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As we reflect on 2024, we are holding deep gratitude for all who helped us serve Native communities.  It was a year of constant motion - volunteers, youth, tribal members and supporters jumped into action each week to answer the calls for help from the three reservations we serve. It was a year of connection, where hundreds upon hundreds of Native and non-Native people stepped into the fray together - to learn, share, understand and heal.
Just looking at the sheer numbers, an astounding amount of support was brought to our Indigenous relatives in the form of food, firewood, home repair, gardens, and more. Thank you. Even more impactfully, countless intergenerational and cross-cultural relationships were formed and strengthened. As we grieve the victims of recent violence on Pine Ridge, the importance of these relationships comes into clear view: We are stronger when we work together, across all of our differences and all that we share. When the problems of violence, generational trauma, addiction, cultural loss, and poverty feel most insurmountable - we hold tight to the transformative power of togetherness and connection, and to the Indigenous wisdom of “Mitakuye Oasin” - We Are All Related. As we walk together into a new year, we are energized to move change forward and to positively impact Native communities in new and bigger ways.
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In the week following another divisive election, we recognize that this email is finding some of you terrified and exasperated and others relieved and hopeful. All of you are a part of this Tipi Raiser's community, this circle of humans who range from curious to deeply involved in our vision of a future where children are thriving in interconnected and culturally rooted communities. This circle has room for lines of difference. We're comfortable with the discomfort of hard conversations, we're open to other points of view and we all agree that Indigenous wisdom is needed to inform and guide us through these troubled times.  We are committed to creating more opportunities for authentic connection; knowing that we are richer for our shared humanity which includes all races, backgrounds, generations and, yes, political viewpoints.
Together we will stay focused on moving our work forward, inspired by the vision of Lakota Warrior, Crazy Horse, in which he shared seeing "a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again." Come circle up with us soon! In Solidarity, The Tipi Raiser's Team In the 1870s, at a time of immense suffering for Plains Tribes, the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse had a vision: “I see a time of Seven Generations, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the Sacred Tree of Life and the whole earth will become one circle again. In that day, there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom.”  Our world seems to be ever more troubled, and ever more in need of the youth Crazy Horse speaks of. Where can these young warriors of the Native and non-Native communities be found? This weekend, we found them at our Hub here in Lafayette, CO, in circle together, in service, in friendship. Nearly 100 young people of all the colors of the medicine wheel gathered with Native and non-Native elders to take part in various service projects, educational sessions, and reconciliation dialogues ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  Here is what they accomplished together:1 cord of firewood was split for Lakota families. 15 food boxes were packed for Pine Ridge households. Fields where fruit and veg for Native families are grown by Common Name Farm were weeded and prepped for the next season. Students from the Rocky Mountain Expeditionary School connected bravely and openly with youth from the Pine Ridge Reservation during a reconciliation dialogue. Lakota and local youth taught new riders how to tack a horse. Young Indigenous men found their voice at the sacred drum during a learning session with Thomas Yellowhorse and singers from the Rocky Mountain Indigenous Dancers. Click here for a video recap of the weekend!  As we watched people of all different ages and backgrounds work, share, laugh, and connect this weekend, we saw Crazy Horse’s vision coming to life before us.
The time of the Seventh Generation is now. Here in Colorado, on Pine Ridge, and beyond, there are young people capable of moving us all toward a brighter future. We are honored to witness them step into their strength as part of the Gen7 youth program. In gratitude, Mackenzie and The Tipi Raisers Team Most of the people our firewood program reaches on the Pine Ridge Reservation lack reliable propane, electricity, or their own transportation to pick up wood. When a family reaches out to us for help amidst the cold, here's what happens next: 
 Thank you for your support as we continue working together to alleviate the harsh conditions of winter in Native communities!
