ACCUEIL

07.07.2011

CONFIDENTIALITY All identifying information or photos of families, children, and elders is confidential. Identifying information includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, and descriptive information that would lead to identity. Any photos that come into the possession of sponsors or others connected with P.R.E.S are confidential and may not be published in any form or through any medium of communication without the express written permission of the parent, elder, AND, if a child, the child in question if he/she is old enough to understand and give permission. Names and demographic information of a family or elder is given to sponsors or others on an as needed basis with the consent of the family or elders and cannot be re-released in any form without further permission.

JUNE 2014

Our partner, ONE SPIRIT, communicates an information :

2014 Crazy Horse Ride is a celebration of the life of Lakota spiritual leader, Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse).

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17^th Annual 2014 Crazy Horse Ride
Celebrating the Life of Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse)

The Crazy Horse Ride begins Sunday June 1st and continues through Thursday June 5th.

In previous emails we have written about the importance of this ride as a rite of passage for the youth. Although funding is down, the ride will still take place and Lakota Youth will have the opportunity for a spiritual experience in the tradition of their people. If you would like to help us supply the riders with food water and necessities for the riders, all donations will be used for that purpose. The email below is from Bamm as he prepares for this, the 17th annual Crazy Horse Ride.

... It is the specialty of many Lakota youth's lives, It is the funnest part of their summer. It is the time when they all gather their horses and ride together.

It is the closest event that brings the people together with their horses, it has brought back a culture to a people who are losing the old ways,

One can get deeply immersed in the spirituality of the journey as I have and things get kinda touchy when you try to keep the meaning safe. An elder who rode many years on the ride and is no longer here said to me as we rode together during that second day years ago.

"When you get over there, those short range riders "we call "Hollywooders" will try to take this from you, you keep it and do it the same way you always do", "you do a good thing and no one would ever do it as good as you."

I still remember those words today when times get frustrating, to me there is only one way to do this and that way is the way Crazy Horse would have wanted it done with respect, integrity,courage, and honor.

In recent years we led a spirit horse and it was an experience that would sink me much deeper then I HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE RIDE. There I would find myself way up high in the clouds, so high that after the ride I wouldn't want to be around people I stayed far away.

It would be friends who were sun dancers that would have to bring me back. Only they understood that a person could walk the earth without his spirit. It was all new to me I just came home from the ride one year and didn't even realize I was a wanderer I'll call it that.

After 4 days now we go bring our spirit back in the inipi ceremony. How could this be? There is mostly kids on the ride. I wondered this and it was because they were really doing a warrior thing. So because of that it was a warrior rite of passage.

The ride has become a rite of passage for them, all the parents want their kid to be a Crazy Horse Rider, all the parents want their kid to wear one of those T Shirts, because they'll know their youth has taken a path on a good positive road,

It showed them a way of life, it showed them that we honor our true heroes and role models; our Veterans.

So thank you all and so far so good. I'm happy just how it is and I just wanna get on and ride right now!

-Bamm Brewer

follow on Twitter \| friend on Facebook \| forward to a friend ONE Spirit is a federally registered non-profit (IRC 501 (c) (3)) service organization founded to assist and support the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Visit our website at: www.nativeprogress.org
Copyright © 2014 One Spirit, All rights reserved. You are receiving this Newsletter because you opted in via our website or by signing up for a ONE Spirit Program. Our mailing address is: One Spirit PO Box 3209 Rapid City, SD 57709 Add us to your address book
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MAY 2014

ONE SPIRIT INFORMATION :

On the Rez

We were very lucky to meet a beautiful family on the Pine Ridge Reservation last year while visiting.

The elderly grandparents sleep in this dwelling. They said that it is warm in the winter and they had plenty of room until the grandchildren moved into it with them.

This is the rest of their home… a very typical house on the Pine Ridge Reservation. You can see they are lucky to have electricity, but there is no running water. They have to take their baths in a bucket and use an outhouse for their toilet. They have a water tank in their home that they have to have filled weekly for drinking and bathing water. There is no well or city supplied water source.

