I
have just returned from Montana, where I worked with a frontlines
activist group to help protect the buffalo.
(I do not name this group because I am not a member or spokesperson
for this or any group; I speak only for myself.) For nearly
a month I was out in the snow daily, doing what I could to help
protect the buffalo. When I was not out, I did not rest
in the cabin; I kept busy for as long as my strentgh held out,
doing whatever work needed to be done to help support these
efforts. The buffalo have given me life, and so I considered
it just as sacred a work to wash dishes or clean the bathroom,
as to be out in the snow ready to put my life on the line.
Thanks in part to such volunteer efforts by many people, no
humans or buffalo have been harmed until quite recently, although
things are getting very testy out there. My
only regret is that I cannot still be up there, giving all
I have and am -- I hear things have gotten rough up there
lately. Several arrests, an assault on an activist,
and the other day, for the first time this winter, buffalo
have been trucked away, most likely, for slaughter.
So
I've made a new focus for my prayers. In canvassing
and talking to the locals, I found that the overwhelming majority
-- estimate about 90% -- of the people there are outraged
at the slaughter and support the buffalos' right to live in
the way that God intended them to live. Each person
has unique talents given them by God. May everyone,
especially the people who live in the state of Montana and
in the vicinity of the park, find ways to use -whatever- they
do best, to help save the buffalo. It is fine and glorious
to go out into the snow but not everyone can do this.
What about radio hobbyists, artist, writers, legal people,
educators, construction workers, students, everyone!
Look at what you do best, and find a way to apply this to
helping save the buffalo. Because as the buffalo come
back, the peoples of the earth get strong and the earth gets
strong. If many people look at it this way, this will bring
about a wide variety of creative actions far beyond the usual
types of things people do to make a change in the way things
are.
One
idea I had, is that everyone who supports life and freedom
for the buffalo, wear a loop of brown ribbon, similar to the
other colored ribbons people wear for other causes.
People who see each other wearing these ribbons will be inspired
to take creative action together, to help save the buffalo.
Maybe the gov of Montana will see these ribbons and know that
each one represents a vote for his opponent, unless he changes
his ways! I've given a few people a prototype brown
ribbon, made from twisted cordage of shed-off buffalo hair.
This would be best but cloth would do. This is why I hope
to return to Yellowstone in the spring, to collect shed-off
hair. If anyone has accesss to -shed off- buffalo hair (no
hair from dead buffalo, please!) please send it to me.
Email me for my mailing address. I will make ribbons
from these and perhaps activist groups up there would be willing
to distribute these ribbons to their supporters. There are
many other ideas I have, as well.
There
are several groups in the Northwest area working to help save
the buffalo. At least one frontlines activist group;
other groups whose focuses are legal work, community relations,
tribal relatoins, prayer, etc. I hope and pray that
these groups, as well as unaffiliated persons, work together
in true cooperation and mutual understanding. They need
not all agree on tactics, approach, etc, but the important
thing is that they make -constructive- efforts to help save
the buffalo.
Here
I would like to emphasise that I am not a member or spokesperson
of any group, that I speak only for myself. I intend
to abstain from food one day a week, on Sundays, and pray
for this and for all the earth changes. I hope others
will do so as well. Not many people can abstain from
food these days; life in the dominant society has made many
of us very soft and weak. But those who wish to join
in the spirit of the fast can do so by giving up a favorite
food such as sugar, coffee, meat, tobacco, etc. I've
found by experience that fasting adds a lot of power to prayer.
For example, I prayed and abstained from food on the day of
the court hearing, when it was decided that no more than 100
buffalo would be killed this year without getting another
court order. 100 too many, it is true, but a step in
the right direction, especially since I've heard that that
particular judge had shown signs of being unfriendly to this
cause. Who is to say that my small contribution to this
effort had nothing to do with this partial victory?
And this is only one of many examples I can give, of the power
of prayer and fasting.
Some
people scoff at prayer; some people, proud of their own strength,
are actually offended at the suggestion that prayer changes
things! But what I've found is this. Work alone maintains
the status quo; prayer alone only makes people feel better.
But work and prayer together can bring about miracles!
If you agree, please Pass the word! Organising and mobilizing
people is not one of my talents but perhaps if I can pass
these ideas along to a few others, it will be picked up.
I
am working on a longer written account of my impressions and
experiences while working with this activst group. Writing
is one of the things God has given me to do well -- unfortunately,
I have a hard time being brief; it's over 33K! If you'd
like to see it when it's done, let me know and I'll be happy
to send it to you. Again I must say that I am not a
spokesperson for any group or anyone other than myself.
Thanks for reading this. Dee
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