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The Women's March
Some of the comments offered by Mary Beth Faimon: We were blessed with miracles. The Spirits were watching over us. In New Ulm we were joined by a small group of women from the Sioux Valley Reserve and Bird Tail Reserve in Canada, who had flown in that day from Winnipeg and driven down from St. Paul. They didn't know where we were, and when they stopped at a gas station in New Ulm our sanitation unit driver was there and told them where to find us. New Ulm was a town of unspeakable horrors, where Dakota men shackled in wagons on the way to Mankato were murdered by local citizenry. Another group of Dakota from the Wahpeton Reserve in Saskatchewan had their car radiator overheat, and a New Ulm citizen who was walking with us towed the car to his garage and had the radiator replaced. When the walkers approached the Henderson cutoff from hwy 169 to Hwy 93 on Sunday afternoon they were wondering how they would get across the highway, the traffic was heavy in both directions. Three highway patrol cars appeared and blocked the traffic. One of the highway patrol officers told the others that he would lead the walkers into Henderson. He also intervened with the patrol traffic engineer who was against the walkers using hwy 93 to enter Henderson and told him that the walkers had to go to Henderson; it was a part of their history. He had read about the Henderson area, and the significance of the town to the Dakota Oyate (people), how a baby was murdered, and others died. Along the walk into Henderson the trees along the river were filled with eagles, watching. This was thought to be the spirits of the ancestors, and that people had been buried there who had died along the walk. We were housed and fed in Henderson the following night and morning in place of Jordan. Several Henderson residents had ancestors who were in the Henderson area in 1862. They told stories of how their families had been warned by the Dakota, and their families left the area during that time. They were grateful for the warnings. When we left Henderson on Tuesday morning we were accompanied by the students from the Henderson charter school for 8 miles, along the Henderson Station Road across the railroad tracks, on a gravel road. I was driving ahead to see how far it still was to the intersection of hwy 1, and one of the walkers was taking a break and riding along with me. As we approached the asphalt road that is marked as co. rd. 51, a young, frisky, red dog greeted us. Now, I talk to animals, and I rolled down my window and greeted the dog and asked, "Are you coming with us?" not knowing what I really was asking. The dog joined the walkers, running in and out of the crowd, running ahead, and keeping all the other dogs away. When our headman carrying the eagle staff noticed a pit bull in a yard ahead, he became concerned, and the red dog distracted the pit bull while we walked past his territory. The dog accompanied us across hwy 169, and we were able to cross the highway as a group, not only the walkers, but the caravan of cars as well. There was no traffic either way. Then we all became concerned about the dog and his safety, but he was seen back in his yard when we drove back to Henderson to spend the night. Just before hwy 169 there was a horse ranch, and the horses lined up along the fencing and greeted the walkers. One of them, a beautiful black horse with a clipped mane began to prance, tail high in the air. The horse Oyate greeted the people. This was our walk to Jordan. Mary Beth Faimon Copyright of this report belongs to Mary Beth Faimon
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Day 8. December 17th 2019 Prayer for today Good morning relatives prayers and
smoke up tobacco down. On this day I pray we honour that
determination. We remember those that nurtured us, carried us into this
lifetime supported and protected the sacred ways of life. Many suffered
so much and yet they still gave so much to us. Allow us today to bring
the memories of them along and surround them with love, honour, and
respect. Give them the knowing that we honour their sacrifices. We love
them so. Those that were taken from us too soon we acknowledge your
pain, your cries and we live and ride peacefully to bring healing across
the land for you and for your spirit. Our brothers and sisters are riding
for you today. Riding, praying, honouring. We carry your spirit with
us upon the ride, in our thoughts, and always in our hearts. Be free
and know we are doing this for you, for us, and for the future ones.
Route for today.
This is the grave site of Chief Little Crow, Taoya Te Duta. As you can see he died in 1863, killed by a farmer, in Hutchinson MN, and he wasn't buried here in Flandreau until 1971, (Ceremonies by Galen Drapeau Sr.) as his body was shown around the country, and not recovered until 100 years later. The Ride will visit his grave to pay their respects as they always do before they leave for Pipestone tomorrow. Another Rest day in Flandreau. The Riders will be staying in the
Royal River Casino, the horses at the Flandreau Indian School corral,
and all meals will be at Eastman Hall.
From our Members: Kendra Thomas
Photos from the Ride:
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Dakota 38 + 2 Memorial Ride Supporters group on Facebook Historic photographs courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society Website mostly written and Created by Gloria Hazell Derby Dragonfly Dezignz © 2019 to date |
