clashed repeatedly, in the early 1870s, over hunting rights. In 1873, a party of Sioux warriors attacked a band of Pawnees, at what is now called Massacre Canyon. As many as 150 Pawnees, mostly women and children, died in the attack. While occasional clashes took place until 1875, there were no further such massacres, though it was not until 1925 that the Pawnee and Sioux smoked the pipe of peace.

Where I feel most at home- Macy, Lincoln, Big Springs, North Platte, Big Springs, Scottsbluff

Where I feel most at peace- Scotts Bluff National Monument; Golden Spike National Monument, Nebraska National Forest (Chadron)

NEXT: Kansas

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 17

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 8, 2026- Hana has increased her level of walking activity. She is insistent on at least three complete circuits of the first floor, in an afternoon. The playpen is satisfying to her for about an hour at a time and that’s the limit. She likes certain books, especially “Len Lion’s Wobbly Tooth”, which is ironic, because of her four lateral incisors-top and bottom, erupting in the past two weeks. She proudly showed me her bottom laterals, this afternoon.

My granddaughter has set a limit on how much food she will eat. She generally will eat a full meal, if there has been no bottle for at least two hours. If the meal comes too soon after a bottle, then Hana will eat 2/3 to 3/4 of the solid meal and put her spoon down, in a way that says “I’m done.” Her mother accepts that and we go on with our day. There is certainly no lag in Hana’s energy!

HANA’S NOTE– I like walking around the house and seeing new things, each time. My mommy showed me a pair of slipper shoes, that she says I can wear this winter.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: South Dakota- Somehow, the Coyote State is one of my favourites, outside of the five Southwestern states. The Black Hills play a big part in that, but I also like Sioux Falls, for the hospitality shown me, on my three visits there. I’ve been across South Dakota about a dozen times.

The Turf- The Black Hills occupy the southwest of South Dakota, with the Badlands and high grasslands occupying the rest of the region west of the Missouri River. East of the Missouri is mostly short grass prairie. South Dakota is drained by the Missouri, which runs north to south, and by the Belle Fourche, Grande, White, Cheyenne, James, Big Sioux and Vermillion Rivers, with their tributaries.

First Nations- South Dakota is the ancestral home of the Sioux Nation, who are organized into eight tribes across the state and the Oyate people, of the Sisseton Reservation.The Sioux, Santee and Cheyenne, across the northern Great Plains, fought with the U.S. Army cavalry over the period 1862-1866. The Great Sioux Reservation was the temporary result of these conflicts. In 1876-77, warriors led by Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse fought with the U.S. Army, in order to defend the sacred Black Hills. The Sioux and Cheyenne warriors were eventually defeated. In 1890, the Ghost Dance movement, started by Paiute medicine man Wevoka, reached the Sioux Reservations. Many people adopted the way of Ghost Dance, which predicted that the whites would be buried by a new layer of soil, while the grass and the bison would return, with the ghosts of Native Americans suspended in mid-air. The U.S. Government regarded this as a doctrine of terror, and moved to crush the Ghost Dance. When a Miniconju warrior at Wounded Knee Creek refused to surrender his rifle to the Cavalry, a shot rang out and the soldiers sprayed the camp with rounds from a Hotchkiss rifle, killing 300 men, women and children. Wounded Knee remains a place of sorrow. In 1973, Richard Wilson, a conservative who was Chairman of the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Tribe, outlasted an impeachment trial, on charges of corruption. Traditional Oglala leaders appealed to the American Indian Movement for assistance, in removing Wilson. Nearly 200 Lakota, accompanied by AIM members, occupied the town of Wounded Knee, for 71 days. Acts of violence resulted in the deaths of five activists and at least two FBI agents. After the death of activist Buddy Lamont, a truce was negotiated, and AIM withdrew. Problems stemming from Wilson’s autocratic governing style were blamed for 64 deaths, even after the end of the occupation. Wilson was defeated for re-election in 1976.

Where I most feel at home- Sioux Falls, Deadwod, Custer, Wanblee, Wall, Vermillion

Where I most feel at peace- Black Elk Peak, Badlands

NEXT- Nebraska

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 12

0
Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 3, 2026- My granddaughter noticed my thumb resting on the wall of the changing table, just above her head. She reached up and moved it away from its rest. Hana is establishing her boundaries. She does not want her space to be crowded by any of us, at certain times of day. It seems to be both an early morning, “Give me space to wake up” and a late in the day, “Leave me alone; I’ve had it.” We three will honour those feelings and will teach her how to deal with those who won’t.

We all went back to Fairview Farmers, for another breakfast. This time, we took a table in the shaded outdoor section, and were the first ones there. In short order, seven more parties arrived, giving Hana much to look around and watch. She was for a time, however, very much interested in studying the menu, opening it up and examining the inside pages. Printed pages, with graphics, are her delight.

I have heard the term, “Big Personality”, used to describe outgoing, expressive people. Penny was certainly in that category, as was her father-and mine, for that matter. Hana also is coming to fit the bill, as well.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to see how letters are put together. My grownups can make sounds with them. I want to do the same.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Oregon- I’ve made six trips to the series of delights that is this land of four terrains. Portland is often criticized for being a wild, semi-civilized place, but I have had only pleasant experiences there. The Coast, the Willamette Valley, Cascades and high desert likewise have their unique gems.

The turf:The Beaver State, like its northern and southern neighbours, Washington and California, has a moist, rocky and forested coast, bordered to the east by the Cascade Mountains, which then give way to the arid Columbia Plateau and Great Basin. Oregon is drained by the Columbia, Klaskanine, Youngs, Wallooskee, John Day, Clatskanie, Willamette, Clackamas, Collawash, Tualitin, Molalla, Yamhill, Luckiamute, Santiam, Calapooia, Marys, Roaring, McKenzie, Blue, Sandy, Hood, Deschutes, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Klamath, Coquille, Umpqua, Chetco, Rogue, Applegate, New, Smith, Sixes, Coos, Siltcoos, Suislaw,Yachats, Alsea, Yaquina,Silets, Salmon, Tillamook, Trask,Nehalem, Necanicum Owyhee,Powder, Malheur, Imnaha and Snake Rivers, along with hundreds of tributary creeks and streams.

First Nations- Oregon is the ancestral home of 25 Nations, the largest of which are the Upper Umpqua, Chinook, Umatilla, Siletz, Klamath, and Shasta peoples. The racism and ignorance of some settlers, and their leaders, in the period 1845-1860, led to the Linn Massacre of 1849 and the Rogue River Wars of 1844-56. Jingoistic “Indian agents” and a demagogic governor, George Law Curry, whipped up fear among the settlers, exacerbating the Rogue River conflict. Curry also raised an Oregon militia to fight alongside Federal troops, during the Yakima War, in neighboring Washington Territory. By the time the Rogue River conflict ended, in June, 1856, 100 First Nations people and 94 Whites lay dead. Reservations were established, across Oregon. Several have been “terminated”, by an Act of Congress, but First Nations people retain water and fishing rights.

Where I feel most at home- Bandon, Astoria, Brookings, Portland, Salem. Culver, Jordan Valley, Rogue River Gorge, Crater Lake.

Where I fell most at peace- Portland Chinatown, Smith Rock, Azalea Park (Brookings), Oregon Dunes, Sea Lion Caves, Pillars of Rome

NEXT: We leave the Pacific states and look to the Northwest Interior, and Idaho