These are the children that live in the home, along with their parents and grandparents. Like most children around strangers, they were a little shy when we arrived, but soon warmed up to us and posed for pictures.

The grandfather in this home makes these art pieces out of matchsticks to sell.

The mother makes beautiful quilts to sell and their father makes and sells his beadwork.

They are traditional Lakota and earn their meager income as many Lakota have before them. They have a sweat lodge on their property for their inipis, and live their lives walking the “Good Red Road”. But as you can see, they still struggle.

We took these photos with their permission; this is a typical scenario in all of the districts and their struggle is a common thread among the many families that are helped by One Spirit. Families like this are why we do what we do.

The Okini List helps families like this receive necessities to tide them over until a sponsor can be found.

The Sponsorship Programs directly help a family, elder or child with clothing, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and food.

The End Hunger Campaign brings a box of fresh meat and produce to families like this, struggling to make ends meet.

The Wood Program delivers a load of wood for home heat to elders and provides a source of income for Lakota woodsmen.

The Youth Program supports several yearly rides, running events and the soon to be built, Allen Youth Center.

By Lisa Knouff, ASC for Oglala, Red Shirt

For more information about One Spirit, please visit our website at: www.nativeprogress.org

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Visit our website for more information and to sign up for the sponsorship program, or contact us at:

programs@nativeprogress.org

As an Area Service Coordinator, this is a sample of the kinds of questions I am asked about becoming a One Spirit Sponsor. I wanted to share these questions and answers with our many supporters.

Q: Do I have to be a bazillionaire to be a sponsor?

A: Pffffttt! Heck no! Most of our One Spirit Sponsors are just ordinary, hard -working people. Many of them have known what it is like to have nothing, and so have compassion for others in that position.

Q: How could I ever pick just one person to sponsor out of the hundreds that need a sponsor?

A: Well that’s easy! If you are interested in sponsoring someone, you will be referred to a service coordinator who will do the choosing for you and will probably choose whoever has been waiting the longest for a sponsor. If you have preferences, say you prefer sponsoring a young boy or an elder grandmother, those are taken in to consideration so that you are matched with someone in that demographic.

Q: Well I sent items to someone on the Okini list once. Does that make me a sponsor?

A: Not exactly, but it does make you an Okini Donor! All of the families listed on Okini are waiting for a sponsor and we use the list to try to help with their immediate needs until a sponsor can be found. Many people who donate to the Okini list have ended up becoming sponsors and have chosen people from the list. But, the Okini list is just a very small sample of the hundreds of families who have asked One Spirit for sponsorship help.

Q: So, exactly what steps do I take to become a sponsor?

A: Also easy! You just contact us at: programs@nativeprogress.org and we will send you a Sponsor Contact Information sheet and a FAQ sheet. Once you have filled out your contact information and returned it to Kari, she will pass your information on to a One Spirit Service Coordinator, who will match you up with a Lakota elder, family or child. You will then receive the sponsoree’s contact info and can become acquainted with your new family!

Last year, a 4 year old Lakota boy was put in Early Interventionbecause his language skills were lagging behind. He’s made wonderful progress and is now talking non-stop to everyone who will listen. He is the youngest in a large family, who is not always able to provide him with the clothing he needs or gifts for his Birthday or for the Holiday season. He loves dinosaurs, cars, and ninjas, and his family hopes a sponsor can be found to help with his basic needs.

As a 6^th grader, this Lakota girlLOVES school and loves to learn about everything. Her favorite subjects are math, language arts, and the Lakota language. She also loves sports and her favorites are volley ball and basketball. She lives with her grandmother, who has many grandchildren to care for and is hoping for a sponsor to be able to help her with her basic needs, such as clothing and school supplies when the time comes.

