Launching The Mighty Network: A Social Platform for Dragons Alumni
Posted On
04/07/20
Author
Dragons HQ
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[post_content] => ANNOUNCING THE DRAGONS MIGHTY NETWORK
A SOCIAL PLATFORM FOR ALUMNI & INSTRUCTORS
For years, our alumni & instructor community have been asking us to create a social platform for Dragons. With the strange COVID-19 realities of "social distancing" and "shelter in place" (terms none of us knew just a month ago!)., it feels like the right time to roll out a virtual way to foster Dragons connection and community.
We've been testing out the Dragons Mighty Network social platform and although it's still a work in-progress, we're announcing it anyway! Because the time is right and we want our alumni to contribute to how this new community-driven platform can look and function.
Through the Dragons Mighty Network, we soon plan to offer classes, lessons, training, and transference tools. In the meantime we are excited about the following features our alumni can explore:
Find and connect with Dragons folks that live in your area
Connect with other Dragons who are "online right now" & meet other members of our community
Create or engage with an article, question, or poll
Create a local COVID-19 support or resource circle
Fill in your profile
Create a "circle" for you and your Dragons friends to chat privately
Download the app to your phone for instant DMs and notifications
The Dragons global community is strong and we are grateful for opportunities to continue to engage and connect.
Are you an alum who wants to join?
Email us at [email protected] for the invite link.
PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️
[post_title] => Launching The Mighty Network: A Social Platform for Dragons Alumni
[post_excerpt] => ANNOUNCING THE DRAGONS MIGHTY NETWORK A SOCIAL PLATFORM FOR ALUMNI & INSTRUCTORS
For years, our alumni & instructor community have been asking us to create a social platform for Dragons. With the strange COVID-19 realities of "social distancing" and "shelter in place" (terms none of us knew just a month ago!)., it feels like the right time to roll out a virtual way to foster Dragons connection and community.
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[post_date] => 2020-03-11 10:04:38
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We are filled with gratitude and excitement about announcing our first-ever U.S. based Dragons course. Introducing the Payahuunadü Nüümü Indigenous Nations Program, a 12-day course for Dragons and Nüümü students in California.
This summer, eight Dragons students, ages 18-24, and four local Nüümü (Paiute) youth will learn together about Indigenous work to regain sovereignty over food, land, and water in Payahuunadü (Owens Valley, California). With a strong emphasis on developing tools for allyship, advocacy, and skills for social and environmental justice work, students will dive into topics like how to create good relations with the earth and human communities, Indigenous sovereignty over water, land, food and governance systems, and what decolonization would actually mean.
Meet our brilliant course designers:
KRIS HOHAG
Kris Hohag is an educator, artist and native of the Owens Valley.
Raised in Bishop as a citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, Kris received his Bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine and his Master’s in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Washington. His work has focused on language revitalization, youth leadership development, outdoor education and building bridges between diverse cultures to unite over our common love of water and land.
A University and Rez-educated scholar and organizer, he initially built a solid reputation by working as a teacher in local schools and mentoring at-risk youth in Southern California, the Pacific Northwest and the Eastern Sierra. Over time and by example, he has proven to be an influential community voice while honing his chops as an entrepreneur and artist.
Kris has worked with every tribal organization on his reservation serving Indian people across such central topics as education, economic development, language and culture, healthcare, and governance. He served a two year term on the Bishop Paiute Tribal Council, acting as Vice Chairman during 2014-2015. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the local clinic in his community, Toiyabe Indian Health Project, as well as a rep for the statewide California Rural Indian Health Board.
Several key projects he spearheaded or played a vital role in locally include the Bishop Tribal Youth Council; the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Community Radio Station: KBPT 96.1 LPFM; the Eastern Sierra Writing Circle and Collective Language, a youth-oriented, monthly open mic and live show to build community and showcase local talent at the Wunut Novi Youth Media Arts Center.
He is a founding member of the Payahuunadü Alliance, a grassroots family of stewards comprised of diverse voices united around a great love for the lands east of the Sierras known as Payahuunadü.
