Standing Rock

[jumpincactus]

Sounds like they might actually win. http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN12X1PS

Well it would certainly be a first to the best of my knowledge. They have been lied too over and over and not 1 treaty agreed to with the US Gov has ever been honored. But I will remain hopeful. They deserve a break for once.

 

[Psychonaut47]

Well it would certainly be a first to the best of my knowledge. They have been lied too over and over and not 1 treaty agreed to with the US Gov has ever been honored. But I will remain hopeful. They deserve a break for once.

Your not alone cactus...

 

[jumpincactus]

I want to take a minute to share something with you all escpecially @LocalGrowGuy and @nazarbattu concerning the Lakota since this is a Standing Rock thread.

As we all know there is still a lot of prejudice in this world and part of my ongoing commitment to the Lakota people is to help break the cycle of thinking of why should we care? they are after all just a bunch of drunk Indians. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. And please let me make myself clear, that above sentence is not my belief but I used it to drive home a point about how a lot of folks think. I know I see it and hear it all the time.

The Lakota culture is rich, wonderful with old school beliefs and traditions. From my personal experience they are a beautiful people and are selfless and very giving. they are known primarily as a "Tatanka Oyate" ( buffalo people) but they are also know as a "SunkaWakan Oyate"
( horse people) and hold a deep seated belief that the horse has amazing healing powers. I would have to add I after seeing the results they are really on to something!!!
There are several programs on the reservations that use the horse as a tool to heal disenfranchised, troubled and abused Lakota children.

Here is a beautiful picture of Tianna White Lance she is a young handler at a program called "Tiwahe Glu Kini Pi "which means (bringing the family back to life). The beaded hood on the horse was crafted by the kids in the program. Awesome bead work for sure!

Here is a video of a 7 min trailer to a documentary called " We Are a Horse Nation"

Pilameye for listening. Mitakuye Oyasin

 

[jumpincactus]

Here is a good article called


Four Legged Healers: Horse Culture as Medicine

HORSES AS HEALERS

A growing movement in Indian Country, horse culture-based wellness and therapy draws on the historic connections between horses and Indigenous peoples.

“Siya’ka said that once, when hard pressed on the warpath, he dismounted, and standing in front of his horse spoke to him, saying:

‘We are in danger. Obey me promptly so that we may conquer. If you have to run for your life and mine, do your best, and if we reach home I will give you the best eagle feather I can get and the finest red cloth, and you shall be painted with the best paint.’”

(Densmore, 1992)

A return to wellness for our people—overcoming all the “risk factors” and health disparities we hear so much about—will require us to honor our Indigenous wellness paradigms. In this direction, there has been a movement of horse culture-based wellness and education programs in many tribal communities. Most people call it “horse therapy.”

Our relationship with the horse nation is deeply rooted in our shared history. According to the origin stories of various tribes, horses originated here in North America and came to us as relatives and as a gift from the Creator, making it a sacred relationship. After migrating around the world and finally returning with the Spanish in the 16th century, the horse nation and tribal people together changed the cultural landscape of North America. We were “Masters of the Plains” and we developed horsemanship skills that have become legendary and iconic. As a result of this relationship, tribes were able to prosper in terms of food, clothing, and other goods. Indeed, for some tribes, horses became actual currency or wealth because they were the key to all other resources.

Nearly all aspects of life depended upon or happened in conjunction with horses. Hunting was obviously transformed with the speed of the horse; hunters could now hunt larger game like buffalo and travel greater distances to expand hunting regions. Because they were so treasured, the best were kept in lodges during times of danger. Children’s early introduction to social responsibility and independence often took the form of caring for and riding horses. Adolescents publicly demonstrated character development, as well as their physical fitness and coordination, by training horses and through mastery of horsemanship games. Among many tribes, young men proposing marriage ceremonially offered horses to the father of the bride. In another ceremony, families honored the accomplishments of relatives or loved ones in the highest way by giving away horses on their behalf (Horse Capture & Her Many Horses, 2006).

The Horse Nation Initiative at NHSC gives students the opportunity to spend time on a ranch, learning experientially with professors and horses.

