CommonAppEssay?

I stood on sacred ground. Staring back at me from the sandstone cliff was the solemn face of a “Dunwoody” petroglyph. Frankly, I was unnerved by the look of it. Over 500 years of exposure to the harsh climate of the Wind River Mountains failed to diminish its profound presence. Seized by its gaze, shivers decended my spine in waves and burning questions inside me froze. Who etched it into the rock? What were the artist's motives and intended message? I craved a story, a connection, a glimpse into the past. If only I could return the figure’s gaze as an equal, recprocate with awe tempered by some form of understanding in lieu of fear.

Assigned a research-based essay on historical 2D art forms and bored with textbook definitions and distant paintings by Rembrandt or DeKooning, I felt compelled to explore this local facet of art history. The enigmatic Dunwoody petroglyph on my family's ranch near Lander, Wyoming afforded greater opportunities for discovery and creativity within the bounds of my assignment. Instead of turning to wikipedia.org or an encyclopedia, I recruited Mr. Guenther, a local historian and archeologist to participate in the preliminary research. His knowledge of local history is famous and his critical eye for in-site artifacts astounding. He is known for galloping full speed through sage brush only to wheel his horse around to examine the vague shape of a 1000 year old teepee ring, a level of dedication and enthusiasm to history that few can claim as their own.

I led Mr. Guenther and my History teacher Mr. Foxley along a short 1.5-mile hike to the site of the petroglyph. Dressed in five-gallon hats and Wranglers, they gave the expedition a decidedly adventurous and experienced tone. Arriving at the cliff face, Mr. Guenther immediately deduced basic facts about the ancient peoples who once inhabited the region. There, he reasoned, the Shoshone found shelter from brutal winter storms, butchered and processed game, and etched the Dunwoody petroglyph. Weeks later Mr. Guenther retuned to Coal Gulch with a regional rock art expert. They unearthed evidence of human habitation dating back to 5000 years before present, indicating that the site is much older than we initially suspected.

The impact exploring Coal Gulch had on me was immediate and profound. Enthusiastic about what seemed an uninspired art-history essay, this discovery increased my appreciation for local history and Shoshone culture and helped me better understand the value of place and tradition. Coal Gulch is failry saturated with history; the past is palpible. I swear encounters with the Dunwoody figure bring about moments of clairvoyance- past and present collide.

Newly aware that I had passed over the same ground as generation after generation of Shoshone Indians, my perceptions of family tradition were changed. I realized how little they factor into my own life, for better or worse. It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition (Henry James). I admire the Shoshone for their ability to perpetuate this consistent pattern of habitation for almost 5000 years.

The petroglyph exploration also caused me to view my relationship to teachers and the institution of school in an entirely new light. Education in a participatory, collaborative, and experiential form is very engaging. Being a part of this discovery inspired me to seek out new and different approaches to my own education.

I return to Coal Gulch on hikes and trail runs with the passion of a religious convert. The rock will unfurl its comprehensive biography of the land to southern skies and lucky passersby for an eternity. Place and people have a reciprocal relationship, one of which I thankfully partake each time I encounter the petroglyph. I am not the first, nor am I the last to entrust my footprints to the landscape of Coal Gulch. Each visit deepens my relationship to this place, its history, and its peoples.