In deep gratitude, The Tipi Raisers Team This is the story of how a group of New England volunteers spent their summer honoring the Spirits of a dilapidated cemetery on the Navajo Nation.  At The Tipi Raisers, we are lucky to meet so many people willing to go above and beyond the call for service, compassion, and action in the Native communities we serve. One such group of people are our friends from Unlimited Possibilities (UP): Back in May, 20 volunteers from Unlimited Possibilities, a New England-based nonprofit who work across the world to eliminate social injustices, joined us for a week of service on the Hopi & Navajo Nations. During their trip, the group repaired a fence protecting a cemetery on the Navajo Nation in which hundreds of Diné people are buried. Children, grandmothers, veterans and even a Navajo Codetalker rest beneath the desert earth in this sacred space at a 100-year-old church. Spiritual beliefs vary across the Native communities we serve, and even amidst an often difficult history between Christian churches and Indigenous peoples, many families in the local area have long-standing connections to this church and have chosen to lay their loved ones to rest in the stunning high-desert cemetery on site. This project was conducted by our crew at the request of local Diné community leaders and families.  Many from the UP volunteer crew developed a special connection to the site, sitting in meditation and reverence at the rocks which line the area, and feeling the Spirit of the place wash over them. The crew, who dubbed themselves "The Graveyard Shift," noticed that dozens of gravemarkers at the site had been damaged in the years before the fence was reconstructed. They then took it upon themselves to create an inventory of damaged graves and names of the deceased. And so began a cross-country relay of love to make sure that those who rest in this Diné cemetery were remembered, honored, given the dignity their gravesites deserve. Throughout the summer, this always kind, always joyful crew met up in New Hampshire to lovingly construct new gravemarkers for the site.  Early last week, a volunteer from Unlimited Possibilities landed at the Denver Airport with all 50 crosses in tow. He flew across the country just to deliver the gravemarkers! The volunteer headed back home to the East Coast only a few hours after handing off the packaged gravemarkers to local volunteer Bruce, ahead of our Labor Day weekend trip back south.  On Labor Day weekend, with the new crosses, volunteers from Washington D.C. got to work beautifying the cemetery. As the gravemarkers were installed, a calm washed over the group. The cemetery had become, for them, a place not of sadness nor despair, but one of peace, celebration of life, and beauty - a word often uttered by our Diné friends as "Hózhó ."
What a gift to watch helping hands reach across the country to ensure that those who find their rest in this sacred site are honored. Thank you to UP and to all who go above and beyond for the Native communities we serve, to all who participate in the relay of love that keeps this work in motion. In gratitude, Mackenzie and The Tipi Raisers Team  Edgar Mitchell, an astronaut on Apollo 14, described what has come to be known as the “Overview Effect” – the experience that astronauts commonly feel when they see the Earth from space. Mitchell said the following:
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.” From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.’” Ron Garan, who spent six months on the International Space Station in 2011 also shared his perspective: "I looked down at the Earth — this stunning, fragile oasis, this island that has been given to us, and that has protected all life from the harshness of space — a sadness came over me, and I was hit in the gut with an undeniable, sobering contradiction. In spite of the overwhelming beauty of this scene, serious inequity exists on the apparent paradise we have been given. I couldn't help thinking of the nearly one billion people who don't have clean water to drink, the countless number who go to bed hungry every night, the social injustice, conflicts, and poverty that remain pervasive across the planet. Seeing Earth from this vantage point gave me a unique perspective — something I've come to call the orbital perspective. Part of this is the realization that we are all traveling together on the planet and that if we all looked at the world from that perspective, we would see that nothing is impossible." Basil Brave Heart similarly marvels at his grandmother who was raised during the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890. She would teach him to forgive the soldiers (“They did not know what they were doing.”) – offering singular compassion and love of humanity even in its most horrible manifestation – and speaking from the same place of love that Jesus is recorded to have spoken from before his crucifixion (“Father, forgive them. For they don’t know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:24). Basil often continues to share his grandmother’s teachings that so closely mirror quantum physics and the freshly discovered science from modern man’s travels into space. “How did she know that?!”, he regularly exclaims. That we are all traveling on the same planet. And that we are all related and connected to each other – and that our survival is inextricably connected to the realization that we are hurling through space together on a planet that holds the possibility of both magical beauty and tragic self-destruction. Many of us returned to our homes from the Indigenous Wisdom Gathering and Four Directions Ride just over a week ago. A community of over 50 – young and old – gathering in a camp to eat, work, pray, celebrate, enjoy each other’s company, ride horses, learn, teach, etc. together. The way communities used to do. Several hundred people gathering throughout the weekend to listen to a half dozen presentations on the horse culture, reconciliation, the Spiritual background of Indigenous song, dance and drumming and so many other Indigenous teachings. Almost 20 riders taking their horses out of the valley and into the mountain tops above while contemplating the diversity, inequality, suffering and privilege of riders from Four Directions and worlds away and apart – but connected -- riding together. One group of youth riders were from a place and home without electricity, stove, air conditioner, fan and few, if any, opportunities. The other group were from a valley of millionaires and 5,000 plus square foot homes. The view on the ground that weekend, if one was willing to look at it, was one of gross and unjustifiable inequality as well as immoral prejudice. The view from space, however, was and is, far more forgiving, exceedingly hopeful and offers a pathway through. Indeed, there is no need to drag the son of a bitch out to space. Only to look deeply into the beauty and possibility of what is right in front of us. We are all related and connected. What happens to our neighbor, brother, niece, grandmother, et. al. happens to each of us. Simple acts of compassion, kindness and generosity are carried forward and magnificently amplified almost always far beyond even their original intention. For those of you who came together to support the camp and the gathering last weekend – who provided your homes, transportation, a meal, volunteer labor and time, financial support, shared our stories and requests to your communities --- we thank you. I know this to be true: It was not only the young people who traveled from the reservation to participate in the gathering that took home the best of humanity and its ability to spread and change the planet . . . those acts of kindness and love spread throughout the valley and well beyond. Wopila – mitakuye oasin Dave As you may know, our home garden initiative on the Pine Ridge Reservation is entering its fourth year.  