I am Nayeli Mercado and I am a tribally enrolled member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma and a descendent of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin.
As our Interfaith co-curricular discussed possible topics for our spring prayer service, Mrs. (Cynthia) Blaze (Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) encouraged us to think through the idea of regrowth and renewal. At the time, Catholics were in the season of Lent and would be in the season of Easter during our service, so we widened the topic since many religions and faiths hold significance to the idea of renewal during spring time. From that understanding, we decided on ‘color and light’ as a framework for sharing about renewal and spiritual growth.
In Native American culture and spirituality, the Earth is at the center of all creation, thanks, and prayers. Agnes Wichgers, DSHA ’26, and I decided to share about the Medicine Wheel, an important symbol in many Native American cultures. It represents the interconnectedness of all life, the cycles of nature (and renewal), and the four main directions (often symbolizing stages of life, aspects of being, seasons, elements, or sacred medicines). Each direction is associated with a color. These colors can vary among different tribes, but commonly include black, white, red, and yellow. Through the Medicine Wheel, one can see a reflection of the balanced view of life's phases and purposes as described in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, our scripture passage that guided the interfaith service as a whole.
We reminded everyone that life is ever-changing and cyclical, and that as it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything, and that making time for reflection is important for renewal in all of our spiritualities. We led an interactive reflection with traditional flute music in the background, asking others: “What time is it for you? And what do you need to live abundantly?”
The opportunity to share at this service helped me reflect on my own past and renewal. As Natives in Milwaukee, my family had minimal resources. Yet as the city grew, so did our community and the Indian Community School (ICS) was founded to support Native youth in and around the Milwaukee area. I attended the ICS from grades K3-8, and through a scholarship offered by ICS, I was able to choose a private school that I felt fit me.
After applying to multiple high schools I decided on DSHA, because it represented a welcoming beginning and renewal at a turn I was fearful to take. I had never been to a new school, and I am one of only two girls who came to DSHA from my ICS class. When I shadowed and toured, I was told there was a place for everyone at DSHA. I have found this to be true as I joined Furia Latina (co-curricular) and was able to connect to my Puerto Rican culture, as well. Yet as I finished my freshman year in 2023 and renewed my scholarship application, I was reminded of the other aspect of what makes me feel whole—my Native heritage. This remained in the back of my mind and as I entered sophomore year, I was offered the opportunity to join the Interfaith co-curricular and represent my culture once again. I participated in the fall interfaith prayer service, and although nervous at first, I became proud as I shared my culture with the school. When the spring service came around, I was excited and confident, rather than nervous. Going from a school where my culture was involved in everyday life, to then being disconnected daily, has been hard for me. However, the Interfaith Prayer Service has given me a platform to share some of the teachings of Native American Culture and Spirituality; that had previously been a daily part of my life for ten years, and allowed me to connect my communities. It has helped me feel whole again.