This 15 year Lakota girl has asked for a sponsor’s help. Math is her favorite subject in school and she is very good at it. She also plays basketball, loves all sports, listens to music and is a happy, laughing child…always upbeat. She is one of 9 children in the home and knows that her grandmother struggles to provide for them all, so she is hoping to receive a sponsor to help ease the burden on her unci.

If you are able to sponsor one of these children, please contact us at: programs@nativeprogress.org

follow on Twitter \| friend on Facebook \| forward to a friend ONE Spirit is a federally registered non-profit (IRC 501 (c) (3)) service organization founded to assist and support the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Visit our website at: www.nativeprogress.org
Copyright © 2014 One Spirit, All rights reserved. You are receiving this Newsletter because you opted in via our website or by signing up for a ONE Spirit Program. Our mailing address is: One Spirit PO Box 3209 Rapid City, SD 57709 Add us to your address book
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NOVEMBER 2012

Discover our partner page, One Spirit.

We support programs to youth and families in the Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation.

During the recent trip to New York City, Team One Spirit personified the Lakota values of courage, generosity, honesty, and wisdom.

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During the recent trip to New York City, Team One Spirit personified the Lakota values of courage, generosity, honesty, and wisdom. During the entire trip, these young people handled the intense media attention with grace and wisdom. They were knowledgeable about the world of running and also fully focused on the goal of being the kind of role model needed by the youth on the reservation. They spoke passionately about the needs of the youth for youth centers, for academic and sports programs, and for a reason to believe that dreams can come true. This was particularly amazing when the needs they spoke of, clearly applied to their own children and families. Several members of the team live with their spouses and children in small houses occupied by 10-20 people at any one time.

Even before the Marathon was cancelled due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, this team was asking how they could help with relief efforts for New Yorkers. Their goal to raise funds for the youth on the reservation, was momentarily set aside. When the race was cancelled, Team One Spirit spent the Sunday race day working in Staten Island, New York in one of the areas most damaged by the hurricane. The parallels of the post hurricane conditions they found in NY and the conditions in which so many live on the reservation was not lost on them. Having lived with these conditions, they knew exactly what to provide for the hurricane victims that would be of the most help.

Team One Spirit wants to begin immediately to develop running programs on the reservation and it is the goal of One Spirit to do everything possible to support that goal. We salute the entire Team: the runners Nupa White Plume, Alex Wilson, Amanda Carlow, Kelsey Good Lance, and Jeff Turning Heart Jr., their coach Dale Pine and the manager Bamm Brewer. This team brought honor to the Lakota people and fully demonstrated the Spirit of the New Warrior.

Support their goal. Let's build that youth center.

Team One Spirit Helps New York City Hurricane Victims

A trip across the country with dreams of running the ING New York City Marathon turned into a Run for Recovery for Team One Spirit. The five Lakota rnners, Amanda Carlow, Kelsey Good Lance, Nupa White Plume, Alex Wilson, and Jeff Turning Heart, Jr., and Coach Dale Pine found themselves welcomed participants and honored guests of the New York Road Runners, even after the event was canceled at the last minute due to Hurricane Sandy. The whole journey was a great experience for Team One Spirit.

On the plane trip to New York City with stops along the way at different airports, news updates created doubts if the marathon would even take place. The coverage of Hurricane Sandy brought a realization into focus for the runners, but as far as everyone knew, the race was still on. Team One Spirit, along with thousands of other runners from all over the world, traveled on into the city. After their arrival, the Lakota runners had a first-class invitation to media day, a very special event with only world-class elite runners being interviewed. The runners got the chance to sit among the sport’s great champions and meet them. It was then that the reality actually set in as to the seriousness of what they were about to do. Elite runners such as Olympic marathon runner Meb Keflezighi shook hands with all the Team One Spirit members and said “I watched your video and it was very interesting.” He then said, “Don’t be scared.” All the runners got a good kick out of that one.

