Sacred 16 - Merle Locke - ledger date 1886

I recently visited the Pine Ridge, the Lakota Indian reservation that sits in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The temperature, as I write, is currently 25 degrees. It gets a lot colder than that. On occasion it goes well below zero. The summers can be equally as hot. In addition to extremes in weather, I am told that Shannon County is one of the poorest counties in the U. S. The Pine Ridge reservation is the poorest land mass in the western hemisphere except for Haiti.

Now in addition to all that, let me throw out some statistics that may shock you and you may ask the question how might that happen in the United States of America.

The Lakota, as they are known, were once a very proud people. You may recognize some of the names of famous warriors and chiefs. They include Crazy Horse, Black Elk, Sitting Bull, Fast Thunder, Touch the Clouds, American Horse and Red Cloud. They are the tribe that fought General Custer at the Little Big Horn. They fought hard to preserve a life style that was characterized by a desire to be free, unobstructed by fences and privately owned properties. Today they are still a proud people; yet they are tainted by feelings of hopelessness and despair as a consequence of poverty.

What has been most appealing for me about the people is their connection to the land and all creatures that reside on the earth. And I am struck by Black Elk (a famous Lakota medicine man)‘s vision of the sacred tree, the circle of life and the affirmation that we are all one.

While on the Pine Ridge, I was escorted by Percy White Plume, a lifetime resident of the Lakota reservation. We rode the ridges in my rental SUV and saw the buffalo, encountered two wild horses that appeared out of nowhere running free, and observed the beautiful land via back roads. The land is spectacular. I was touched by my guide’s generosity, his honesty and his moral uprightness especially as it pertains to the people of the Rez.

Upon my return I began to seek ways in which I might be helpful. I had heard of Jeri Baker, the Director of One Spirit, from Percy White Plume. When I got back to Philadelphia, I contacted her for more information. In the process, I was introduced to John DuBray who is the spiritual spokesman for the project, plans and manages One Spirit’s activities on the reservation and is active in the speaker’s bureau.

They currently have three major programs, all of which are imperative for the survival of the Lakota people. These programs depends on the support of private donors to aid the dire situation of the Lakota:

They are also developing youth centers to provide cultural/educational/therapeutic experiences for children and their families. Children are in peril on the reservation. 75% of children drop out of school, 10 to 20 people live in a house, child mortality is 5 times the national average, and gangs and drugs are rampant.

I am getting involved and strongly urge you to get involved as well. There are a couple things you can do. One is to make a financial contribution, which you can do at nativeprogress.org. You may also have a special skill that you may want to contribute. If you would like to call and talk, you can reach us via email or call The Men’s Resource Center office at 215-564-0488.

You may want to contact our speaker’s bureau. We would be delighted to speak to your church and/or community organizations where you are active. The number is 215-564-0488.

** A note about Merle Locke’s leger painting: “Sacred 16″… 16 is one of the sacred numbers of the Lakotas. Dragonflies represent skilled horsemen who can ride fast and turn quickly. Merle Locke’s artwork is featured on the website: westsouthwest.com