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.
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