Team One Spirit received plenty of media attention of their own. The New York Daily had already met with the crew weeks before their journey to New York City. Wayne Coffey made a special trip to Pine Ridge to interview the team and his story came out the day of the race that turned out to be the day of helping hurricane victims. On media day, there was a photo session at the finish line area with Team One Spirit. One very special highlight for the team had to be the Broadway interview by the New York Road Runners. It was right in the middle of all those bright lights with the New Year’s ball high above. The team was treated with great hospitality and felt like celebrities and they were truly a centerpiece of that night on Broadway.

It was the second day in New York that would bring the news of the cancellation of the marathon. The team had actually received their bibs, their ING New York City Marathon numbers, and a special shirt and were registered runners. It was official; they were in. But after a cross-town stroll back to the Hotel Manhattan, the news of the big cancellation reached Team One Spirit. The last-minute cancellation gave everyone a first-hand look at the seriousness of Super Storm Sandy. Coach Dale Pine had wondered if they would even run the event at all, so his gut instincts were on target.

The news was a shock, but it didn’t take the team long to realize there was another purpose in New York for them. They made plans to visit the most hurricane-devastated area and help with the clean-up. A “Run for Recovery” was organized by New York runners and the Lakota were going to be participants. It was a showing of support for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The project would bring them to the Staten Island area, where the impact could be seen first-hand and up close. It was a sight that would bring out the true heart of Team One Spirit and the many other runners who participated in the Run for Recovery.

“Our mission was completed” said Amanda Carlow. The intention of the trip was to draw awareness to projects on Pine Ridge Reservation and in the long run get some interested sponsors to help with reservation projects. One such project is a youth center near the Allen community within the reservation. Instead, the trip turned into a relief effort for New York City residents. This drew out a great feeling of pride, and to be able to travel all the way to New York and then instead be helping the city and community was truly special for Team One Spirit.

In other views of the trip, Coach Dale Pine said, “It left a lot of questions unanswered, we wanted to be able to run the course and see how our runners would do.” Nupa White Plume enjoyed his time in New York. With a surprised look on his face and a big smile, he looked up at the big sky scrapers saying, “I still can’t believe we were going to do this and we are here.” It was a big step for Nupa; he had a really hard time leaving his children and family back home. Nupa definitely would have done well, as he trained very hard for the marathon. Alex Wilson of Pine Ridge High School can be proud; the past State Champion had his sights set on a great finish and that is really what they all got. Jeff Turning Heart, Jr. met his teammates for the first time when everybody arrived in New York. He was a great scout from the Cheyenne River Oyate. Kelsey Good Lance liked his trip to New York City so much that he wanted to stay and help out longer and the other team members almost had to drag him away.

Amongst the runners, Amanda Carlow was the team leader in the big city. She had traveled before and provided a leadership role for the crew in unfamiliar surroundings. Amanda was also our team tech; with her cool little talking cell phone, she kept everyone from getting lost. The last night of the trip she came up with an idea. There was a homeless lady sitting down the block from the hotel who was holding a “Need Help” sign. Amanda took all the runners to her and they gave her food and some words of encouragement. Amanda is the Red Cloud Middle School cross country coach and this year’s varsity girls basketball coach, and she gave the school one to be proud of.

Jeri Baker, Director of One Spirit, is truly loved by these runners, and what she did to put this whole thing together was above and beyond. She was with the team the entire time even though her home was without electricity, not to mention she hiked all over the city right along with the runners. The whole Lakota Nation can be proud of these runners, Dale Pine, and the One Spirit organization, as they truly were great representatives of the oyate.

The fact remains true that there was no disappointment. It was a great, fun, meaningful trip and all turned out well and the runners will have a whole year to train and prepare for another shot at the One Spirit dream of becoming the first Lakota team to run in the ING New York City Marathon. The team is thankful to Jeri Baker and One Spirit, Jerry Evans, Jeff Harris, The New York Road Runners, OST Finance, and Andersons Clothing of Chadron, Nebraska.

-Bamm Brewer