On paper, a dozen vegetable gardens at homes on the reservation might seem like a small, perhaps insignificant effort in the face of deep poverty, food insecurity, and ongoing dispossession. But when you look at the bigger picture, the generational, from-the-ground-up nature of this work, perhaps a dozen gardens are part of a shift towards sustainability, food sovereignty, and a future of abundance for Native communities working hard to transform the challenging circumstances surrounding them. Here are three ways we’ve been reminded recently of the powerful transformation that can come from these little steps towards a better future: 1. A message from a Lakota mother illustrating the ripple effects of a single garden: “Look, I gave away my first vegetable bag. The lady loved it.” This text (along with the photo below) was sent to us by a Lakota mother of four and Tipi Raisers Tokala last week. Alongside her husband, she has been harvesting potatoes, onions and more from the garden she and her family planted with our team. The harvest has been abundant - providing enough yield for her to share with elders in her community throughout the growing season.  2. A beautiful lesson on the science and Indigenous wisdom that help these gardens grow: Another truck full of buffalo manure, provided by our partners at the Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd at CSU, is soon to be delivered to the gardens of families we serve on Pine Ridge. Our friends from Common Name Farm, who lead our garden initiative, have noted that the use of this fertilizer restores, in a small way, a balance to the Great Plains ecosystems devastated by the government-orchestrated herd slaughters a century ago. The farmers have also observed that plants fertilized with the buffalo manure grow taller, stronger, and faster than those fertilized by store-bought fertilizer - a testament to the symbiotic relationship between the Buffalo, the plant beings, and the sacred lands of the Lakota and other Plains Tribes.  3. A snapshot of the intergenerational, cross-cultural collaboration that sows the seeds of change: In June, longtime volunteer Joe worked alongside Gen7 youth on Pine Ridge to plant and tend to home gardens. Joe and the young man in this photo represent the connection and healing that can take place when youth and adult mentors, Native and non-Native, remain committed to coming back again and again in a spirit of reconciliation.  Our work is comprised of small acts; youth planting gardens, volunteers packing monthly food boxes, youth chopping firewood, communities reconnecting to the buffalo - but when we stay committed to these little steps toward change, the small things become the big things.
Thank you for walking this road with us. The village of Sitsomovi is one of a small cluster of villages on First Mesa, perched 300 feet above the valley floor – a place where people have made their very humble homes for over 1,000 years – perhaps longer. Families still live in mud and adobe homes – some now fortified by cinder block walls. Some with running water, many without. And most inhabited by descendants of the Hopi people who first farmed, hunted and dwelled in this area prior to the Spanish who came to dwell here also – and who did so through attempts to convert and conquer. A group of us traveled there last week to offer our help – planting corn, chopping firewood, repairing and rebuilding homes, painting an old schoolhouse to protect it’s siding from the damages of the desert sun and doing our best to restore a hundred-year-old cemetery giving rest to scores of young native students buried amongst their veteran relatives and community members.  And then we met Orion. An 18-month-old living under a roof that barely provided shade, never mind cover from the rains and snows that come to this land even as it is a scorching desert for much of the year. A beautiful Hopi-born girl, raised of this land. Brimming with the lessons coming purely from an 18-month-old and also from being born into a community that remembers and lives in the way that they do. The Hopi are a matriarchal society -- Orion will inherit the centuries-old home when it is her turn. As her mother did. And her grandmother did. As did her great grandmothers extending back in time for centuries. The current roof had only been put on less than 50 years ago – beaten and collapsing under the weight of a hundred bodies and feet that run across it, stomp on it and even fall through it as they peer down at the ceremonies that take place in the plaza below throughout the year. The new one that the volunteers labored over in intense heat and under less than ideal construction circumstances, will last less than 50 years given the conditions. Initially, the volunteer crew stood on the collapsed roof, looking around at the many other collapsed and failing roofs around the village and wondered what they were being asked to do. A drop in the bucket. And a band aid that would not remain waterproof in a decade or two, if we were lucky. And then they looked down at beautiful Orion’s smiling eyes – and they knew. Orion reminded them every morning as she ran out the door to greet them. And again, when her mother carefully brought her up the ladder to survey her new roof and she stomped and squealed in delight at what had been built in just a few days.  Orion’s unconditional love of this new invasion of strangers reminded us all. As did her delight, pure love and ability to energize a crew of teenagers, elders and those in between to sweat and toil way beyond what was being asked for or expected. Orion moved us all to realize: That real change is possible on the reservations. That transformative change is possible. When we look back at what was accomplished: the roof, firewood, gardens, new plumbing, a new “tiny home”, school painted. Not half of that was possible given the limited time, the mixed skill level of volunteers, the lack of financial resources and adequate building materials or tools. But it happened. It clearly happened. When we hear about the power of love and community and service to others, we know now what those all make possible.
