International cultural journey brings Indigenous communities together

Scott Csernyik

1/25/2005 12:00:00 AM

Their passage will have taken them some 1,500 miles from western Canada through the northern United States before reaching their final destination of an international Elders summit in eastern Canada.

This trip wasn't by bus or air.

In an effort to visit indigenous communities and sacred sites along the way, the route was made on horseback facilitating healing as a people.

About a dozen horses, along with 60 individuals and several support vehicles made up the International Unity Ride & Run-which started on June 24 in Sioux Valley, Manitoba, Canada.

The group had 50 planned stops along the way, including the Elijah Elk Cultural Center-home of the Seventh Generation Program-from Aug. 11-13.

"What a way to see the country at 5 mph," stated Eric Mitchell (Okanagan First Nation, British Columbia, Canada), one of the ride's coordinators. "This journey is a way to clear that cloud of confusion and embrace what is important from day to day.

"This is our life. This is what we do. Everything else is secondary. People think we are on a holiday and believe we are all wealthy. The truth is, none of us has more than two nickels to rub together. We still have our beliefs that lie in our traditional lifestyles. We are the children of our strongest people. That's why we're here. The Unity Ride & Run, as well as the Elders summit, is an attempt to restore respect to what our ancestors have left us."

According to Mitchell, the ride was initiated in 1986 by the Lakota Elders of North and South Dakota, who heeded Black Elk's vision of The Sacred Hoop-a vision that their Nation had been broken after the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890.

"Their visions showed them that they must retrace the path of their ancestors and �wipe their tears for the Seventh Generation to have a better life,'" stated literature about the ride. "In 1990-the fourth year of the journey-they recognized that their prayers were for �all peoples' and rode into Canada. Since 1986, hundreds of participants have ridden horseback and ran thousands of miles to retrace their ancestor's footsteps and pray for healing of our Nations."

The purpose of the International Indigenous Elders Summit at Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada was an opportunity for Elders to discuss issues facing indigenous people and to work together on solutions. They also developed an Elders Declaration to be carried to the United Nations. The summit took place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1.

The ride consisted of individuals representing different Nations, according to Mitchell. The group also carries staffs which represent the physical responsibilities of their spiritual beliefs and lifeways.

"The hardest part of the journey is not the miles, heat or hunger, it's learning how to accept each other in a good loving way," he explained. "We continually remind them, however as dysfunctional we seem to be, we keep moving these staffs. These are our flags. They play a central role of importance in our communities and as individuals. We hope to inspire our own people to get back to these teachings and lifestyles."

The horses traveled from 15 to 35 miles each day, with several "rest days" peppered throughout the journey. Mitchell said the group chose riding through the northern part of the Midwest because the terrain was more suited to the horses than the Canadian side.

"My biggest concern coming this way was, the more east we go, the more populated the land becomes and we have to keep our horses safe," explained Mitchell. "We move at the horses' pace for the love of them. This ride is a method of bringing the people back to the reality of things."