PsyD Cultural Immersion Trip: Alaska, Part 2
At the end of their first year, Northwest University’s PsyD students participate in an International Field Study course. This course is a case study of the psychology, culture, and social justice issues related to the people indigenous to the country of the cultural immersion trip. Previous trip destinations included Brazil, El Salvador, China, and Israel. This past year, due to COVID travel restrictions, the PsyD cohort went to Alaska. Below is a journal entry from Cale Smart, a student in the program.
Day 7 – 8/7/2021 Mount Alyeska
After hopping on the bus in downtown Anchorage it is incredible how fast the city ends and the wilderness begins to take over. Mount Alyeska and the other peaks of the area loom over a forested valley. During the gondola ride to the upper lodge, intermittent clouds obscured our view with dense fog. Once we arrived at the upper lodge it was almost impossible to see out into the surrounding valley, but the sun and a light breeze held promise of respite from the covering clouds. While some of us stayed at the upper lodge to enjoy good food and better conversation, a few of us ventured up the path towards the obscured peak. Miraculously, the clouds parted though gradually at first, only allowing brief glimpses at the breathtaking beauty of the mountain and surrounding valley. By the time we reached the end of the one-mile trail, we were granted an amazingly clear view of the wild and wondrous beauty of Alaska. The steep and abrupt nature of the mountains are unlike any other place I had seen; they seemed to rise out of the ground and climb skyward until their rise ended in snow-capped peaks.
While on the mountain side path, we decided as a group to take a few minutes to ourselves in silence to reflect on the sights in front of us and what we had learned on the trip. As I peered out on the stunning valley below, I lost myself in the beauty of the moment. I concentrated on the scent of the mountain plants and the feeling of a sprig of a pine-like small shrub as I ran it through my fingers. Gazing out at my surroundings, I felt an acute sense of connectedness with the land. I reflected on the tree-line of the surrounding mountains; a place too high for even the heartiest trees to grow. I noticed patterns and what seemed to be evidence of human activity in the form of logging. Then a thought occurred to me, humans have left their footprint on many places for good and ill. In this wild place, we had used its resources to construct our dwellings and to fuel our industries. I was not shocked or disheartened by what I saw, but instead was struck by the realization that just like the loggers had left an unmistakable mark on that mountain side, I too would be leaving marks, though perhaps less visible, on my clients. With clients from indigenous heritage, it seems even more imperative to take into account what marks history and their culture have already placed on them.