23rd Annual Mini-Powwow benefits rural Indian reservation

Redbird will host its annual blanket, toy and school supplies drive and mini-powwow on Saturday, December 1 in the Simi Valley Town Center Mall. The Mall has hosted the gathering for the past five (or perhaps six?) years. There will be a northern and southern style Native American drum groups, cultural presenters, dancers, flintknapping, storytelling, flute playing and jewelry vendors. The goal of the gathering is to celebrate and share culture, and garner donations, including enough money to ship the items donated to the Pie Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota.

It is the non profit group Redbird’s longest running event; held for the first time in 1994 at the home of Randy Lofton in Simi Valley, moving next to Peter's Arabian Ranch in Moorpark where people braved pouring rain in 1995, and held at various locations from Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks for the twenty-some years in between. In the group's 24 year history there has only been one year that the blanket drive was not held, for lack of a venue.

How It Works:

New blankets and soft toys – new, hand or machine washable blankets are sent to the Porcupine District of South Dakota, directly to a respected family in the community who redistributes them to those in need; and individuals in other locations as funding for shipping permits.New hard or boxed toys – distributed to the non profit organization Walking Shield which has a nation-wide reservation distribution network, and other local agencies/families.New school supplies – donated to Walking Shield for distribution to reservation schoolchildren.Financial Contributions - very much needed to ship items to South Dakota via USPS or FedEx. Shipping costs run $600.00 to $800.00 and come entirely from donations.

Gifts of love instead of charity - the energy of the gift

Nearly a decade ago, we learned of the White Plume family of Manderson, South Dakota. They are traditional Lakota (Sioux) people who work hard to improve living conditions in their community, end poverty, and keep the spiritual core of their heritage alive. Their lives are devoted to insuring that future generations know who they are, and why it matters.Working directly with the White Plume family, we are able to send such basic necessities as blankets and warm clothing items where they are needed most; the outlying communities that are rarely served by other support efforts.There is another advantage to working with a known and respected family. The love that comes with these offerings stays with them. The blankets and other items are treated not as charity, or hand-outs, but as gifts.This is an important energy transformation. One need not lose some piece of their dignity in accepting a blanket, a warm coat, or toys for their children.

The Future Generations Ride

We generally gather between 60 and 100 new blankets on our December 3 drive, which all go to Manderson, South Dakota and radiate out from there. And, as we have for a number of years, we will pack a separate box or boxes for the Oomaka Tokatakiya riders - filled with socks, scarves, thick gloves - the kinds of items a young rider traveling 300 miles by horseback can really appreciate.

Oomaka Tokatakiya means “the future generations”. The ride starts on December 15th, at the site where the Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull was killed, and traces the trail taken by some of his tribe to join Chief Big Foot. It goes on to follow Big Foot's effort to reach Chief Red Cloud in Pine Ridge. And ends on the December 29th at the site where the Wounded Knee Massacre took hundreds of truly innocent lives in 1890.

One hundred years after the massacre, the Lakota performed a Wiping of the Tears Ceremony to signal the end of mourning. And in 1990, after tracing the trail for four years, the ride was meant to end.

But in 1992 the ride was restarted and aimed squarely at the future. While the ride is still in homage to Sitting Bull, Big Foot and those who lost their lives at Wounded Knee, the ride is also meant as a cultural embrace to foster leadership qualities in the youth. Along the way, the riders experience some of what their ancestors endured by embodying an intellectual, spiritual, and physical remembrance. Braving the brutal South Dakota winters, these kids, as young as seven, ride up to 35 miles in a day.

Sharing - a traditional value

Everyone is Welcome December 1. You do not have to donate something.
If you would like to donate, wopila, pilamiya...thank you. We need to raise between $600.00 and $800.00 for shipping costs, so if it is easier for you to make a monetary donation, it will be put to good use, and your donation is tax deductible. Redbird is a 501(c)(3) federally recognized non profit association. You can donate in person, via mail, or online through Paypal. Visit the “Get Involved” page of our website for a secure donation link.
www.RedbirdsVision.org

When, What, Where

21st annual Blanket, Toy and School Supplies Drive and Mini- Powwow

Everyone welcome, a family friendly event including Native American singing, dancing and drumming
December 1, 2018
11- 3:00 PM
Simi Valley Town Center Mall Community Room
1555 Simi Valley Town Center Way, Simi Valley, CA 93065
In the center of the mall, in the Community Room (upstairs from the main parking lot, with street access including public transportation behind the center - look for the giant Christmas tree)
Benefitting the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota In partnership with Walking Shield

Native American Dancers Bring your dance regalia! The Northern Traditional Drum Standing Brave and Southern Traditional Drum Red Horse will be joining us
Everyone Welcome - All Native Drums Welcome

Street Level Access/Handicapped Access Available behind main mall entrance Made possible through the generosity of Simi Valley Town Center and Blue Star Hosted by Redbird,
a 501(c)(3) non profit Native American and environmental association www.RedbirdsVision.org

Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event...

Email: redbirds_vision@hotmail.com

Mail: P.O. Box 702, Simi Valley, CA 93062
Voicemail: (626) 440-7344
Donate via Paypal - paypal.me/RedbirdsVision or redbirds_vision@hotmail.com