This summer my daughter is going to a Lakota Indian reservation in South Dakota on a mission trip with her youth group. I have not been given any of the details on the trip. I am hoping she has the opportunity to talk with some of the teens to find out about how they view society's treatment of them. I'm going to give her a list of questions to consider before she goes. I have never had an opportunity like this and I feel fortunate for her and myself that she will be getting this type of exposure to a different culture. I hope it is a valuable learning experience.

This will be a very valuable, learning experience for her. Anytime a person can get out and be exposed to different cultures and ways of life it provides great opportunities for personal growth. Perhaps in talking with the young people her age she may want to focus on finding out what is really important to them and what they want to do when they get older. When we learn about others this in turn helps us learn a lot about ourselves.

If you want to ask a few Native americans how society treats them, come to Shuey park this Saturday. There is a fast pitch softball tournament. Cherokee Indians love fast pitch and there should be about four of their teams in it. You can see me strike out (a lot) and maybe pick up on how they feel society treats them.

I don't think society treats them poorly, but I think society still has a lower view of them.

Maybe I will come out there and talk to them. My family is very good friends with Chief Henry. His name is all over Cherokee. I have pictures of him and I together since I was five years old to present.

My Indian hertiage has strong roots. I would love to know more of my great grandparents but through the years the stories have been lost. To be able to go back in time and talk to one of them would be wonderful for me but to visit a reservation and witness first hand what their culture is like would be awesome. I hope your daughter never forgets that experience. I envy her.