Story by Antonio Gomez, photograph by Nick Karvounis

The Native American Reservations in the United States are exceptionally diverse because they span across the countrysides, through dense forests, and into the deserts of the southwest. My grandparents, like many of the older generations of indigenous peoples, still live on reservation to maintain as much of their culture and lifestyle as possible, hoping to give future generations a glimpse of their heritage. Personally, I’ve spent the most time in the reservations surrounding Holbrook, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Whereas Holbrook is much more of a beautiful orange desert, Albuquerque maintains a gorgeous mixture of green mountain ranges and plentiful desert. They are different in landscape but similar in the lessons they have taught me.

Being raised mostly in a city, these escapes were deeply influential in the development of my character and skills. Some of the first things you begin to notice as you enter the reservations is the density of towns, presence of livestock, availability of critical resources, and the general pace of life. In the case of my grandparents, they were at least an hour away from the nearest town (Holbrook, AZ) and maybe 30 minutes away from a gas station. What made their situation unique from the surrounding houses was that they lived without running water. This contributed to the destruction of my convenient, “city boy” outlook on life. Because I had been exposed to this lifestyle from such a young age, I was conditioned with the skills necessary to assist my family in that setting, from taking care of livestock to accessing water wells. My character developed alongside my capabilities, too. I learned how all my actions related to my indigenous heritage, teaching me lessons in morality that broadened my worldview while honing my own identity. I truly feel that my understanding of life has grown because of my exposure to not only a rural lifestyle but also with the rich cultures that live within it.

A sense of humility, confidence, and appreciation is common among those who have spent considerable time in rural areas; but, unlike the typical rural towns scattered across the US, reservations bring experiences that deepen one's sense of self. Given the profound appreciation for this that has been instilled in me by my time on reservations, I would encourage all to expose themselves to the accomplishments and struggles of life on indigenous lands.