Sam Chestnut Lippman School Two Tribes, One Vision edJEWcon Cleveland

1. Deer Medicine Rocks

2. Deer Medicine Rocks

3. Deer Medicine Rocks

4. Student Reflection: Deer Medicine Rocks
Deer medicine Rock is strange to be around. When I was there, it felt like there was static in the
air, as if I wasn’t welcome and that I was trespassing on something that should be left alone.
The Rock was not what I had anticipated it would be like. From far away, it looks like a collection
of pillars that are all connected to form one big rock. When you get close enough to touch it,
you see all of these carvings, similar to a kindergartener draws with a pencil on a piece of
paper. The drawings didn’t make any sense, and even as Mr. Whiteman explained the figures,
symbols, and drawings, it still didn’t make much sense.
Although, the drawings were confusing to me, the story was one of a kind. I can’t do the story
justice, I’ll probably skip half of it and all of the important parts, but the carvings told the
Cheyenne people what was going to happen. It was a sort of prophecy, and it also told them
how and inspired them to make the culture it is today. The Deer Medicine Rock is very much
like the bible and the Ten Commandments; both were written on stone, both told the people
what was going to happen, what already happened, and what is happening, and both were the
reason the culture is what it is.
The whole time I was there, I was thinking, “Wow. These are two very different cultures. They
were made on opposite sides of the world, and yet, look at us. We are one and the same when
it comes to beliefs. How and why did this ever happen? What does this mean?”
If you ever go there, just stop and think. The Deer Medicine rock opened up my eyes and made
me able to see that we are the same. The Jewish People and the Cheyenne Nation, from
opposite sides of the globe, are like brothers and sisters.

5. The Custer Battle From a Different
Perspective

6. Sweat Lodge –purpose and comparative opportunity

9. A Student Perspective
Some of the things I learned about the Jewish culture
was the sukkah. In the holiday, they build a temporary
little shack where they eat their meals. I also shared
some of my culture with my pen pal Sam. I told him
we do not waste food or throw it.
My favorite part of sharing culture was the synagogue.
I thought it was very interesting the way the books
were written and the way they spoke their language.