In the summer of the 2020 pandemic, we paused the LakotaRide and instead celebrated the Spirit of the LakotaRide- honoring those who have made previous ride's possible, introducing the horses in our herd and sharing reflections from past riders. But while those weeks of commemorating the LakotaRide provided us the opportunity to look back, we also used it to look to the future. We call the LakotaRide "a Ride of Reconciliation" as its main objective is to gather allies along the way, raise awareness about the true history of our country's treatment of the Oglala Lakota and teach about the extreme conditions of poverty on Pine Ridge today.
We believe the pandemic co-occurring with a racial reckoning is not a coincidence. And that this moment in time is a long overdue calling, the likes of which hold the potential for felt and lasting change for communities of color in this country. As a nonprofit working in the realm of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and one that runs a multicultural youth leadership program that can learn from and provide space and resources for the inspiring younger generations, it is incumbent upon us to elevate our role in heeding this call!
On our blog page we share information about Lusk, Wyoming, a small ranching town that sits roughly between two Native reservations. A town in which many of our Native friends have faced aggressive and racist acts and one that annually celebrates a fabricated and hurtful reenactment of an event that purportedly occurred in the mid-nineteenth century during the overland migrations.
In the coming year, we will be working with our Gen7 Youth and our Lakota relatives on a path forward in Lusk, Wyoming. We have been invited to town council and event planning meetings and we hope to also work within the schools (Covid permitting). Our intention for this work is that, through authentic dialogue and relationship building, Indigenous Peoples can one day travel through Lusk without feeling threatened. We will be involving partners in the work of racial justice as this work unfolds. You might be wondering what this has to do with the LakotaRide? While we have spent the first six years of the LakotaRide gathering allies and raising awareness through Colorado's front range, there are ongoing discussions now about altering the route of the Ride itself to involve different communities; utilizing the power of the Tsunka Wakan (Sacred Dog/Horse) in expanded efforts of reconciliation and relationship. It is our intention to meaningfully incorporate the Lusk reconciliation work into the 2021 LakotaRide. What this looks like will come into clearer view in the coming months and we will keep you updated here and in our newsletter as more is learned.
We are so grateful for the lessons of past Rides, the sacred horses and the beautiful riders and supporters who have joined us. And we are increasingly excited about the evolution of reconciliation work within the context of the LakotaRide in the years to come!
