Vet Camp and Indian Reservations.

Many people have hate towards the Indian reservation and because of that hate I had doubt when I was invited to a Veterinary camp in Monument Valley, Arizona. I didn’t know what to expect except for a whole lot of learning and work. Some friends of mine heard about the camp as well and we all decided to go together. A 5 hour drive from the middle of Arizona, to the Arizona/Utah border. An experience I will never forget and an experience I will forever cherish.

     A junior is High school, and active FFA member and a teenager who wanted to become a veterinarian, I was so excited when I was invited to the Monument Valley Vet camp over the summer. I wasn’t too sure what it was about but it had something to do with kids who all wanted to become vets one day in their lives. It started out as a 5 hour drive and with two other high school girls..... It was fun and crazy. We had a blast. Once we arrived we where shy and quite, we didn’t know anyone else and we didn’t know what we were to be doing. So we took the day as a challenge and started off by introductions and group assignments. Soon class started and we did a quick view of expectation for the camp and proper presentation in front of clients. Yes I said clients. We were working on real animals in a real animal hospital! Doing a little bit with nuts and bolts and punching holes in a cup, the day ended and we went to the school gym to set up our sleeping bags.

   The rest of the week went by and we made knew friends and learned how to draw blood on horses, how to fill out paperwork for a health certificate, and my friends and I even had the chance to stitch up a goat after a dog had attacked it. Everyone had the chance to be in the room during surgeries and help prep and clean up as well. There are no REAL doctors that work at this clinic but there are a few that come in for surgeries. Second Chances out of Flagstaff come in and Dr. Ruby or "Res. Vet" comes in as well to help. The people who run this clinic are the ag. students and the teachers. This made it for an even greater experiance. They do everything a doctor would do, just without the DVM at the end of their name. Artificial Insemination, making a cow go into heat, trimming feet on a cow, yupp I did it all along with my two friends. We vaccinated horses and dogs, Diagnosed animals, it was a great experience

     Later towards the end of the camp they did a campfire story time. It turned into more of a personal thoughtful talk time.Everyone realized what they had andhow it made there life better. Many told stories of loosing parents and grandparents who they where close to. The whole week everyone learned about the Indain culture and how they cherish there family and what they have. We heard stories about land monuments and hiked a long hike to a mountain that was once to hold men who hid during the time that the US was taking Indians on the "Long Walk". 

   I had a fabulous experiance with my friends and I hoped they liked it as much as I did. I learned that the Indain Reservation is nothing to be afraid of. The people there are very nice, they may be quite but they are so nice and loving with a willingness to help those in need. I learned not only how to help and doctor animals but i learned that I should be thankful for what I have and thank god everyday for those things. I may go through a lot but in the end it is not bad as other people and there is someone always in a worse spot then I am.