Spiritual Autobiography

Madesyn THompson

Disconnection

  • Native American roots and spirituality


  • Biggest beliefs include Nanih Waiya, Hushtahli, Nanpisa


  • Being disconnected from my culture made this project the perfect opportunity to look into the spiritual beliefs of my tribe.


  • I have always struggled to be spiritual because I never had a guide in which to base myself off of.

Definitions

  • Nanih Waiya- Mother mound; (1) the cave in which the first Choctaws walked out of, (2) the settlement in which the first Choctaws settled in after a great migration to the west.
  • Hushtahli- the Supreme Being or “God” of Choctaw spirituality
  • Nanpisa- the Sun, but also considered to be a hole in the sky in which Hushtahli peered through to look over the Choctaw


Spirituality

Sense of connection with humanity


During a trip in the summer with UIW, I felt the most spiritual when I was with the group. Making connections with children, adults, and each other was extremely satisfying. Just being down in San Juan, TX gave me a more spiritual feeling than any other place I have lived. When there, we took the time to be mindful every day and discussed what most deeply impacted us at our different activities.

Experiences compassion and empathy with others

Volunteering

Respite Center

Despite being unable to communicate with most of the children resting here, I was still able to connect with them through arts and crafts. Through coloring, puzzle solving, and maze solving, I was able to interact and bond with the children.

La Posada Providencia

While here, my group and I helped to set up soccer goals and packed bags of essential goods. I could feel the empathy the workers had for the people who were staying there.

ARISE Muñiz

While here, we taught and played games with the children. Since we spent a lot of time here, the children were quick to attach themselves to us. Our time there really made me think about how I wanted my future to look.

ARISE San Juan

Despite being in an extremely poor area, the children here were teeming with life and energy. While playing soccer, or making beaded bracelets, or simply enjoying raspas together, I felt connected with these children in a way I never imagined before.

Dorothy Day

Connections

Just as Dorothy Day found volunteering to be fulfilling, I also found it to be very fulfilling in just my one week of service. I cannot imagine what a full life of volunteering and advocacy would feel like.

Searching

I would say that like Dorothy, I am now in the “searching” phase of my life because I am looking for a meaning in which to focus my life in.

What better way to give than to give the gift of knowledge? By becoming a teacher, I am dedicating my life to serving, just as Dorothy did.


Similarities

A thing that Dorothy and I have in common is our scholarliness. She was able to attend the University of Illinois through a scholarship she gained from her academics. Similarly, I am able to attend UIW because of the three scholarships I have.

Dorothy and I also share our rejection of religion. She felt that it would impede her life and she must reject it. I have also rejected religion since I was a teen, but as a child I embraced it more than I do now.