Jul 2, 20172 min
For the sake of my brothers, sisters and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Psalms 122: 8-9
When I was a little girl, I wanted a horse. My family visited friends who lived a couple hundred miles from our home. We lived on an unfenced one-acre chicken farm. They had a horse they wanted to give away. I couldn’t understand why we could not take it home with us. The gentle horse liked eating corn from the cob that they would hold before it to get it to step toward them as I rode the horse. I knew if we just tied corn to the back of our car, the horse would follow us home.
Because of that experience, I know the joy that the children on the Wind River Reservation must feel when they attend horse culture, or as some might call it, equine therapy. Elk Sage and his father, Allison Sage, along with others lead the horse culture sessions designed to prevent suicide and serves up to 50 children every Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the summer behind the Wind River Casino and in Ethete, respectively. They first gather in a circle for prayer and introductions identifying how they feel and after riding, they gather again in a closing healing circle. Each child gets a healthy snack bag to take home.
I invite the Wyoming Association of Churches to sponsor 100 snack bags for horse culture for the week of August 6th. You may donate on-line at www.wyochurches.org or mail a check to WAC, PO Box 1473, Laramie, WY or if you or someone from your community is coming to Fort Washakie for WAC’s Annual Board Retreat August 4-5, you may bring bread, lunchmeat, granola bars, boxed juice, or fruit for the horse culture sessions. My church, the Riverton United Methodist Church, is sponsoring snacks for the week of July 23rd.
Plans are coming together for July 18th for the Wind River Gathering on Economic Opportunities. A summer intern, Kyle Minardi, from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee is helping the Wind River Native Advocacy Center organize this event. Click here to download the flyer.
The 3rd Annual Riverton Peace March will follow.
Fear not. Be bold. Do justice.
Blessings,
Chesie Lee