Buffalo Spirit Articles - Second Issue Buffalo Spirit Articles - Second Issue Preservation & Education Chief Adam Dick - In his own words Mary Thomas - In her own words Ruth Brass - In her own words The Medicine Wheel Why do they ride? Helping the Young Preserving Wisdom Designs recount personal achievements - Transfer of rites Long Arms - Elders warn against it Your words - comments

Phone: (780) 455-2700Fax (780) 455-7639 Email: edwind@ammsa.com Why do they ride? From mountains to valleys and into the plains, a demanding physical sacrifice for spiritual blessing and unity begins this summer at the Penticton First Nation. Upon horse and on foot, participants for Unity Ride 2000 will continue their annual trek on July 26 to Aug. 26. "It is a sacrifice of their bodies for unity and they encourage each other, and they have their own reasons for sacrifice in their hearts. Some of the runners run everyday," said Ernest Sundown, host for the ride. The 10th annual journey will be the longest, with 1,800 kms to cover over 59 days, ending with a traditional powwow at the Joseph Bighead First Nation in Saskatchewan, said Sundown. "The journey itself is viewed as purification, as participants sacrifice their time and bodies. It humbles and gives you the value of water and food; the power of prayer is evident in the ride. The prayers are more powerful when you sacrifice your body," said Sundown. For him, every part of the ride has deep significance. The horses and the foot runners were used long ago to carry a message, and we carry a message today of unity. From what I understand from my Elders, the horse spirit came to us and it offered itself to help our Indian people. That is a significant part of our ceremonies in the ride, that the animals and all things have spirit, even the rocks have spirit, said Sundown. Within each day of the journey, this belief in spirit is practiced through ceremonial tradition. "The Horse Dance Ceremony has become a part of our ride for the last three years. A person may ask for that certain ceremony, as a prayer for a family member's sickness," said Sundown. "And it depends on their dreams. If they dream of the horses, then that is the ceremony they ask for." Each morning with the pipe ceremony, prayers of thanksgiving are given to request for blessing for various reasons. "According to the teachings of our Elders, when we get up in the morning, we give thanks for the rest we had, for the day, and we ask for good things to happen in the day," said Sundown. "We get everybody together in the circle around the staffs and we ask an Elder to lead us in prayer. Then we do the smudging of the horses, riders, and runners." "We have sharing circles and talking circles around the fire in the evenings. Sometimes we have problems and we talk and pray about them," said Sundown. During the journey, riders are requested to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and profanity, out of respect for the eagle staff and medicine bundle. If anyone is found using them, a public apology in the camp is expected. This year is the fourth and last year for Sundown to host the ride. He plans to dedicate a day for the court cases and lawsuits in which First Nations are involved. Last year we rode one day to honor the women who are being abused, said Sundown. While leading the ride, he emphasizes the need to teach the youth. We have to think of the next generation. If we don't leave anything for them, they will be lost, said Sundown. "We teach them to have respect for leadership as they will be our future leaders. We teach them to think of our families and leaders back at home, and that it's better to pray for one another and heal, than to talk against one another and fight." It is upon this teaching of forgiveness and healing that the ride was initiated in 1990 by Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota Nation. The massacre at Wounded Knee was the basis for the journey in 1990, and it continues to be honored in every ride. "It's a healing circle of forgiveness for our enemy and the things that have been done against our people," said Sundown. He compares the ride to ripples from a rock being tossed into the water. The ripples reach families, communities, and then the whole nation, he said. "When a family member comes they take back whatever they have learned. It's planting a seed of spirituality, and each community we pass is blessed with Elders and culture," said Sundown. Eric Mitchell from the Okanagan Nation has committed to hosting the ride for the next four years. "When Arvol was telling us about the ride, it was such a strong pull that it was like I had a vision. I could see my horse being there. I didn't have a lot of choice. I had to follow that feeling to be part of it," said Mitchell. "When I see what the ride has done for the people, it has been an awakening for them to come back to traditional understandings and to come together in unity." Mitchell believes this vision of the ride is connected with prophecy. "The Lakota speak of the seventh generation as leading this strength of the red people from the time when Wounded Knee happened. I heard a prophecy about how they knew when the white people were coming. They knew there would be a time when they would travel from the eastern part to the western part of the country. And when they would reach the western part it would begin a dark time for the Native people," said Mitchell. "People say that Wounded Knee and the Lewis and Clark expedition is what started that dark time, and that dark time would go on until the eagle landed. So in 1969 when they landed on the moon, the first words the Native people said was 'the eagle has landed.' So that began the morning or reawakening of our people, and our ride follows that. When we go back in history to track our oppression, we are the seventh generation from then," said Mitchell. "So from all of this you can see why we have such a deep commitment," said Mitchell. "You can see, that this is why we ride." Story by Trina Gobert. Continue your journey