Isn't she cute? This is MillieAnn! Don't you just want to kiss those little cheeks? She is so adorable!
Here are some Pics from our July 2009 Trip to the Rez
Here's a few shots taken from the plane. We flew into Minneapolis - St Paul and drove the rest of the way to the rez, something we'll never do again. It was a 7 hour drive and made for too long a day on either end of the trip.
Left: This is I-90, somewhere in Minneapolis, during rush hour on Monday, July 6th. We were cracking up. Being from the northeast we are accustomed to bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic that goes on for miles and lasts for several hours.
This long, empty stretch of road during "rush hour" was a source of amusement to us at the end of a very long day. We had woken up at 4:30 a.m. and left the house at 5 a .m. to drive to Kennedy airport for our fight.
By the time this pic was taken we had been traveling for over 12 hours and still had several to go -- so it was good to still have a sense of humor, and the empty, open road was actually a blessing.
More pics from the road
What a beautiful area of the country! Every area of the United States has its own kind of beauty. Imagine being able to travel all over and see all of the deserts, beaches, forests, etc.........................
FINALLY -- We arrived in Pine Ridge! Here is Jeanne by the sign for the rez. In reality, it was dark by the time we got there, so this pic was actually taken later in our trip. There were beautiful pieces of rock around this sign and we brought home a bunch to share with others.
What a pleasure to be with our good friend Bernie Shot With Arrow and his family. Above left is Bernie with daughters Simone (left) and Alisa. Above right are Simone and Alisa. Below is Bernie with his mom and step-dad, Dave and Pam Standing Soldier, and that's me in back looking quite sun burned!
They don't call it the "Badlands" for nothing! Much of the landscape is dry and desolate, yet simultaneously beautiful to the point of being breathtaking. Whether plant, animal or human -- only the strong survive here. Jeanne and I were struck by the beauty of the people and the environment here. These pics don't even begin to tell the tale or to get across the energy of being in this beautiful place. (See the eagle flying in the badlands pic below)
Another source of amusement on our trip was the messages on the GPS- it is hard to make out but the one on the right, on the bottom it is telling you that you're on an "unnamed road." Yup, there are a lot of them on the rez. LOL
Out of respect, actual photos of the sun dance or the sun dance circle are not possible. But here are some of the general area. We camped in these cute little back packing tents the first few nights. We were, perhaps, 300 feet from the circle. Below is a pic of the sign they put at the entrance to the dirt road leading up to the grounds. This was to help friends and supporters find the place.
This old house (below) still has a functional well and pump, and is the only source of water near the sun dance. Still, it was quite a walk from our camp so we opted to use bottled water during the camping phase of our trip.
On the right is our rental car parked in front of the arbor where the cook shack was set up for the helpers and supporters. By the end of our trip, this poor car was covered in dirt and mud. The entire interior was coated with dust. Everyone said the car had been "rezafied."
Here are some scenes from around the sun dance area. In the pic on the above left you can see the dirt road-- this is a good mile and a half from the entrance to the circle. The poor rental car didn't know what hit it. LOL
Below left, this lovely patch of sage was just 50 feet or so from where we camped. I looked at it every time we came and went all that week. Before we left, we harvested as much as we could to bring back home. Those grasshopers were all over the place and loved to hitch rides on our car.
Critters
A rez dog, horses we'd pass on the sun dance road, and a turtle Jeanne rescued on the road.
By the end of the sun dance, we really needed a shower and a bed. We went to the Crossroads Inn in Martin. This cleaning rag was something else that we found humorous. A complimentary rag to clean your gun or shoes is not something you are apt to find in hotels in our area! LOL
We knew no one would believe us so we snapped this photo. Martin, SD ain't Manhattan folks! That's why we loved it so much though!
We went to Wounded Knee twice. The first time it was loaded with "tourists" so we just kept going. We returned on a weekday morning and were the only ones there-- so we could pay our respects in private. We didn't feel right about taking too many pics here. We felt that way quite often on the rez.
Here is Jeanne all smiles and ready to plan next year's trip. Thanks to all who donated, we were able to help a lot of elders and families out there with food and household items. Bernie prays for all who help so know that you are in his pipe and that your help is appreciated!