KINSINTA JOSEPH
Kinsinta Joseph is the daughter of Patricia and Tom Joseph who met during the Klamath River Fish Wars of the late 1970’s. Her mother is Hupa (Na:tinixwe’) and Karuk from the Klamath and Trinity Rivers in Northern California. Her father is Nuumu and Newe from Pa’ha Gwae, the southern part of Payahuunadü (Owens Valley, CA). As a youth, she traveled across Native country with her parents and nine siblings, learning the importance of nation building. She grew up participating in social justice movements, spending much time at the state capitol trying to persuade the Governor’s office to restore the rivers, advocating humane policies towards our immigrant relatives and helping raise awareness of police brutality. Her family founded California Kitchen at Standing Rock, a movement to bring attention to the destruction that fossil fuels is admitting to the Earth. California Kitchen was organized to feed and house people through the cold winter. Kinsinta is the founder of PayaHupaWay, a Native Jewelry brand focusing on cultural activities such as gathering basket materials, reminding us of our connection to help restore the land. Payahupaway promotes a lifestyle grounded in songs and prayers that is reflective of her ancestral teachings. Kinsinta most importantly is a mother and a partner to a Nuumü man. They have been working on curriculum that prioritizes Nuumu Yadoha (Paiute Language) and Traditional Ecological Knowledge so that their daughter and future generations of Nuumü Youth have the opportunity to learn what is relevant to them, the community, and the Land. She is a founding member of the Payahuunadü Alliance, an indigenous-led grassroots team of stewards united around a great love for Payahuunadü.
CHARIS BOKE
B.A. English, Mills College; M.A. Social Sciences, University of Chicago; Ph.D. Anthropology, Cornell University
Charis teaches with Dragons in Nepal and on Turtle Island (North America). In 2018, she completed her doctorate in cultural anthropology at Cornell University, where she studied, learned with, and wrote about herbalists, healers, and community organizers in the United States through an ethnographic lens. Her previous research as a student and Fulbright fellow in Nepal, between 2005 and 2009, focused on swayambhu or uTpati, self-arisen goddess worship sites. As an anthropologist, an herbalist, and a community organizer, Charis identifies as a scholar-practitioner, bringing these multiple perspectives on social justice and healing into her work as an educator. She draws on her background as an anthropologist of medicine, then environment, healing, and religion, and as a Buddhist practitioner whose attention to the world is shaped by the numinous and inexplicable. She seeks and makes magic alone and with groups, in the mountains and the deserts, always learning to listen better to what the earth has to say, a set of practices that she strives to share with others.
She is also informed, in teaching and in life, by her long-term commitment to building socially and environmentally just relations. In that mode, she teaches as an “act of radical love,” to borrow bell hooks’ excellent phrase, seeking to guide students toward their own truest life-path through intellectual engagement and direct experience together. The broad goal of her work in and out of learning spaces is to provide people not only with historical and cultural frameworks to understand situations or places, but also with the relevant tools, experiences, and relationships to engage more deeply with the world we live in and all its challenges. She has deep roots in community organizing and activism, and sees her work as a mode of discovery not just about what our world contains, but about how to make it better.
Learn more about sovereignty work and indigenous-led organizations:
- Documentary: The Aqueduct Between Us
- Kris Hohag's Organization Legendary Skies Enterprises
- Kinsinta's Jewelry Company Payahupaway
- Indigenous Women Hike
- Where Water Flows
- Owen's Valley Indian Water
- Bishop Paiute Tribe's Conservation Open Space Area (COSA)
- Bishop Paiute Tribe's Food Sovereignty Program
P.S. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️
[post_title] => PRESENTING: THE INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY PROGRAM IN PAYAHUUNADÜ [post_excerpt] => We are filled with gratitude and excitement about announcing our first-ever U.S. based Dragons course. Introducing the Payahuunadü Nüümü Indigenous Nations Program, a 12-day course for Dragons and Nüümü students in California. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => presenting-the-indigenous-sovereignty-program-in-payahuunadu [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-03-26 13:09:23 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-03-26 19:09:23 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [categories] => Array ( [0] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 653 [name] => Global Community [slug] => global_community [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 653 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured International People, Places, Projects. [parent] => 0 [count] => 25 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 6 [cat_ID] => 653 [category_count] => 25 [category_description] => Featured International People, Places, Projects. [cat_name] => Global Community [category_nicename] => global_community [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/global_community/ ) [1] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 640 [name] => Dragons Instructors [slug] => dragons_instructors [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 640 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [parent] => 0 [count] => 30 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 8 [cat_ID] => 640 [category_count] => 30 [category_description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [cat_name] => Dragons Instructors [category_nicename] => dragons_instructors [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/dragons_instructors/ ) [2] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 651 [name] => Announcements [slug] => announcements [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 651 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Announcements on: New Programs, Surveys, Jobs/Internships, Contests, & Behind-the-Scenes Activity. [parent] => 0 [count] => 56 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 14 [cat_ID] => 651 [category_count] => 56 [category_description] => Announcements on: New Programs, Surveys, Jobs/Internships, Contests, & Behind-the-Scenes Activity. [cat_name] => Announcements [category_nicename] => announcements [category_parent] => 0 ) ) [category_links] => Global Community, Dragons Instructors ... )
PRESENTING: THE INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY PROGRAM IN PAYAHUUNADÜ
Posted On
03/11/20
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
We are filled with gratitude and excitement about announcing our first-ever U.S. based Dragons course. Introducing the Payahuunadü Nüümü Indigenous Nations Program, a 12-day course for Dragons and Nüümü students… Read MoreWP_Post Object
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[post_content] => Dragons is upping our video game.
