| She slowly opens her hand to show me tiny, sun | | | | ask the readers whether they want to alternate |
| bleached snail shells. Five children, are down on their | | | | reading the pages with me or read all the pages by |
| knees searching the ground. Three girls and two boys | | | | themselves. Coyle tells me, "I want to read the |
| look for these remnants from ages past. The children | | | | pages by myself so I will remember the words." |
| have black thick hair and brown eyes. Most the boys | | | | Coyle's chapter book is about six year olds who go |
| in the school have a braid down their backs. All the | | | | to camp and are away from home the first time. |
| children are lively and inquisitive, and run, play tag, | | | | They are all homesick and cry, but not Rachel, who is |
| swing and become curious about what they notice | | | | described as being brave. |
| on the ground during recess. | | | | "Coyle, are girls brave?" |
| Mrs. Young blows her whistle. Recess is over at the | | | | "NO girls are brave!" |
| Lillian Valley School. Thirteen children, kindergarten | | | | "You mean NO girls are brave? Don't you know ANY |
| through second grade, run to get in line. I am here to | | | | brave girls?" |
| listen to the children read one-on-one, except for the | | | | "My mom is brave." |
| kindergartners who are excited about someone | | | | "Was she brave when she was a girl?" |
| reading to them. | | | | Coyle is caught up in the joke, "Okay, she's brave |
| In 1998 the children's school was started when the | | | | and so is my grandma." |
| elders of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes asked for a | | | | "And Rachel is brave also," I point out. |
| small private Christian school to be initiated next to | | | | Coyle is laughing and he looks at my mouth, "You've |
| the tribal lands. The elders were concerned for the | | | | got a gold tooth." |
| welfare of the children because many children live | | | | He catches Larry's attention, who is reading out loud, |
| with their grandparents. | | | | holding his chapter book up in front of his face as he |
| Lillian Valley, one of the elders and an Episcopal | | | | walks in a circle around the room. "Hey, she's got a |
| deacon went to her Idaho bishop to receive | | | | gold tooth," Coyle lets Larry know. |
| permission to start the school under diocesan | | | | Larry stops and wants to see, but I put my hand |
| sponsorship. Thus the Lillian Valley School was started. | | | | over my mouth, and then finally show Larry. "Cool," |
| No longer under church sponsorship, the school is | | | | Larry joyfully exclaims. The three of us are laughing |
| funded entirely by private donations. It has the | | | | at our shared joke. |
| capacity for thirty children, k-5. | | | | It is lunch time and Mrs. Young calls everybody to |
| The school is separated into two groupings. The | | | | stop what they are doing and get ready for lunch. |
| lower level is k-2, and the upper level is 3-5th grades. | | | | Before they leave for lunch, they will pray together |
| Each level has one teacher and one teacher's aide. I | | | | in the Shoshone language. All the children are English |
| am there as a volunteer in the reading program two | | | | speakers. The language of their ancestors is dying |
| mornings per week. I go to both classrooms to listen | | | | out and there is an effort to bring it back before all |
| to the children. | | | | the elders are gone. A teacher comes each week to |
| Coyle, not his real name, has a long thick braid down | | | | teach the Shoshone language. |
| his back. He brings a chapter book to read to me. I | | | | I'm thrilled to be here. |