Sadly, part of the process of colonization and assimilation included the removal of our horses and the ensuing decline of the horse culture lifestyle. The loss of our horses is parallel with the loss of our culture and the trauma we have suffered in many ways. However, with amazing resilience some have managed to maintain this sacred relationship with the horse, passing the knowledge on within the family.

In recent years, numerous tribal individuals and organizations have begun to acknowledge our historic connection to the horse as a legitimate form of intervention in our communities. Awide variety of programs that can be broadly described as horse culturebased initiatives are all ultimately moving in similar directions. Some have begun within the criminal justice system, rehabilitating incarcerated youth with horses. Some honor their ancestors and strengthen their future through honoring rides such as the Sitanka Wokiksuye (Big Foot Memorial Ride) and the Dakota 38 Ride. Others are leading traditional horse societies which offer youth and families societal roles, purpose, and activities year-round. Many tribes are hosting traditional horse games and races, often sponsored by individual families within communities. And many are offering cultural horse camps and natural horsemanship training mentorship.

What is formally called “horse therapy,” or equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), is now a well-recognized branch of mental health. Various certification programs exist, and their host organizations provide resources on their websites and through the networks of people who have experience with EAP. Many tribal groups have attended these trainings and attempted to culturally integrate them in their home communities. At this time, there is one organization which provides training and certification in an approach to healing with horses that is based on traditional Native understandings and spirituality, the Medicine Wheel Model of Horsemanship (Whiteman Jr. & Two Bulls, 2016).

Each of these models recognizes that the horse is gifted with a sensitivity that helps us by mirroring our emotions. Our interactions with a horse will reflect what is true in our lives, and help us to rebalance ourselves. At the same time, their way of being, and our interacting with them in nature, makes this process natural and easy. In the Medicine Wheel Model, we recognize this is because when we are working with the horse, we are working “spirit to spirit.”

NUETA HIDATSA SAHNISH COLLEGE HORSE NATION INITIATIVE

According to students in the program, horse-based therapy leads to an increase in confidence, patience, calmness, and authenticity.

While typical academic institutions may not combine psychology and agriculture, this pairing makes all the sense in the world from the Indigenous wellness paradigm. At Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC), we offer a variety of psychology and animal science courses based on horse culture wellness, and we are in the process of developing a degree program in the field. Students in these classes even spend time on a ranch, learning experientially with professors and horses.

NHSC also offers a horse nation outreach program for the community at large that includes weekly family horsemanship nights open to anyone interested in connecting with horses or wanting to learn to ride. These classes are highly attended. Unlike some health interventions, there is never a need to provide incentives to increase participation. On the contrary, parents often approach us with interest in the program. In addition, we partner with other community groups for events such as healing rides and horse games and races. Finally, because the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation has a rich history of rodeo and is home to many rodeo legends, we have developed an NHSC horse nation rodeo team.

But is NHSC’s horse nation program effective? Does it work? From a contemporary scientific community perspective, there is considerable research to support horse culture-based interventions (EAGALA, 2010). Studies show the positive effects on individuals participating in a variety of horse programs. From a community- based research outcomes perspective, which is also consistent with a more holistic view of wellness, we too have seen considerable change within our community as a result of our horse programs.

Surveys from the program show significant increases in confidence. In the evaluations, students were asked to describe in their own words what the horses have taught them. Answers indicate that the program is meeting certain needs. One student wrote, “I learned that it is always good to ‘center yourself’ before working with horses or animals/people in general because they will feel your calmness and are able to connect with you quicker.” Another noted, “I learned to be a leader, as opposed to being bossy.”

Horses also help people process difficult experiences that they may not feel comfortable sharing with others. One student wrote, “The story about the horse’s scar hit a soft spot for me because I was scarred as a child.” And because horses reflect the true energy and emotion of a person, they teach us about authenticity. “The horses taught me to be more honest with myself and others. They also taught me to be patient and that I am capable of doing more than I thought,” one student testified. Perhaps the most common response we hear is that of generally being uplifted by the spirit of the horses. “When I go out to the ranch, I feel like I’m able to get my emotions back in balance,” a student revealed.

