Third Unity Ride hosted by Joseph Bighead Cree Nation

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Plans are underway for the third Unity Ride hosted by the Joseph Bighead Cree Nation - an honor bestowed upon the Cree Nation that is in fulfillment of Sioux prophesies for the mending of the Sacred Hoop and for peace and unity.

Chief Ernest Sundown of the Chief Joseph Bighead Cree First Nation has been honored with the responsibility of organizing the events on behalf of the Cree Nation. He, his sister Marianne and a bevy of volunteers have been working tirelessly to make the Unity Ride a success.

"This year the ride will travel in a north-to-south direction throughout British Columbia, starting at Saulteau First Nation on July 4, and continues to Penticton First Nation," said Marianne Sundown, organizer and administrator for this Unity Ride. "We'll be stopping at many First Nation communities along the way, also making note to stop at many sacred historic sites."

The Unity Riders will cover 1,070 km during their 40-day trek, ending Aug. 12 in Penticton. Ceremonies will be held the following day, and on Aug. 14 celebrations will continue with a concert featuring First Nations performers from the Four Directions: Vancouver's Urban Ghost Band representing the west, Derek Miller (Six Nations) representing the east; the C-Weed band is being sought to represent the north and an as of yet unconfirmed special guest artist from the south.

The Unity Ride has its beginnings with the Chief Sitting Bull-Chief Bigfoot Memorial Rides conducted by the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota tribes in the commemoration Chief Sitting Bull's murder at Wounded Knee. The Sitting Bull-Bigfoot Memorial Rides were first held from Dec. 15 to 29, 1986 and continued through to 1989. They were followed by the Wiping Of Tears/Mending the Sacred Hoop Ride in 1990.

These rides fulfilled visions and dreams of Lakota/Dakota/Nakota medicine people that the mending of the sacred hoop and that it is time to prepare the sacred seventh generation for fulfillment of the prophesies. The prophesies state that it would take seven generations for the Sacred Hoop of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people to mend. The Sacred Hoop was broken on Dec. 29, 1890, the day of the massacre at Wounded Knee. The sacred rides culminated in 1992 with the Wopila Ride to thank the Spirits for giving safe passage for the Sitting Bull-Bigfoot Riders. Acting on the direction received through visions, organizers planned to ride to the north to their brothers and sisters who had sought sanctuary in Canada over a hundred years ago. The purpose of this ride was to fulfill the prophesies and to re-unite the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota nations. These rides became known as the "Unity Rides."

The first Unity Ride in 1993 began at Medicine Rock (Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, South Dakota) and went 650 km (400 mile) to the north to the Birdtail Dakota Reserve in Manitoba.

In 1994, the Unity Ride was a 1,300 km (800 mile) sojourn from Rosebud Sioux Reservation (South Dakota) to the Pheasant Rump Nakota reserve in Saskatchewan. This ride fulfilled prophesies and heralded the first time in hundreds of years that the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota were joined by riders from the Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara and Chippewa/Ojibway Nations. The third Unity Ride (1996) was a 800 km (450 mile) trek from Pheasant Rump Nakota Reserve to the Wahpeton Dakota Reservation near Prince Albert, Sask.

In 1994, when the Sacred White Buffalo Calf was born, Chief Ernest Sundown of the Chief Joseph Bighead Cree First Nation met Arvol Looking Horse, the nineteenth generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. The following year at a conference at Six Nations, Sundown committed to hosting the Unity Ride for the years 1997-2000.

Marianne Sundown has been hard at work planning for this year's ride. Sundown has managed to acquire funding to help pay for 14 positions that are essential to the Unity Ride: three administrative positions; two cooks (one head cook, one second cook); two counsellors (one youth counsellor and one family counsellor); wrangler, to tend to the well-being of the horses; drivers, needed to drive the school buses, the runners' van and all the various things that are hauled; and four security positions.

"Because of the cost of the ride, we've been submitting proposals to various organizations and actively seeking donations from any sources we can find," said Sundown.

Many items are needed and are sought as donations. These range from dry goods, food items, cooking utensils, dry clothes, to a concession trailer and transportation vehicles. The number to call for donations is toll free: 1-877-293-0999, or the Vancouver head office, (604) 327-2757, fax (604) 327-2785.

Riders are asked to assume responsibility for getting their horse(s) to and from start and finish points. The horses must be in good health and be properly shod.