Jul 9, 20172 min
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
“You are the problem if you are not being the solution,” I saw on a bumper sticker many years ago. Believing and living into that takes courage, opportunity and a sense of responsibility. This coming week will be the Northern Arapaho Sun Dance where hundreds gather in Ethete on sacred ground for religious ceremonies and marking the beginning of a spiritual new year. Whatever our religious beliefs, I believe goodness comes from a cleansing process to re-commit to being the solution.
I invite you to join us for two opportunities in Riverton toward being the solution on July 18th, the anniversary of the shooting of two Northern Arapaho who were seeking recovery at the Center of Hope.
Wind River Gathering on Economic Opportunities, 10 am-4 pm, including lunch, at the Wind River Casino, Cottonwood Room, and hosted by the Wind River Native Advocacy Center and co-sponsored by ThinkWY and the Wyoming Association of Churches and with funding from the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming. We will be coming together to discuss issues of economic disparity on the reservation and to raise awareness about opportunities to address these disparities. The morning will feature a panel discussion including Cy Lee, Wind River Development Fund and council member of ENDOW; Lillian Zuniga with the Wyoming Office on Health Equity; and Joe Coyne with Community Builders, Inc. The afternoon will feature presentations from the University of Wyoming, the Department of Workforce Services, Job Corps and Central Wyoming College about economic opportunities. Wes Martel, an elder from the Wind River Reservation, will share his perspectives for economic development for the community. Please RSVP at info@wrnativeadvocacy.org.
I hope you can join us for one or both of these events. If you cannot come, but wish to support these opportunities for solutions financially, you may make a donation to WAC at our website at www.wyochurches.org and designate it for supporting the July 18th events.
Fear not. Be bold. Do justice.
Blessings,
Chesie Lee