As seen through Orion’s eyes. -- Dave In the 17th century village of First Mesa, a Hopi family struggled to stay dry under a badly damaged roof. For months, each rainstorm brought with it a stream of water into their home, seeping through the cracks and soft spots in their worn-out roof. The damage was extensive, but their resources, like so many in the Native communities we serve, had left them unable to afford the necessary repairs.
During a fateful volunteer service trip last year, we were approached by this family when Tipi Raiser’s volunteers from the National Community Church in DC were busy repairing their neighbor’s roof. Our volunteers rallied together, determined to make a difference. With makeshift materials and unwavering resolve, they spent their final half-day sealing the family's roof with layers of plastic sheeting, staples, and weights, taking extra care to mark the soft spots and ensure safety. It was a day filled with camaraderie and purpose, as the crew poured their hearts into the task at hand. And as they bid farewell to the community, they left with a renewed sense of hope and solidarity. Now, nearly a year later, another group of volunteers is heading to First Mesa to provide the family with a more permanent solution! These projects are made possible through the sweat equity, sheer determination and compassion of the volunteers who join us on reservation service trips. But YOU, too, can be a part of this story… as an invisible partner, you might not be able to join us up on the roof (this time), but your support can ensure our volunteers have the resources necessary to continue to get the job done! As of this writing we are almost halfway to our goal of raising $7,500 by May 27th. For those who have already contributed, we offer our deep and heartfelt gratitude, and for those who haven't yet given - and are in a position to do so - your donation will be greatly appreciated!  Over the past few months, we’ve had the great privilege of working side-by-side with Isaac, a remarkable young leader and student currently reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage. He is at the forefront of his school's efforts to split firewood for the communities we serve on Pine Ridge, and has been a huge help in moving our programs forward as a Gen7 intern this year! Here are his reflections on service, reconnection, and leadership: “My name is Isaac, I am currently a senior at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning or RMSEL for short, I am of Indigenous descent with no knowledge of what tribe I come from seeking to reconnect myself to the culture and people of Turtle Island. I came to hear about this cool nonprofit organization who worked with Indigenous peoples called The Tipi Raisers from my science teacher Eric Dinkel. He mentioned how RMSEL used to do some activities and services with Tipi Raisers but that connection was lost due to the pandemic. So Eric asked me if I could get that started back up, so I did. I contacted Dave shortly after and asked him what we could do to help. Firewood is always in need on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, so we started there. It started off as a small operation behind the school playground. We had a few deliveries of uncut wood and we borrowed and bought some mauls and axes and a chainsaw. A few other high schoolers started cutting wood with me and Eric who have been very hardworking, seeking to help a community that they most likely wouldn’t have unless RMSEL and the Tipi Raisers gave the opportunity. “I got into wood chopping cause I wanted to help a community I otherwise would never have interacted with and RMSEL afforded me that opportunity. I’ve gained a community of students I don’t normally interact with, and a continued desire to do more” -Senior Arwen Tompkins I’ve gained a great many skills with the axes and mauls we have obtained and continue to get stronger and able to cut wood faster. Now the once small operation has grown to about 30 high schoolers and volunteering adults, we have produced about 20 cords of firewood from chopping wood every Monday after school. A group of wood chopping students have been able to go up to Pine Ridge and do service up there and be able to meet some of the people we’ve been helping since September. Both trips have been incredible eye opening experiences and hopefully the operation continues at RMSEL even after myself and other seniors graduate. This whole thing is awesome, seeing what the works of few can grow into to help those in need and I am grateful to Dave and the Tipi Raisers for giving us the opportunity to help out.” Thank you, Isaac, for all your hard work and leadership! You set a powerful example for other young people seeking to make a change in their communities. As we gear up for the Indigenous Wisdom Gathering & 4 Directions Ride this summer, we will be highlighting the Gen7 Youth Program through stories like Isaac's. Like all of our year-round activities, the Gathering is centered on youth and their role as the leaders and wisdom-keepers of the next generation.
We want to ensure that as many youth as possible, including Indigenous youth, can take part in the Gathering from June 28 - July 1 in Eagle, CO and all of our events throughout the year - but we can only do so with your help. Your donation today will help cover the cost of transport, lodging, and leadership opportunities for youth at the Indigenous Wisdom Gathering and beyond. We would be so grateful for your support! |
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January 2025
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