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Thank you for visiting the hawkwing website. This Introduction is designed to orient you to the site and to our work. I am of Blackfoot Lakota descent. When I was a little girl, I was very close to my Lakota Grandmother. She told me about our people and described how hard life was on the reservations. I promised her, when I was just five years old, that when I grew up, I would go home and help the people. Many years went by and in 1996, when I was told by my daughter that I was about to become a grandmother for the first time, I remembered my promise to my Grandmother and formed hawkwing as a non-profit agency to begin this important work. Little could I know how wide and far it would reach and what an important difference we would begin to make. The conditions on reservations across Indian Country are often comparable to Third World nations. Yet they exist here in America in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Marginalized and ignored, Native Americans have struggled to maintain health, culture and life itself. In the sections entitled “Life on the Reservation” and “Help a Child”, you will find statistics about the devastating poverty on the Cheyenne River Sioux (Lakota) Reservation in the center of South Dakota. This is the home of four bands of the Lakota: Siha Sapa (Blackfoot), Mnicoujou (Plants by the Water), Oo’henumpa (Two Kettle) and Itazipco (Without Bow). This is often referred to as the poorest place in America though it is a sad distinction shared by the other Lakota Reservations as well. In the section “Items needed for Give Away 2007”, we list what we need to provide basic need items to 3,000 children aged birth to 18 years and 500 Elders. Each year we travel to South Dakota with a semi tractor trailer full of new items for the holidays. This is an annual donation from Eagle Global Logistics Trucking without which we could not make the Give Away happen. We only accept new items for the children and Elders as these are their holiday gifts and sometimes the only new items they will receive all year. We will take gently used, clean coats and snow pants as our one exception, but truly appreciate new ones as well. The “Give Away” is a tradition of long standing in Native America both as a way to honor people and to offer a shared sense of caring. This section of the website is updated regularly as we approach the fall. If you are interested in helping, check out the section on “Be a Volunteer”. You can help at the warehouse, sponsor a program with groups you belong to, your local school or faith community, hold a drive of new items or cash donations and in many other ways. We welcome new people to our Circle. Feel free to contact me directly at my email: hawkwinglodge@cox.net or (860) 633-8933 with questions or to discuss your interests. Together we can make a difference for America’s First People. I am grateful for your interest. Blessings,
Rochelle Ripley
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