Cheyenne Sisters Mission Accomplished

June 12, 2009 – El Reno, OK – Today we were off to the western border of Oklahoma to deliver household items, school supplies and clothing to some of the poorest Cheyenne/Arahapo Native Americans. Our team about twenty five of volunteers set up tables in the Hammon Park and made signs to indicate clothing for men, women and children. We had an additional area for school supplies including the hand-made book bags created by the Agape Stitchers from Allentown Methodist Church in Georgia. Paper, pencils and crayons went fast as the children filled their new book bags. Toothbrushes and dental floss, provided by Doctors Daniels and Talbert, DDS of Pensacola, FL, were gratefully received by all families. Tooth decay is a large problem for The People.

Sixty Hammon and Elk City families carefully selected items for their households. We had the opportunity to meet some more of Amber and Ashley’s relatives. What a great reunion they are having! The family Elders told them more about their family history. Their new-found brother, Jose, spent the day with the Hartwell family, too. 

In the mid-afternoon, we repacked unselected items, broke down empty boxes and headed the 18 wheeler and support vehicles east to the Clinton area. One hundred twenty families came to make selections. We didn’t distribute everything, so the remainder was transported to a temporary storage area at the Tribal Government property. Additional distribution days will be announced for other tribal areas. 

We have been so impressed with the way the Cheyenne/Arahapo tribal staff had organized the entire experience. There were twenty to thirty staff members available for each distribution. Clifton Ellis, Crisis Assistance Director deserved a medal for his skills in spear heading this event. In total, over four hundred families were able to receive household goods. We logged an additional five hundred miles of travel for the distribution trips. Transportation costs for the entire trip were covered by all of our cash contributors. The settlements are one hundred to one hundred fifty miles apart. 

The Cheyenne Cultural Center is near the Clinton distribution site. We had an opportunity to tour the center and to visit with Lawrence Hart, the Executive Director. He explained some early history – Cheyennes originated in the western Great Lakes region. Their language sounds much like the Algonquin language of the eastern Great Lakes people. They began making treaties with the US government in 1825. Some of the early treaty signers were White Antelope, A Light in the Clouds and Little Chief. White Antelope was killed during the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 while standing under the American flag, being flown per instruction by the US Military, to signify peace. We could have spent hours with this Elder listening to stories. 

 

Billie and Robert Nicholson are business mentors helping small businesses increase public awareness of their services.  They can be reached at billieandrobert@gmail.com.; www.RustyBuggy.com