We are highlighting alumni and instructor voices with new videos on IGTV.
We've been hard at work creating three video series that live on our Instagram. Get travel tips from alumni, your questions answered from instructors, and see awesome videos from the field.
Follow us for more videos, live info-sessions, content from the field, and opportunities to talk directly with the Dragons community! DM or text us your ideas and questions.
Text Us: 720-620-9500
How to find IGTV on Instagram:
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/tv/B7GiubGgo6S/[/embed]
PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️
[post_title] => Don't Have Time to Research Travel Programs? Learn About Dragons on IGTV! [post_excerpt] => Dragons is upping our video game. We are highlighting alumni and instructor voices with new videos on IGTV! Check out our newest series with instructor Q&A's, alumni stories, and videos from the field. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => dont-have-time-to-research-travel-programs-learn-about-dragons-on-igtv [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-02-20 11:48:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-02-20 18:48:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [categories] => Array ( [0] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 638 [name] => From the Field [slug] => from_the_field [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 638 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured Yaks, Reflections, Quotes, Photo Spreads and Videos from the Four Corners. [parent] => 0 [count] => 62 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 4 [cat_ID] => 638 [category_count] => 62 [category_description] => Featured Yaks, Reflections, Quotes, Photo Spreads and Videos from the Four Corners. [cat_name] => From the Field [category_nicename] => from_the_field [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/from_the_field/ ) [1] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 640 [name] => Dragons Instructors [slug] => dragons_instructors [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 640 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [parent] => 0 [count] => 30 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 8 [cat_ID] => 640 [category_count] => 30 [category_description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [cat_name] => Dragons Instructors [category_nicename] => dragons_instructors [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/dragons_instructors/ ) [2] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 646 [name] => Alumni Spotlight [slug] => alumni_spotlight [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 646 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured Student Alumni and their projects/organizations/visions. [parent] => 0 [count] => 43 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 10 [cat_ID] => 646 [category_count] => 43 [category_description] => Featured Student Alumni and their projects/organizations/visions. [cat_name] => Alumni Spotlight [category_nicename] => alumni_spotlight [category_parent] => 0 ) ) [category_links] => From the Field, Dragons Instructors ... )
Don’t Have Time to Research Travel Programs? Learn About Dragons on IGTV!
Posted On
02/20/20
Photographer
Dragons HQ
Description
Dragons is upping our video game. We are highlighting alumni and instructor voices with new videos on IGTV! Check out our newest series with instructor Q&A's, alumni stories, and videos… Read MoreWP_Post Object
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[post_author] => 21
[post_date] => 2020-02-07 13:37:40
[post_date_gmt] => 2020-02-07 20:37:40
[post_content] => 
Did you catch this episode of Dragons podcast featuring Dragons Instructor Rich Brown on the subject of migration between Guatemala and the US?
Bub Vernon (Dragons Indonesia Semester Alumni) and Rich Brown discuss:
- Who is coming to the southern US border, and why?
- What are migrants south of the US border fleeing?
- How did Rich end up becoming a journalist in Guatemala?
- How have decisions in the US impacted life in Guatemala?
- What is "The Forum on Migration"?
