July 4th Meetings in Portland

We met with Sun Dance pledges to share experiences and prepare, and Four Winds Foundation council came together to discuss the future of FWF and Deer Haven and our common goals.

Right now FWF’s goals are as follows: to save the land by stewarding it through these times, not unlike our forefathers in the dust bowl years; to provide a secure and warm home for Sweet Medicine, our President and Elder; and to provide a facility that not only can host youth groups and ceremonies but provide a space for a returning warriors equine program. This program will be headed by Phiamma Stiles, regional representative for this equine program in the west, and will combine the latest methods of working with horses with the traditional practice of the sweat lodge to help these warriors transition, integrate, and heal—and, through this process, also to recall their dignity, self respect, and sense of belonging within their families and communities.

 

Four Winds has worked with Youth Eco-Science for six years now and also with Wolftree, another science based non-profit in central Oregon. With funding as it is (non-existent within the current economic climate) we have lost funding. At the end of this last school year we had zero funding and relied on mentor volunteerism. Together we are looking at what this will mean next September.

We’re working with of a grant from the Santa Fe Art Council to create the first short installment in a documentary on water (mni) and its importance, past and present.  Brad Smith (HOTPEPPER Productions) and Daniel L. Prince (eAssets Program Manager, Hewlett-Packard Company) will combine their efforts to create a beehive of connections for our documentary and educational work.
We’re currently looking into alternative funding and support for these offerings.

 

Nicole Tripp will provide the means to continue this blog, Sarah Clark will work on public relations, and Susan Prior will be our special events coordinator and manager for our mailing list. Phiamma Stiles and Susan Prior have also joined our team of fund gatherers and Master Planners for the future of Four Winds and its far reaching connection to other indigenous communities throughout the Americas. 

June 14-21 Vision Quest

Pledges committed to a process of discovery fasted and prayed for four days. This year folks from all over the U.S. came together in the unfolding heat of central Oregon’s desert mesas to support those who cried for a vision that would help them learn who they are in relationship to their world and themselves. Some had done this before and some were new to it. All in all, we gathered, set a wonderful camp, and all arrived with their supporters to create the most peaceful and smooth-running camp in years.

Deer Haven, the 40 acres of land owned by Four Winds and Sweet Medicine, lay 17 miles outside of Sisters, Oregon. Its connection to canyon lands there is a plus, as the canyon provides for sacred encounters that bring not only respite and calm, but a deepening of spirit and healing for most.

This year’s group was a mix of elders who have been walking this Red Road for many years, youth supporting friends on the hill for the first time, and families--all holding the deeper mystery of what is possible for those that fast for these four days and nights.

We were blessed to be able to combine two altars and camps this year, as Little Buffalo joined us. Little Buffalo has been a helper in our camp for two years, but in his own right is also a leader of his own community. We were not surprised at how seamless the convergence was. The shared energy enhanced both communities with a sacred and profound blend of offerings.

Each night we gathered around a sacred fire in the tipi for teachings and each day enjoyed healthy, organic, and delicious meals prepared by gifted chefs and their charges in Four Winds’ well stocked kitchen.