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| Anna and Archie were accompanied by animals throughout our visit. |
Anna and Archie Hoskie live in a contemporary home that sits next to the Hogan that Anna was raised in as a child.
The tribe provided the newer home to replace the Hogan. "I still use the Hogan to store things,” Anna stated.
Anna is 77 and Archie is 81. Archie still worked around their expansive yard. Anna added, "He doesn't want to just stay in the house."
The huge pile of wood was delivered as part of the Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC) program’s Winter Fuel service. Anna estimated that the wood would last them about a month depending on how far the temperatures dipped.
The wood sat in a generous pile near the donkey corral. The couple explained that, “The donkey belongs to our grandson.” The enclosed animal brayed loudly as we approached the corral. Anna explained, "He tells us when he is hungry."
The wood provided was a mixture of Pinon and Pondarosa. Anna was excited, explaining that “both are good burners!” Another smaller mound of greasewood sat near their barrel grill close to their house. Anna explained, “It's good for cooking and flavors the food nicely.” She still used the outdoor grill if it wasn’t too cold.
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| "Thank you for the wood — it really helps,” Anna gratefully exclaimed. |
Both Elders were in relatively good health. Anna had some knee issues that doctors attributed to arthritis. As the wind picked up, she lamented, "It's getting cold." The wood came just in time. December, January and February were typically the coldest months. Archie had been working hard on some preventative measures to help shield the home from the forceful gales.
Archie had planted some trees as a wind row around the property and had been checking on their progress as we visited with Anna. Archie noticed that Anna wasn’t wearing a coat and took some time from his tree checks to return to the house. He stepped outside with a warm jacket and handed it to Anna. She quickly put it on and zipped it up. It was such a sweet gesture. Chivalry still existed!
Although their house was surrounded by plowed corn fields, they didn’t work the land anymore. Anna added, "We did when we were younger." The two were accompanied by animals throughout our visit. The cats and dogs had an important job! They helped keep the critters away from the house as it turned colder. They explained that “Mice try to make their way inside.” One dog looked to be protecting the wood pile, but moved away as we approached.
Before returning to the warmth of their home, Anna and Archie stood in front of the wood pile that was neatly stacked for easy access to their front door. They were both extremely grateful for the assistance and earnestly thanked us for the winter warmth.
“Thank you for the wood — it really helps,” Anna gratefully exclaimed.
