Thursday, September 4
Alex and I set out for South Dakota. We know we won't make it all the way there in one day so we plan to spend the night in Gillette, Wyoming. It's a pretty unremarkable drive through Rock Springs, Rawlins and a quick stop in Wright, Wyoming to snap a photo. I didn't know that it existed before driving through it!
We arrive in Gillette around 6 pm and find a great park in the middle of town. We go for a long walk with Bailey (Alex's dog)and then make some dinner in the van. We also get our bed made up so we can quietly park behind the Best Western for the night. The hotel is full of gas line workers and turns out to be not so quiet - but we sleep pretty well despite the trains and trucks roaring past us.
Friday, September 5
We have breakfast at a freaky cafe across from the Best Western. It's a huge place but feels unfinished and ghost town like. There are only a few hunter type guys there getting their fill of meat and eggs. Breakfast is just ok but the coffee sure tastes good. We both love having a good breakfast on the road and it's usually the only meal we take in a restaurant while traveling.
We drive to Devil's Tower - a place I have always wanted to see in person. It has always seemed sort of ghostly and huge in pictures and of course we relate it to alien visits ever since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I didn't realize that it was such a sacred spot to Native people until today. We spend a few hours there and take the walk that goes all the way around the tower - about 3/4 of a mile. I am amazed at the smoothness of the rock and height of the tower. We watch people climbing the tower with ropes and pulleys. Apparently this is not a welcome activity to the Native people. It seems to go against the sacredness of the place. There are prayer bundles tied to many trees around the tower left as offerings to the spirits of the place. I love seeing the bundles of tobacco tied with colored fabric that represents the four directions.
It's not a long drive to Spearfish, South Dakota from Gillette and we arrive in the afternoon. We scout out a campground that looks good in town and then head over to the Holiday Inn where the gathering of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers is being held. I had no idea what to expect but when we arrive there are about 300 people in a large conference room and some speakers on stage just finishing a session. They announce that Grandmother Agnes will do a water blessing ceremony in a few minutes. So perfect because Grandma Aggie is who I came to see. I was blessed to know her through organizing the Dalai Lama event earlier this year. She was one of our wonderful speakers.
The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers is an international alliance of indigenous female elders that focuses on issues such as the environment, internationalism, and human rights. They gather once a year in some part of the world to talk about these issues and it feels like a huge honor to get to be there.
I speak with Grandma Aggie and her daughter Nadine and they are so happy and surprised to see me there. We stay for the beautiful water blessing and then go to check in at the campground. They tell us there is a music and food festival in downtown Spearfish so we go and check it out. There is a really good feeling in this town. I like it here already.
Saturday, September 6
We have a wonderful evening and a good sleep at Chris' Campground. The next morning we have a hot shower and I make eggs with toast and coffee in the van before we head out to the Black Hills. We have a great day exploring sweet historic little towns like Deadwood, Lead, Hill City and then on to Mt. Rushmore. I loved seeing it for the first time. It's rather surreal....those 4 faces carved into a mountain high above...there have of course been all sorts of touristy things set up around it - motels, ziplines, helicopter tours, cute little stores selling Native American wares (probably made in China). The scene at Mt Rushmore is interesting. It feels like an international gallery as you walk though a huge open air hallway with flags of each state represented. A real American stopping place. There is a great museum with all the interesting history of how and why this monument was created. I enjoy myself very much there. The weather was gorgeous and I felt happy to be alive and on the road having adventures.
We make a beeline back to Spearfish so we can be there in time for the evening Pow Wow at the Grandmothers gathering. We arrive for the Navajo taco dinner and the pow wow starts around 8 pm. We meet interesting people as we wait together and when
the pow wow starts it feels exciting and very special. The drums play and the men sing a deep rich song that makes my heart beat in time with the voices. The All Nations Dance is announced and all Native Americans come into the circle and dance together. So beautiful to watch.....later just the woman are asked to dance with the Grandmothers leading. They invite all the women in the room to join and of course I do. What an amazing experience to be there, dancing with all these people - here for the same reason. To unite in the spirit of peace and community and take in the wisdom of the 13 indigenous grandmothers. Wow...