Students also note that life lessons learned from the horses carry over to other parts of their lives. One respondent shared this anecdote: “[A woman] was approaching me aggressively, I immediately remembered working with the horse. I felt like moving her out of my space and I was able to resolve the situation in a good way.” Finally, there’s the spiritual impact, as related by this teen girl who exclaimed, “I feel amazing, I feel like I can do anything!”

HEALING FOR THE FUTURE

Horse culture-based healing and wellness efforts all across Indian Country are part of a major movement happening right now. It is a paradigm shift toward natural ways to live well. It is being documented by many. Be a part of the movement and consider how wellness and healing might be redefined in your community. Is it allowing the earth to heal us through gardening? Is it realigning our vibrations with song and the drum? Is it uplifting the talents of Native youth athletes or performers? The healing power of the horse meets all of these tests and so much more. With the wisdom of our ancestors, and the inspiration of our children, the answers lie within each of us and we can come to thrive once again.

Jessica White Plume, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Oglala Lakota), is the director of the Agriculture Department and Land Grants at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, North Dakota.

REFERENCES

Black Elk, & Neihardt, J.G. (1932). Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux (1988 ed.). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Densmore, F. (1992). Teton Sioux Music and Culture. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

EAGALA (2010). Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, Inc. Research. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.eagala.org/Research Horse Capture, G.P., & Her Many Horses, E. (2006). A Song for the Horse Nation: Horses in Native American Cultures. Golden, CO: Fulcrum.

Kuhn, T. (1962). Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Whiteman Jr., P., & Two Bulls, L. (2016). Medicine Wheel Model. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://medicinewheelmodelcircularthinking.com/

 

[jumpincactus]

Here are some old photographs by a photographer Edward Curtis that did a sepia tone photo journal of a lot of the various tribes way back in the day.

Here is some of the artwork of a contemporary NA artist J.D. Challenger

I have some images I would like to share as well from my personal collection when I was invited to the White River Apache Reservation when I took part in my 1st "Coming of Age" or "Changing Woman" ceremony upon invitation from a good friend Bert who is a "wichasha wakan" or Holy Man from the Apache tribe in Northern , AZ. But I need some help from some of you more tech savvy interwebers. The images are from my 35mm collection. My question is, in using my HP flat bed scanner, what dpi do I scan the images so they will display correctly on a PC based GUI ? essentially this site, so the resolution is nice. Also in saving the files , what should I name the files when prompted? jpeg , png, gif etc etc. Let me know and I will get them scanned up for posting. Thanks guys

 

[Psychonaut47]

@nazarbattu @jumpincactusPLEASE watch the whole video, I'm sorry you guys can't be at standing rock right now but I know we are there in spirit.

 

[jumpincactus]

@nazarbattu @jumpincactusPLEASE watch the whole video, I'm sorry you guys can't be at standing rock right now but I know we are there in spirit.

Very nice!!!! Love to see Solidarity in Action!!!

 

[chickenman]

ofgf to fish will read when I get back thanks for sharing,,

 

[jumpincactus]

I still need help and ask that anyone that is tech savvy help me out. I have 35mm photo prints that I want to flatbed scan for viewing on the internet. My question is, what DPI should I select, and what file extension should I use when prompted by my scanner software, jpeg,png, gif etc. Thanks in advance.

This is pertinent to this thread as the pics are NA ceremony sourced.

 

[SmokesalotofVT]

Well as far as saving them I would suggest Jpeg ,as they are the most Space Friendly..
not sure about the DPI .. maybe do a 1 Sample run and see what you get? Just a thought..

 

[LocalGrowGuy]

post

Thank you for this. Those old pictures, those old eyes have seen some shit, and been through it as well.

Thank you for posting this, the gifts of Un-ci Ma-ka (grandmother earth?) are strikingly beautiful.

 

[chickenman]

Thank you for this. Those old pictures, those old eyes have seen some shit, and been through it as well.

Thank you for posting this, the gifts of Un-ci Ma-ka (grandmother earth?) are strikingly beautiful.

How cool it would have been to live amongst them before all the shit came down

 

[jumpincactus]

Thank you for this. Those old pictures, those old eyes have seen some shit, and been through it as well.

