Heard... Advocate Change
THE REAL COST By Ciara Williams
W
hen you work in a kitchen
store muttering these popular back
the sexual innuendos. I’ve been in and
you learn quickly what you
of the house words. You also get a
out of the kitchen for a good portion
need to do to be seen and
feel for what you will tolerate and
of my life, mostly taking the line cook
to be heard. You learn the lingo, the
what you also will not just let go. As a
job to get through school and to take
layout, the associates. HEARD, CORNER
female in the kitchen, you always will
care of the family, getting away from
and YES CHEF are the 3 statements you
have to ‘prove yourself’, and with that
real life and hanging with the kitchen
learn early and if you work in a kitchen
sometimes you learn to brush off nasty
crew. You learn who you can count on
long enough it becomes routine, you
comments, the angry chef, people
and who will listen to you about your
will catch yourself at home or in the
who are brand new to kitchen life, and
life outside of work, so most times it feels
like therapy more than work.
to represent your heritage
You create in a sense a family
and to protect your energy.
outside of your natural family.
As a young Navajo woman
The word K’e doesn’t have
my father always told us to
a real translation but is more
travel, see the world and see it
so a description of what you
from another perspective, the
want to share with the world,
real world. That is why I left my
or maybe just your world. As
home to see if I could conquer
a Navajo this was taught at
the world, or at the very least
an early age; K’e, you share
my world.
with the ones you encounter
This was my journey and my
in life because you want to
downfall. I trusted, I believed, I
change the narrative in the
hoped. I trusted my associates
world to be in harmony, not
to respect my boundaries but
just within yourself but in your
also remain cordial. I believed
surroundings, family, home,
that if I spoke my truth, they
life, work, kitchen life. As a
would hear me. I hoped that
Navajo you are brought up to
the authorities would make
respect boundaries, respect
the wrongs right because
life, and respect authority
that’s what you are taught
in all forms. We are taught
from a young age; that if
to reach for the stars, the
someone hurts you, you are
unattainable, to always learn
to tell someone… anyone.
from your mistakes and to
They failed me, they failed us
stay in harmony and balance
because they believed that
within the sacred mountains
a woman can only scream so
and to always carry turquoise
much until she is drowned out
