Journey of the Sacred Hoop - A Walk for Welbriety

Journey of the Sacred Hoop - A Walk for Welbriety:

(NOTE: The White Bison organization is inviting assistance from D. C. metro area Indian individuals, organizations, local tribes, agencies in planning the walk from Cherokee, N.C. to Washington, D. C., along I-95 or Route 1. This includes food, shelter, shower facilities, transportation along the way, and then locating a site in the downtown mall area to culimate the trip. Your assistance in helping to plan this portion of their trip would be appreciated.)

Beginning April 2, the Sacred Hoop Journey will begin in Los Angeles, California, and pass through Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; and Cherokee, North Carolina. It concludes 3,800 miles and 109 days later at a White House with a presentation and a ceremony on July 10, 2000.

The purpose of the cross country Walk of the Eagle-Feather Hoop of Nations is to boost the Wellbriety movement amd encourage sobriety and wellness in Indian Country and to focus attention and raise awareness to the need for support and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, addictions' recovery, and the elimination of domestic violence in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. It will be following Eastward the path of the "Trail of Tears" as an opportunity to symbolize the ceremony of "wiping away the tears" and the disharmony that has existed in the past 400 years, unifying peoples and nations along the way. All people (red, yellow, black, and white) are invited and encouraged to participate throughout the journey. Over 1,000 people have expressed a commitment to walk at least one segment of the Journey.

There will be approximately 8 conferences held in cities along the path of the Sacred Hoop Journey. These conferences will encourage and support the development of safe, healthy, alcohol- and drug-free American Indian families and communities on and off reservations.

Although there are numerous sponsoring organizations and agencies, including CSAP's American Indian Initiative, the Walk is being organized and coordinated by Don Coyhis of White Bison, Inc., an American Indian non-profit organization committed to providing programs and tools for Native people's sobriety, wellness, and healing from social ills. White Bison utilizes in their work the Sacred Eagle Feather Hoop that will be the centerpiece of the Walk.

For more information, look up http://www.whitebison.org