Thank you for posting this, the gifts of Un-ci Ma-ka (grandmother earth?) are strikingly beautiful.

LOL well look at @LocalGrowGuy Gettin his Lakota language on!!!! Yeaaaa yahhhh

 

[jumpincactus]

Thank you for this. Those old pictures, those old eyes have seen some shit, and been through it as well.

Thank you for posting this, the gifts of Un-ci Ma-ka (grandmother earth?) are strikingly beautiful.

Yes my friend you got it correct. "Grandmother Earth" Good job. Did you know that,? or was it a google search?? Either way nice! The Lakota as well as many tribes nationwide and worldwide seem to be falling prey to assimilation and are losing their languages. Lots of young un's arent speaking their native tongue anymore. To me this is really sad. :( The Lakota language to me is soothing and beautiful. :)

 

[jumpincactus]

How cool it would have been to live amongst them before all the shit came down

If you would be so inclined @chickenman I would be honored to have you come to Pine Ridge next year and stand at the "Tree of Life" at "Sundance" and you will be blown away. Then we could get you set up and you could do a real deal "Inipi" (sweat lodge) and get you up on Bear Butte for your "Vision Quest"

 

[LocalGrowGuy]

Yes my friend you got it correct. "Grandmother Earth" Good job. Did you know that,? or was it a google search?? Either way nice! The Lakota as well as many tribes nationwide and worldwide seem to be falling prey to assimilation and are losing their languages. Lots of young un's arent speaking their native tongue anymore. To me this is really sad. :( The Lakota language to me is soothing and beautiful. :)

I've heard the words but googled the pronunciation. How do you write than in plain text? Do you include the dashes or is the proper term and spelling Unci Maka, and the dashes are there to help sound and pronounce? I have more questions but I'm not sure it would be appropriate, here. PM on the way.

Off topic: My uncle finally drew a permit for the Wave on his tenth attempt. Waiting on pictures but this is a bucket list item for me. I'm glad they have limited permitted access.

If you would be so inclined @chickenman I would be honored to have you come to Pine Ridge next year and stand at the "Tree of Life" at "Sundance" and you will be blown away. Then we could get you set up and you could do a real deal "Inipi" (sweat lodge) and get you up on Bear Butte for your "Vision Quest"

I want to see this, CM in his natural environs amidst like minded peace loving people Mitakuye Oyasin.

 

[jumpincactus]

I've heard the words but googled the pronunciation. How do you write than in plain text? Do you include the dashes or is the proper term and spelling Unci Maka, and the dashes are there to help sound and pronounce? I have more questions but I'm not sure it would be appropriate, here. PM on the way.

Off topic: My uncle finally drew a permit for the Wave on his tenth attempt. Waiting on pictures but this is a bucket list item for me. I'm glad they have limited permitted access.View attachment 644586


I want to see this, CM in his natural environs amidst like minded peace loving people Mitakuye Oyasin.

I will say this, the Lakota language is one tough mofo to master. I have been working at it for years and honestly cannot answer your question. If I were to sit in a circle and lsiten to full blown nothing in english I could at best piece togheter the basics but am by no means fluent. So I cannot answer your question. I'm sorry. If you want to pursue this and you have the desire to learn Lakota here is a great pace to start. Well the best way is to get to know and hang out with the people but from a white mans position and not having any real contacts, I would suggest you pick up a copy of " New Lakota Dictionary" it was produced by the Lakota Language Consortium.

The challenge with learning Lakota is there are The Dakota, Lakota, Nakota and there are many dialects as well such as Santee, Sisseton, Yankton & Yanktonai. I am told and I believe it, that it is more difficult that a English speaking person to learn to speak Chinese. If you want a copy go here. The 2nd editrion with the white and brown cover is the one you would want.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Lakota-Dictionary-Language-Consortium/dp/0976108291

 

[Psychonaut47]

I hope Trump doesn't have financial interest in DAPL

 

[Seamaiden]

I want to take a minute to share something with you all escpecially @LocalGrowGuy and @nazarbattu concerning the Lakota since this is a Standing Rock thread.

