Running Strong for American Indian Youth

Boys at the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in South Dakota. We came across this wonderful organization.  Check it out, and support it if you can:  www.indianyouth.org RUNNING STRONG FOR AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH® began in 1986 as a project of Christian Relief Services Charities.  Today, Running Strong is led by an American Indian Board of Directors that strives to build the capacity of communities, grassroots Indian organizations, families, and individuals to leverage their strengths and solve problems.    OUR MISSION is to help American Indian people meet their immediate survival needs – food, water, and shelter – while implementing and supporting programs designed to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and self-esteem. OUR PROGRAMS include: • Food distribution and nutrition • Water wells • Youth programs • Cultural and language preservation • Housing assistance  OUR ADVISORY BOARD is composed of a special group of leaders in American Indian communities across the United States. They are an important resource to ensure that our programs preserve, promote and respect Indian culture and values.

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International Day of Peace, September 21

The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.

In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.

By creating the International Day of Peace, the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all of mankind to work in cooperation for this goal. During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:

“Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.”

Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization, community or government engaged in a large event. The impact if millions of people in all parts of the world, coming together for one day of peace, is immense.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.

Gakina-awiiya (We Are All Related),

Chief Robert and Terri Lynn TallTree
www.thetalltrees.com

“Teach us love, compassion and honor…that we may heal the Earth, and heal each other.”   – Ojibwe prayer

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A Time of Change and Healing

A friend of ours who works in the field of education called us after reading our blogs last week.  She was feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of bullying.  It was bringing up memories from her own childhood, and that brought her to tears.

When you’re reading about a topic (such as bullying) and you begin to have recall experiences associated with emotion – sadness, anger, depression, helplessness or despair – it can be a gift. It means you have been carrying past experiences in your cellular memory, and are now releasing them. It means you can put things in perspective, and have the opportunity to move forward in a lighter and more loving way.

This is a time of change and healing. As children, many of us weren’t protected by the adults who loved us in our lives. That does not mean they didn’t love us. As adults, we have the power to protect our children, and the power to teach them to protect each other.. That is a beautiful thing.

Gakina-awiiya (We Are All Related),

Chief Robert and Terri Lynn TallTree
www.thetalltrees.com

“Teach us love, compassion and honor…that we may heal the Earth, and heal each other.”   – Ojibwe prayer

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