Lorraine Yazzie:
CLASS OF 1967
Chemawa Indian SchoolClass of 1967
Salem, OR
Lorraine's Story
Life
Helloo Chemawans, how's everyone out there? For me life is grand and old with all its promises: 5 children, 8 delicious grandchildren, aches and pains, and gray hair, etc. I got married to David Yazzie in 1967. He passed on May 1992. Since then I've been both mom and dad to my children. Thanks to Chemawa for giving us Miss Mitchell; I think we had a fantastic school, don't you think so? I learn to survive out here, due to all the training we had back there. I tell my children we had our own bank, pageants, model shows, sponsored our own activities, milk cows; pastuerizing, apple orchards, farming veggies and fruits, besides academic work, which we all hated, remember? I use to think, all my troubles would be over once I got out of high school, one year later, I wanted to go back. I know you did too. I never got home sick when I was in Chemawa, because of all of you, we were family. I live in Phoenix, AZ now with my daughters. I lived many different places before I moved here. I've lived in Oakland, Tacoma, Roseburg,OR; Page, Kayenta, Dennehotso, Fort Definace, Window Rock, Tse Bonito, Flagstaff, Cameron, Holbrook and here. Arizonians are familiar with these places. Hey, but I have'nt been there yet. I traveled some, but I still want to see the world. I had my ups and downs, but life goes on. I love to hear from you and your pic, I'll put mine up as soon as possible.
School
After high school, I went straight to Haywood, CA to study computer keypunching, which I'm still doing, keyboarding. I went to several community colleges, due to a tough homemaking job, no one ever told me how hard that was, I did'nt do any schooling until my baby started kindergarden. I did correspondence classes in Child Nutrition while I work. I also went to a Christian College; from it I did and do a lot of church work everywhere I move to. I learned to read, write, and teach Navajo. I am pursuing a BA in Social Work at NAU. I want to set up my own practice as a Senior Care Manager, I don't want to be anyone's employee anymore, you know what I mean? I still have many years to work, besides being medically retired. Life is too short to spent it all on retirement. You are never too old to attain what you are seeking. Tell your grandchildren, do it while you are young, and do homemaking until after the BA. Presently, I'm working on a book; oral history. The title will be "The People of Near the Mountain Clan." I like to write, it's ent...Expand for more
ertaining. In high school my best teacher was Mrs. Jonnaber, she taught me English. I give her all the credit, at that time I thought I hated English, since I was force to learn it, and speak it. Those old teachers were tenacious, weren't they? Well, it paid off for the good. It's funny how time changes, English is my children's their first language now. They are trying to learn Navajo.
College
I went to several colleges a semester at a time due to having to work. I started with Hayward Business College in Hayward, CA., When I lived in Holbrook, AZ I went to Northland Pioneer College, I took correspondence classes at Coolige Community College, Scottdale Community College, and presently I'm starting SW classes at Phoenix College, I will be going back to NAU next semester. I just want to extend to young people that college is a must. It's your future. If you want to live in the main stream, you have to get wet and swim to the other side where the grass is greener. Think about it this way, when you are young, you have the strength and stamina to get across faster. Many older people are in universities at age 70, because of changing economic factors; baby boomers might have to work until age 80 in this generation. Forgive me, I'm preaching, but these are facts.
Workplace
Places I worked and toiled since I got out of high school. I worked for Allied Paper Company as sales clerk, cashier, $ ins, outs & deposits, advertising, and cataloging, etc., let's just say I managed the place and I did for as long as I lived in Oakland, CA. Since then, I worked at a Christain School as a Pre-School teacher, and I also managed it, Simultaneously, I did volunteer work at a radio station doing local and State news in my humble language, which gave me incentives to be a community worker. In between I gained enough work experience in small jobs, you know to put food on the table. I worked at the print center of a community college before I commited myself to long term work for the Navajo County Health Dept in Holbrook, AZ, (While I work, I was certified as a Community Nutrition Worker through Coolidge Community College) until my last kid graduated from high school, unfortunately, by that time, my body also retired from work, I became disabled to work. I'm okay now---End of work history.
Military
None. This is for the funnies; I enlisted in the Women's WACs right after high school, but they deemed me to be too short for them. Darn.
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