Navajo Student in need of Financial Aid for Class Trip

Skye Gillson Start Date: Sep 13, 2021 - End Date: Sep 20, 2021
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico

My Travel Story

by: Skye Gillson Start Date: Sep 13, 2021 - End Date: Sep 20, 2021
Yá át eeh, 
My name is Skye Gillson, I am a member of the Navajo Nation and currently attending Arizona State University. I am in my last year of my master’s studying architecture and construction management. 
Apart of the architecture curriculum, in the last year, is to do a travel studio. In this studio we will use our learned knowledge to analyze the site and get on hands experience. We also get the study the surrounding context, its people and sense of place; we hope to use this experience in our project for the remainder of the semester.

Going on this trip is very important to me. I have never been to anywhere south or north of the US border. It would be quite a learning experience for a Native American such as myself, the Puerto Rico People have an indigenous population as well. I wish to store this perspective and learned knowledge to my arsenal of cultural understanding and cultural  expression.  

Being Native American, we hold a rare perspective when it comes to design. The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) 2017 demographics state that less than one percent of licensed architects are Native American. This small number demonstrates how much authentic native American design is lacking, this is what I wish to focus on in my career. Small experiences, such as experiencing Puerto Rico, is what is help me in my goals ambitions to express authentic indigenous design.  

Due to Covid-19 this trip was approved last minute, thus the late application/sign up.

Best,

 
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico