Tuesday, June 19

A storm rolled in last night. Some of us were disappointed because we have yet to have a clear enough evening to see the remarkable expanse of the nighttime sky here. But the storm poured through, and while it was still cloudy this morning, the temperature was in the 60's and 70's most of the day, and our crew, still at work smoothing out rough edges and feeling our way with one another, got in another full day of work cleaning, working with children, clerical support, gardening, mowing, and doing in general many of the things many non profits have trouble getting done because there is always, it seems, a more urgent set of things that need to get done immediately. Our gang has been working hard and, as is usually the case, getting more accomplished than our hosts expect us to get done.

At lunch today we met Larry Fiddler, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Nation who offered us his story and insights about the Lakota way of life. His was a great story of personal, emotional, and (though he hates the word) spiritual redemption focused on his own personal re-embrace of what he called "our ways, our ceremonies, our language." He told us of his own personal journey, from being an adolescent boy and young man who was always in trouble, who essentially ran away from home, eventually changing his life by embracing his "ways, ceremonies, and language." He and other Lakota hesitate calling those things part of a "religion," and more of a way of life that recognizes all of creation as Wakan (sacred)on a planet whom they call Unci Maka (mother earth) where all things and beings are described as mita kuye ayasin (we are relatives) bound together and given life by Wakantanka (the great or sacred spirit).

Tonight, another review of the work we have done so far, both with the Cheyenne River Youth project, and with each other as we continue to try to build what our new friends might call the Oyate (the people) and what we always call our community, gathered and bound together with a similar notion of mita kuye ayasin that affirms the uniqueness and sacredness of each one while giving even greater respect to the community. As they have long been, these young people, stumbling through it as they might at times, are really. really good at this.

Tomorrow, our final day of work before we go exploring on the last part of our week.