Hello, my name is Kimi Tupi and I am Native American. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad has led to sadness in my tribe and in my heart.

I’m a thirteen- year old girl and I belong to tribe Sioux. I have a baby brother, two younger sisters, and a mother and father. I’m the oldest in my family, besides my parents.

During the Transcontinental Railroad I did many jobs and playful things. The Transcontinental affected my daily life. A few of the jobs included watching children for their mothers and cooking food for my family. These jobs were tough especially when you are watching more than on child at a time and it was difficult to cook when the fire goes out unexpectedly. These are two jobs that I dislike doing and are very boring. Both tasks had to be done in the sweltering sun, too. Making baskets and getting firewood for the fire were two jobs that are relaxing, quiet, and fun jobs that I enjoyed doing because I would do them anytime during the day. They didn’t take much effort, when I went to get firewood I had to watch where I was walking so I didn’t step on anything, and I could make baskets any where and by myself. Besides doing jobs, I took part in games and listened to stories with children in my tribe. We played all our games in the heat of the sun and in bushes on the tree-less plains. Many of the games had to do with chasing, hiding, running, seeking, laughing, and playing together. During and after playing in the sunshine, I am full of emotions and feelings. I was silly, happy, tired, and energetic. Also, we listened to stories told by the elders of our tribe. Several of the stories that they told were scary and silly. Listening to their stories, I get various emotions including fear, happiness, sadness, and joy. I remember they wouldn’t tell me why other elders in my tribe were angry, so I had to find out for myself

I remember going out to get firewood. It was a blazing hot day and the sun was rising. I never would have done it in the scorching heat of the sun, but I wanted to learn a new game that my mother was going to teach me. At first I was just frolicking along gathering wood, and then I heard a peculiar sound. When I turned around, I saw it. It was a big thing on moving circles. I sprint back with the firewood I had picked up, before I heard the sound. When I got to my hut, I was tired and worn out from the hard sprint. I was trying not to freak out, acting as if I hadn’t seen anything.

Later, that evening while I was getting ready for bed I explained to my father what I had seen. He said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I think you need some rest.” Before I had time to say a word, I was fast asleep. The next day I decided I was going to see what that big thing was on our land. First, I did jobs close to my hut where I slept, and afterwards I played games. Later in the afternoon, I cooked an immense dinner for with women in my tribe, to thank the spirits for our good fortune. While everyone was celebrating, I ran to where I saw it. It was gigantic. I saw men laying down long, and what looked like heavy things on the earth. I didn’t know who they were, why they were there and what they wanted, but I was going to find out.

I remember that day, like it was yesterday. I didn’t understand what it was but now I do, it was the Transcontinental Railroad. Today, May 10th, 1869 is the day it is completed. My tribe was up early in the morning. We were all filled with sadness, because our land wasn’t going to be ours anymore. In the afternoon it became worse. More people came to see the ceremony and everybody in my tribe was getting frightened. “The ceremony is supposed to be long and have speeches,” said one of the elders. “It was going to be hot one,” I thought to myself. Sweat was already rolling down my cheek. The golden spike was presented to David Hewes. In the last tie plat, the golden spike was driven in, at Promontory, Utah. It joined 3,500 miles of track together. By night fall, the West was filled with laughter, happiness, and relief at parties and celebrations because the work was over. For my tribe, depression hit hard on my tribe because we couldn’t roam freely anymore, or at least not as we used to.

Sadness spread over my tribe and in my heart due to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Many more people have come to the West. The railroad is a relief for some people, but for the Native Americans it is a bad thing and not a relief at all. The Transcontinental Railroad has changed my tribe and how we do things.