LISTEN NOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️
[post_title] => Dragons Podcast: Interview with Rich Brown on the Migration between Guatemala and the US [post_excerpt] => Bub Vernon (Dragons Indonesia Semester Alumni) and Rich Brown discuss: Who is coming to the southern US border, and why? What are migrants south of the US border fleeing? How did Rich end up becoming a journalist in Guatemala? And more. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => dragons-podcast-interview-with-rich-brown-on-the-migration-between-guatemala-and-the-us [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-02-07 13:53:33 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-02-07 20:53:33 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [categories] => Array ( [0] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 638 [name] => From the Field [slug] => from_the_field [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 638 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured Yaks, Reflections, Quotes, Photo Spreads and Videos from the Four Corners. [parent] => 0 [count] => 62 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 4 [cat_ID] => 638 [category_count] => 62 [category_description] => Featured Yaks, Reflections, Quotes, Photo Spreads and Videos from the Four Corners. [cat_name] => From the Field [category_nicename] => from_the_field [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/from_the_field/ ) [1] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 653 [name] => Global Community [slug] => global_community [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 653 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured International People, Places, Projects. [parent] => 0 [count] => 25 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 6 [cat_ID] => 653 [category_count] => 25 [category_description] => Featured International People, Places, Projects. [cat_name] => Global Community [category_nicename] => global_community [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/global_community/ ) [2] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 640 [name] => Dragons Instructors [slug] => dragons_instructors [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 640 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [parent] => 0 [count] => 30 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 8 [cat_ID] => 640 [category_count] => 30 [category_description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [cat_name] => Dragons Instructors [category_nicename] => dragons_instructors [category_parent] => 0 ) ) [category_links] => From the Field, Global Community ... )
Dragons Podcast: Interview with Rich Brown on the Migration between Guatemala and the US
Posted On
02/07/20
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
Bub Vernon (Dragons Indonesia Semester Alumni) and Rich Brown discuss: Who is coming to the southern US border, and why? What are migrants south of the US border fleeing? How… Read MoreWP_Post Object
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[post_date] => 2019-12-16 11:58:55
[post_date_gmt] => 2019-12-16 18:58:55
[post_content] => 
You asked for it. And here it is:
THE DRAGONS PODCAST
hosted by Alum Student Bub Vernon
- EP. 6 PEPY's Executive Director Sarakk Rith on hope and struggle for education in Cambodia.
- EP. 5 Dragons Executive Director, Reed Harwood, on the role of Dragons in the lives of students and communities.
- EP. 4 Two Dragons fund students on "ah ha" moments and advice for future students.
- EP. 3 Veteran Instructor Rich Brown on the realities of immigration across the southern US border.
- EP. 2 Veteran Instructor Claire Bennett on "voluntourism" and an alternative approach to service.
- EP. 1 A mother & daughter who EACH did Dragons programs on their unique yet similar experiences.
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[post_title] => Announcing Dragons Podcast: On Place + Purpose, hosted by Alum Student Bub Vernon [post_excerpt] => You asked for it. And here it is: THE DRAGONS PODCAST hosted by Alum Student Bub Vernon. Dragons is committed to cross-cultural education as a tool for breaking down barriers. Tune in to our podcast and hear for yourself how we can all make a difference... [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => announcing-dragons-podcast-on-place-purpose-hosted-by-alum-student-bub-vernon [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-01-01 11:36:31 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-01-01 18:36:31 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 1 [filter] => raw [categories] => Array ( [0] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 700 [name] => For Parents [slug] => for_parents [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 700 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Blog posts specifically curated for parents wishing to know more about Dragons culture, programs, company, and community. [parent] => 0 [count] => 42 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 5 [cat_ID] => 700 [category_count] => 42 [category_description] => Blog posts specifically curated for parents wishing to know more about Dragons culture, programs, company, and community. [cat_name] => For Parents [category_nicename] => for_parents [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/for_parents/ ) [1] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 640 [name] => Dragons Instructors [slug] => dragons_instructors [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 640 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [parent] => 0 [count] => 30 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 8 [cat_ID] => 640 [category_count] => 30 [category_description] => Featuring the words, projects, guidance and vision of the community of incredible staff that make Dragons what it is. [cat_name] => Dragons Instructors [category_nicename] => dragons_instructors [category_parent] => 0 [link] => https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/category/dragons_instructors/ ) [2] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 641 [name] => About Dragons [slug] => about_dragons [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 641 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Press, Essays from Admin, and Behind-the-Scenes HQ. [parent] => 0 [count] => 42 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 9 [cat_ID] => 641 [category_count] => 42 [category_description] => Press, Essays from Admin, and Behind-the-Scenes HQ. [cat_name] => About Dragons [category_nicename] => about_dragons [category_parent] => 0 ) [3] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 654 [name] => Mixed Media [slug] => mixed_media [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 654 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Featured Photography, Videos, Podcasts, Photo Contest Winners, Films & Art [parent] => 0 [count] => 45 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 12 [cat_ID] => 654 [category_count] => 45 [category_description] => Featured Photography, Videos, Podcasts, Photo Contest Winners, Films & Art [cat_name] => Mixed Media [category_nicename] => mixed_media [category_parent] => 0 ) [4] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 669 [name] => Engage [slug] => engage [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 669 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Activism, Advocacy, Leadership & Organizing. [parent] => 0 [count] => 22 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 13 [cat_ID] => 669 [category_count] => 22 [category_description] => Activism, Advocacy, Leadership & Organizing. [cat_name] => Engage [category_nicename] => engage [category_parent] => 0 ) [5] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 651 [name] => Announcements [slug] => announcements [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 651 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Announcements on: New Programs, Surveys, Jobs/Internships, Contests, & Behind-the-Scenes Activity. [parent] => 0 [count] => 56 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 14 [cat_ID] => 651 [category_count] => 56 [category_description] => Announcements on: New Programs, Surveys, Jobs/Internships, Contests, & Behind-the-Scenes Activity. [cat_name] => Announcements [category_nicename] => announcements [category_parent] => 0 ) ) [category_links] => For Parents, Dragons Instructors ... )
Announcing Dragons Podcast: On Place + Purpose, hosted by Alum Student Bub Vernon
Posted On
12/16/19
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
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[post_content] => I vividly remember the first time the Andes Mountains were brought into my sphere of awareness.
