Predicted Wind Chill Temperature: -1 Degree (1/9/09)

HEAT APPEAL - JANUARY 2009

Three houses have burned on the reservation in the last three weeks. Twenty people lived in those houses. The fires were started from efforts to keep warm by burning clothes and whatever was available.

During the past week, One Spirit volunteers found conditions that are difficult to comprehend:

A young couple who have a severely handicapped baby are staying in one room with the heater we gave them to keep warm. They are out of propane and have been for some time.

A mother and 4 children in an older house saw part of their roof blow off during a high wind. Some of the Lakota people who work closely with One Spirit gathered what scraps they could and repaired the roof temporarily, but it is still lacking insulation and lets in the bitter cold.

At one heater delivery, the people they were looking for were not at home. The grandmother next door offered to keep the heater until her neighbors returned. The men hauled the heater inside and found that the grandmother's house was very cold and she had been out of propane for quite a while.

An older couple live in a 2 bedroom trailer with garbage bags taped over their missing windows. Huddled in the living room for warmth, they have a wood stove but no wood.

An elder had no propane. A very old furnace was sitting on her lawn; it was not working. She had been using the oven of her kitchen stove to keep warm.
With your help we have been able to place 1000 heaters in homes on the reservation. Our goal is to send another 150 at a cost of $6000.

The economic times are hard for everyone and even more so for those who live in this extreme poverty.

EVERY DONATION COUNTS.

Love and Peace,
Jeri, Diane and the One Spirit Staff

Basic Lakota words

(3/28/09)The basic Lakota word feature is going on vacation for a while . . . please leave a comment if you are really missing it . . . thanks!


For those of you who have been missing the daily Lakota word, we want you to know that it was just on vacation! To tidy up the blog a bit the newest word will now be found to the left, in the sidebar. Thanks to Ed Broken Feather for getting this aspect of our blog going, and for continuing to choose words and expressions for us to learn!

As new words appear there, the old words will be archived in this very post, so that you can always look back here to find the words you may have forgotten or missed. Simply scroll down past the Google Ad bar and under 'Click Below to Read a Series' choose 'Basic Lakota words.'
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to help each other: OKICIYA (oh-kee-chee-yah)
peacemaker: GLUSTA (glue-shdan)
potatoes: BLO (bloh)
rainbow: WIGMUKE (wee-gmue-kay)
beadwork: WAKSUPI (wah-kshue-pee)
road: OCANKU (oh-chahn-kue)
night: HAHEPI (hahn-hay-pee)
basket: PSA WOGNAKE(p-shah woh-ghnah)
nose: PASU (pah-sue)
people: OYATE (oh-yah-day)
storm: OSICECA (oh-shee-chay-chah)
water: MNI (mnee)
president: TUNKASILAYA PI (duen-kah-shee-lah-yah pee)
telephone: MASAPE (mahs-ah-pay)
name: CAJE (chah-zjay)
roof: TICE(dee-chay)
lodge: AKAHPE (ahn-kah-ghpay)
mountain: HE (ghay)
onion: PSIN (p-shee)
sunrise: WIHINAPE(wee-hee-nah-pay)
ancient (old) : TANIKA (dahn-nee-kah)
beef: TALO (dah-loh)
bee: TEMUGA ZIZILA (day-mue-ghah zjee-zjee-lah)
canned fruit: WASKUYECA (wahsh-kue-yea-chah)
old woman: WIHUHCALA (wee-nue-ghchah-lah)
old man: WECAHCALA (wee-chah-ghchah-lah)
sleep: ISTIME (ee-shdee-may)
acorn:UTA (ue-dah)
teeth: HI (hee)
thread: HAHUTA (hah-ghuen-dah)
wagon: CAPAPI (chahn-pahn-pee)
words: WICO IYE (wee-choh ee-yea)
yard: HOCOKA (hoh-choh-kah)
young girl: WICICALA (wee-chee-chah-lah)
milk (from a cow):ASANPI YUSLI PI (ah-sahn-pee yue-slee pee)
mail: WOWAPI (woh-wah-pee)
lizard: AGLESKA (ah-glay-shkah)
kettle: CEGA (chay-ghah)
job: WOWASI (woh-wah-shee)
Tomatoes: OJIJITKA (ohn-zjee-zjee-dkah)
Song: OLOWA (oh-loh-wahn)
Rice (wild): PSIN (pshee)
Trousers: UZOGI (uen-zoh-ghee)
Prayer: WOCEKIYE (woh-chay-kee-yea)
Rope: WIKA (wee-kahn)
poles (for a tipi) : TUSU (due-shue)
puppy: WUNHPALA (wuen-ghpah-lah)
honor: YUONIHA (yue-oh-nee-hahn)
oxen: PTE BLOKA (pday bloh-kah)
mule: SOSOLA (shohn-shohn-lah)
life: WICONI (wee-choh-nee)
insect: WABLUSKA (wah-blue-shkah)
knife (kitchen): MIYUTAPAPI (mee-yue-dah-pah-pee)

Horses Help the Children, So Can You

Horses have a well-documented role in reaching troubled and challenged kids, giving them simultaneously freedom and a bond of camaraderie in return for responsibility and kindness.

ONE Spirit encourages and supports Lakota Sioux programs involving kids and horses. The Big Foot Ride just completed is an example of this. Please consider helping ONE Spirit make participation in events like this possible for more kids.

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The following thoughts from Mona Brave, whose nephew completed this ride, speak to the critical need for these kinds of programs.

"During the week of December 22nd through December 29th, 2008, our family had the awesome experience of participating in the Si Tanka Wookiksuye. My nephew, Cyrus participated in the ride and we supported him throughout the ride in hopes that things will begin to change for him. He has experienced a lot in his thirteen years and our prayers as well as his were to not only pray for all our relatives but to pray for him as well. As many people know, alcoholism, drugs, social problems from these issues are rampant across the reservation. The problems associated with a mother who drinks while pregnant has a lifetime effect on a child. It has been my experience to try to deal with these effects and it has been a real struggle. It makes me wonder just how many of our sacred children across the reservation are experiencing these effects and who is helping them if even they are getting help. We have gone through traditional ceremonies and counseling sessions and it is an everyday struggle to try to cope and to try to understand not only for my nephew but also for our family as it has affected the entire dynamics of the circle of life. It is our hope to combat these issues even if it is to make an impact on one person and that is my prayer for my nephew. Cyrus loves riding horses and had a great experience while on the Big Foot Ride. He said he was anxious everyday to ride and to feel free. He met a lot of different people and had a chance see the “world” in a new perspective. I strongly believe that equine therapy will be a new avenue of seeking help he so desperately needs. The belief of our people is that we are one with the winged, the four legged, the plants and so it is with this in mind that I want for Cyrus as well as other children throughout the reservation to be able to experience this oneness. It is my prayer that children throughout the reservation get help for issues they are dealing with and go back to our traditional ways of life. My prayers to friends and relatives, near and far."

Lakota Arts & Crafts to benefit ONE Spirit on EBAY

The medallion below is an example of the incredible artistry of Lakota craftsmen, and its sale will benefit the work of ONE Spirit.

To view the EBay listing, as well as additional close-up photographs of this amazing piece, go to Eagle Medallion

Alternatively, you can go to the EBay homepage www.ebay.com and paste

Lakota Sioux Beaded Quilled Eagle necklace & poster New

in their search box to be taken to the medallion's page.

Along with the medallion the purchaser will receive a free ONE Spirit Lakota Eagle poster and free shipping Worldwide.

Here is an opportunity to own a finely crafted Lakota work of art, and help ONE Spirit at the same time.