As we all know there is still a lot of prejudice in this world and part of my ongoing commitment to the Lakota people is to help break the cycle of thinking of why should we care? they are after all just a bunch of drunk Indians. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. And please let me make myself clear, that above sentence is not my belief but I used it to drive home a point about how a lot of folks think. I know I see it and hear it all the time.

The Lakota culture is rich, wonderful with old school beliefs and traditions. From my personal experience they are a beautiful people and are selfless and very giving. they are known primarily as a "Tatanka Oyate" ( buffalo people) but they are also know as a "SunkaWakan Oyate"
( horse people) and hold a deep seated belief that the horse has amazing healing powers. I would have to add I after seeing the results they are really on to something!!!
There are several programs on the reservations that use the horse as a tool to heal disenfranchised, troubled and abused Lakota children.

Here is a beautiful picture of Tianna White Lance she is a young handler at a program called "Tiwahe Glu Kini Pi "which means (bringing the family back to life). The beaded hood on the horse was crafted by the kids in the program. Awesome bead work for sure!

Here is a video of a 7 min trailer to a documentary called " We Are a Horse Nation"

Pilameye for listening. Mitakuye Oyasin

LOVED watching that, thank you!

In any event, so many thoughts in response to your posts on this subject and subject matter, too much to really say here. As a student of mythology and great books, it pleased me greatly to see Black Elk Speaks on the reference list. It's funny that I was just discussing the book with someone else last week, and perspectives on Black Elk himself, the Catholic church, his practice and perceptions of him and his people by the larger American culture. We could talk story for days.

But I need some help from some of you more tech savvy interwebers. The images are from my 35mm collection. My question is, in using my HP flat bed scanner, what dpi do I scan the images so they will display correctly on a PC based GUI ? essentially this site, so the resolution is nice. Also in saving the files , what should I name the files when prompted? jpeg , png, gif etc etc. Let me know and I will get them scanned up for posting. Thanks guys

Ok, it's been a minute since I used my scanner but I found that letting it make the selections usually works best. About 300dpi, 100% resolution/sizing, um... jeez, what else? I'm on Linux Mint and now hell if I can remember the brand of my scanner. Anyway, I found that when I tweaked for stuff like more dpi, the image itself became contorted, and/or I got lines in the image that didn't exist on the original. Let me see if I can find an example.

Save in tiff or similar if you can, the least information is lost in those types of file formats. Assuming it'll upload here, but even if it won't, save in the largest format you can, then if you have to resize/resample/resave, do that in jpg or similar, it's easiest IMO.
I was hoping to find an example but it seems I deleted all the bad scans.

 

[jumpincactus]

LOVED watching that, thank you!

In any event, so many thoughts in response to your posts on this subject and subject matter, too much to really say here. As a student of mythology and great books, it pleased me greatly to see Black Elk Speaks on the reference list. It's funny that I was just discussing the book with someone else last week, and perspectives on Black Elk himself, the Catholic church, his practice and perceptions of him and his people by the larger American culture. We could talk story for days.

Ok, it's been a minute since I used my scanner but I found that letting it make the selections usually works best. About 300dpi, 100% resolution/sizing, um... jeez, what else? I'm on Linux Mint and now hell if I can remember the brand of my scanner. Anyway, I found that when I tweaked for stuff like more dpi, the image itself became contorted, and/or I got lines in the image that didn't exist on the original. Let me see if I can find an example.

Save in tiff or similar if you can, the least information is lost in those types of file formats. Assuming it'll upload here, but even if it won't, save in the largest format you can, then if you have to resize/resample/resave, do that in jpg or similar, it's easiest IMO.
I was hoping to find an example but it seems I deleted all the bad scans.

And once again our lovely @Seamaiden to the rescue!!! Tell your old man Dave he is a very lucky man to have you in his life. Smart women rock!!!

I will try your suggestions and see if I can some of those Apache "Changing Woman" ceremonial pictures posted up. Disclaimer, I was given permission by the medicine man Bert and the girls family that my picture taking was/is allowed for sharing. According to him, Bert, I was the 1st white man ever allowed to photograph this ceremony at this location. I was humbled and honored beyond belief. Pilameye