The Mothers Against METH Alliance held a Justice for Teca Walk in July 2016 in honor of Teca Clifford, a 13-year-old girl who was killed on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo from Facebook
Tribal Citizen Asks Pipe Carriers To Come And Pray
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
lakotacountrytimes.com PINE RIDGE --After several violent crimes on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation one tribal citizen came to the conclusion that what the people needed were prayers. Katie Davis, 22, hails from the Slim Buttes community located just south of Pine Ridge Village. One day after scrolling through her newsfeed on Facebook while attending school at the United Tribes Technical in Bismark she became upset that so many of her fellow community members were expressing words of hate about one another via social media. Katie says that she had regularly passed on words of encouragement to other women on her friends list and had originally planned on having an event strictly for women and children. However, in light of recent events, Katie says that she felt compelled to do more and to make a call out to all sundancers and pipe carriers to come together and pray. "Todd Little Bull was one of the people on my list of friends and after what happened I was scrolling and it was just so depressing to see everyone fighting with each other," said Davis. "When I looked and saw everyone fighting and I thought that if there is something we all needed it's prayer," she said.
Katie Davis hails from the Slim Buttes community on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Courtesy photo
Davis organized an event at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge where she asked all pipe-carriers and sundancers to come together and pray. The event is intended to bring multiple circles together despite their differences in an attempt to offer prayers for the people. She says that a moment this summer at the wake for Tevin Tyon and Juan Lamont she heard Leonard Crow Dog pray speak and it allowed her to better understand the power of prayer and realize that this is what she felt the people needed most. "When he spoke I could feel vibrations going through the gym and it was just so powerful," she said. "He talked about how we could accomplish great things as a people when we stand together and pray together," said Davis. "I just thought that this was such a powerful message." The relative ease in which it takes for people to post negativity on social media has led to many community members "just posting how they feel without thinking" and that the people on Pine Ridge should come together and pray stated Davis. "Even if you say one bad thing about somebody they are still part of our people. I try not to say anything bad about anyone ever because it's like I'm turning my back on the people and I would never do that," she said. "Everyone posts about going to inipi and about the four days they are going to spend praying with family, but where are you now. Everyone is turning against each other." Much of the negativity being expressed between community members via social media has been driven by this month's shooting death of Todd Little Bull. The investigation into Little Bull's death is currently being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and few details have been released by authorities on the matter.
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The death of Little Bull has hit the community hard as many have expressed outrage over the death, as well as a sense of loss due to the inspirational role that he played in the lives of many. Davis says that she feels that the message brought through the life and death of Little Bull was one about how to pray. "I think the message he brought was that if you are going to carry a canupa you shouldn't be drinking and smoking. That if you are going to say you are a sundancer you should really be who you say you are," she said. "If you are going to live that life you should pray with your pipe because that is what you wanted it for," she said. Although the shooting has reverberated throughout the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and beyond a string of tragedies has plagued the people of the Oglala nation. The severity of this most recent crime, along with the recent murders of 13-yr old Teca Clifford, and 2-yr-old Kylen Shangreaux has resulted in many community members expressing feelings of hurt and anger on social media. The event took place August 12, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. All are invited to come and if possible are asked to contribute a food item or drink as the majority of the costs for the event are being footed by Davis. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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