Dragons Director of Risk Management, Tim Hare, has spent his life seeking connections with mountain landscapes and cultures. His quest led him to adventures throughout the western United States, the Andes of Bolivia and Peru, and the Nepali Himalayas. He called upon his personal travel ventures to inform the design of Dragons Andes and Amazon semester, which he instructed from 2007 to 2012. This photographic and written reflection recounts Tim’s lure to mountainscapes through the magic and mystery of story and music.
I didn’t yet know their names, but the recording burrowed into my psyche...
I vividly remember the first time the Andes Mountains were brought into my sphere of awareness. My mom had returned from a conference with a cassette tape of Andean flute music.
I was maybe six years old and she had my brother and I lay on our couch with our eyes closed so that we could hear the flutes fully, with our undivided attention. They soared and dipped, oscillating, cresting, crashing...tragic major to minor transitions, creating the emotion that is so visceral in most of the planet’s folk music. Dirges, diddies, ceremonial flights. I didn’t yet know their names, but the charango strings and then the zampoña, and quena flutes on that recording burrowed into my psyche.
“This music is from the Andes,” my mom stated. I inhaled with my eyes closed and am still certain that the air immediately felt different. Attenuated, crisp, moist.
Mountains captivated my imagination as a child.
Mountains captivated my imagination as a child. One of my first stories I wrote, perhaps in 3rd grade, was about a boy who wanted to climb Mount Everest. He set out on his expedition. Hardship struck when, after climbing through the jungles and up onto the glacier above, the boy fell asleep. The glacier carried him miles back down the valley before he awoke, and he had to regain the ground lost to the glacier’s speedy and slippery progress down valley.
The sound of the music felt deeply stored, perhaps existing on a cellular level...
On a conscious level I had actually forgotten my mother’s flute music by the time I first found myself bumping across Bolivia’s altiplano from Chile into the central Andes as a 20 year old study abroad student. It was in a bus a few days later, skirting the massive flanks of the Cordillera Real near La Paz, looking out at the stone agricultural walls, the glaciated flanks of the high mountains, envisioning the condors overhead, listening to the music on the radio, when I recalled the flute music on the couch. The sound of the music felt deeply stored, perhaps existing on a cellular level by that point (where, in fact, is memory actually stored?) It came fluidly then, as if freed by that Andean landscape, as if that music itself set in motion a series of events that led me to that bus ride near the Cordillera Real. As if I never really had a choice in the matter.
I thought of flutes in Tibet and Scotland, places with similarly spare and spacious landscapes. Landscapes must shape music.
I imagine that ethnomusicologists have much to say about the subject of landscapes, but I knew immediately that the flutes in Andean music must come from the wind, the wide open spaces, the lofty flights that the imagination takes in these high mountains. I thought of flutes in Tibet and Scotland, places with similarly spare and spacious landscapes. Landscapes must shape music.
From that first exposure my relationship with that Andes continued to deepen. I found a home in Sorata for four years, a mountain town around fourhours north of La Paz. I devoured books about Andean culture, politics, and history. I had the fortune to travel and learn throughout Bolivia and southern Peru, tracing old trails from the high peaks to the low jungles of the Upper Amazon below, finding wonder in the inextricable link between these two ecosystems. I made friends and found teachers as I went. With Dragons I also had the opportunity to conceive and develop our Andes and Amazon Semester, running its maiden voyage in 2007 as an instructor.
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[post_title] => A Photographic Tale of the Central Andes
[post_excerpt] => This photographic and written reflection recounts Tim’s lure to mountainscapes through the magic and mystery of story and music...
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A Photographic Tale of the Central Andes
Posted On
12/11/19
Author
Tim Hare