Alex and I set out for South Dakota. We know we won't make it all the way there in one day so we plan to spend the night in Gillette, Wyoming. It's a pretty unremarkable drive through Rock Springs, Rawlins and a quick stop in Wright, Wyoming to snap a photo. I didn't know that it existed before driving through it!
We arrive in Gillette around 6 pm and find a great park in the middle of town. We go for a long walk with Bailey (Alex's dog)and then make some dinner in the van. We also get our bed made up so we can quietly park behind the Best Western for the night. The hotel is full of gas line workers and turns out to be not so quiet - but we sleep pretty well despite the trains and trucks roaring past us.
Friday, September 5
We have breakfast at a freaky cafe across from the Best Western. It's a huge place but feels unfinished and ghost town like. There are only a few hunter type guys there getting their fill of meat and eggs. Breakfast is just ok but the coffee sure tastes good. We both love having a good breakfast on the road and it's usually the only meal we take in a restaurant while traveling.
We drive to Devil's Tower - a place I have always wanted to see in person. It has always seemed sort of ghostly and huge in pictures and of course we relate it to alien visits ever since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I didn't realize that it was such a sacred spot to Native people until today. We spend a few hours there and take the walk that goes all the way around the tower - about 3/4 of a mile. I am amazed at the smoothness of the rock and height of the tower. We watch people climbing the tower with ropes and pulleys. Apparently this is not a welcome activity to the Native people. It seems to go against the sacredness of the place. There are prayer bundles tied to many trees around the tower left as offerings to the spirits of the place. I love seeing the bundles of tobacco tied with colored fabric that represents the four directions. It's not a long drive to Spearfish, South Dakota from Gillette and we arrive in the afternoon. We scout out a campground that looks good in town and then head over to the Holiday Inn where the gathering of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers is being held. I had no idea what to expect but when we arrive there are about 300 people in a large conference room and some speakers on stage just finishing a session. They announce that Grandmother Agnes will do a water blessing ceremony in a few minutes. So perfect because Grandma Aggie is who I came to see. I was blessed to know her through organizing the Dalai Lama event earlier this year. She was one of our wonderful speakers.The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers is an international alliance of indigenous female elders that focuses on issues such as the environment, internationalism, and human rights. They gather once a year in some part of the world to talk about these issues and it feels like a huge honor to get to be there.
I speak with Grandma Aggie and her daughter Nadine and they are so happy and surprised to see me there. We stay for the beautiful water blessing and then go to check in at the campground. They tell us there is a music and food festival in downtown Spearfish so we go and check it out. There is a really good feeling in this town. I like it here already.
Saturday, September 6
We have a wonderful evening and a good sleep at Chris' Campground. The next morning we have a hot shower and I make eggs with toast and coffee in the van before we head out to the Black Hills. We have a great day exploring sweet historic little towns like Deadwood, Lead, Hill City and then on to Mt. Rushmore. I loved seeing it for the first time. It's rather surreal....those 4 faces carved into a mountain high above...there have of course been all sorts of touristy things set up around it - motels, ziplines, helicopter tours, cute little stores selling Native American wares (probably made in China). The scene at Mt Rushmore is interesting. It feels like an international gallery as you walk though a huge open air hallway with flags of each state represented. A real American stopping place. There is a great museum with all the interesting history of how and why this monument was created. I enjoy myself very much there. The weather was gorgeous and I felt happy to be alive and on the road having adventures. We make a beeline back to Spearfish so we can be there in time for the evening Pow Wow at the Grandmothers gathering. We arrive for the Navajo taco dinner and the pow wow starts around 8 pm. We meet interesting people as we wait together and when