GRAND Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 30)

Grandmother Percy says 8-year-old Carla—Wu-pa-ho-mana—is bubbly like her mother was. Lori Ann Piestewa with her children as babies; Brandon is in her arms on the left, Carla on the right. The children are being raised in both Hopi and Catholic beliefs. have block parties for all the families.” And the children’s paternal grandparents live in Tuba City. The children’s father, Bill Whiterock, is full Navajo; a welder, he travels with a construction job. Divorced from Lori before she was deployed to Iraq, he has since remarried and has two young daughters. “It’s hard for Carla and Brandon to accept that their dad is not around as much as they’d like,” says grandfather Terry. The Whiterock grands try to fill in. “We go down to Flagstaff often to see them,” says grandmother Rena. “On their birthdays, they tell us there’s a party, we’re always there. We’re just glad they’re being taken care of so good. They seem happy. But sometimes, we go to visit, they’re not home. They’re busy.” Brandon wrestles and plays football and basketball; Carla studies piano and gymnastics and is a Brownie. They both do tae kwon do, a Korean martial art, and sing in the church choir. The Piestewas raised their four children in Percy’s Catholic faith and in Terry’s Hopi religion; and, in the same tradition, they are raising Lori’s children in both Hopi and Catholic beliefs. Carla and Brandon attend both church and school in the San Francisco de Asís parish in Flagstaff. “With our two, because they have a faith in a higher entity, they know that this is not the end here on Earth; they can go either way—up in the sky to see God or to become part of the Kachina world, the spirit world,” Percy says. Terry attends church with his family but feels out of place. “I am just my own Hopi way of life, but I’ll go and sit there in church,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m doing there. I just sit and watch.” Percy is a certified aerobics instructor and works out with friends every Monday morning. Keeping up with her grandchildren also keeps her pretty fit. But Terry is worried; he has health issues, and he relies on his sons to hunt, camp and fish with Brandon, and play sports with both children. “That’s our biggest thing right now,” Terry says. “I’m deteriorating. I’m sure there’s this sense of insecurity with the children. How long is Grandpa going to be here?” “We can’t be here forever,” Percy says. “We make them aware of that. I think they feel more comfortable because they know what’s going to happen—they know ‘We’re going to live with this uncle, and these other aunties and uncles will be there…’ so they’re not left in limbo when we go. We’ve signed powers of attorney.” Both retired, Percy and Terry share responsibilities with the children and attend all their school and extracurricular events, but Percy does all the driving. “Papa can’t see too well, so he just takes care of the animals,” Brandon says. That’s no small chore: Carla and Brandon have two horses, seven dogs, a cat, a rabbit, a rooster, six turtles and three parakeets. “Grandma and Papa are doing a good job,” says Brandon. “I think they’re great.” G 30 GRAND JANUARY 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - January 2009

GRAND�Magazine - January 2009 Grand View Contents Isn't it Grand? Grand Central Tips on Teens Grand Gestures Toddler Town Help! My Grandson's Being Raised Vegan! Cover Story: Casualties Leader of the Pack Reunions Together Time Resources Grand Finale

GRAND Magazine - January 2009

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