Day 15...Happy Holidays

So tonight is Christmas Eve. Merry Xmas. But I also want to acknowledge all of the other celebrations and I know with my limited knowledge of world religions and ceremony I'll mention a few and then put an etc...Merry Xmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy Kwanza...I thought I'd squeeze them all in to one email as our journey is nearing it's final destination and the journey part of the Dakota 38 blog as far as the ride is concerned will come to an end...Let's do some catch up. Yesterday Dec 23 was my first day back on the horse. Literally. I rode a beautiful and at first aggressive horse named Tatankawi...(possible mispelling don't want to offend his family) I rode for about 5 miles and then traded places with Silas on the horse. The great part was that for about a mile Silas carried the camera on the horse and got some really interesting shots. It wasn't really all that it was cracked up to be in the end but basically for the little time that a camera was on horseback, it was pretty wild. What a great feeling yesterday was. Riding through cold, snowy conditions, over beautiful terrain with 45 other riders on horseback. It's a day and an experience I'll always remember. I plan to ride again tomorrow as it is our final day of riding. 18 miles. I want to thank all of the riders, all of the supporters and to Jim Miller for having this dream, all of which made it possible for me to experience yesterday. I'm truly thankful. Ok, blah blah blah about me. On to today. So much is happening it's almost like I can't keep up. Here are some highlights. Pancho rode a horse today with a large flag of the Planet Earth on it signifying his committment to Global Oneness. It was pretty awesome to see this large flag jutting above all the heads of the riders and definitely sent the right message to the other riders as well as the communities that we are currently driving through. We are 18 miles away from Mankato. 18 miles away from the site of the largest mass hanging in US History. It's a lot of mixed feelings right now to be honest. I believe at the end of every journey there is a feeling of completion, joy, community and bonding. This journey although mirroring that pattern in a lot of ways somehow seems different. There's a different kind of energy as we near Mankato. One of hope and reconcilliation, but one also of pain, loss and hurt. Although the hangings in Mankato happened 146 years ago I'm amazed at how fresh these wounds feel to the Native American community. Over the course of American history the numbers go like this...60 million to 800,000...At it's lowest 800,000 was the number of Native Americans living in the United States. That number has gone up a small amount and factoring in Cananda in North America I believe the number of Native Americans living in North America is at 1.7 million. This is going to be strong. But that's genocide. I'm truly not trying to be too political here as I want to remain with the inspiration and how many amazing acts of kindness and generosity we've seen along the road but just read the history. Look on websites. Read articles that are outside of the 1 chapter that you may have read in a high school textbook. I promise you it will be worth your while and extremely informative and enlightening. With all of that being said I was thinking about the Jewish Community and the Holocaust. In linking these two attrocities together, (as there are many scholars who believe Hitler borrowed the US Governments form of concentration camps used on the Native Americans at Ft. Snelling and all along their death march from Lower Brule to Mankato.) I thought about all of the healing that has gone on within the Jewish community. From apologies, court hearings, and punishing of war criminals to museums, monuments, tolerance centers and various mainstream books and films, the Jewish community (at least in my experience) have begun to come together and heal the wounds that stemmed from their time in the concentration camps. To me it doesn't seem like the Native American community has had that healing. Now I don't claim to be a historian, so I don't know exactly who's apologized for what and when, as well as the history of specific treaties, land aggreements, trusts, tribal gov't etc, but it does seem to me in my limited amount of time here that their story has not been told. I mean why had I not heard of the largest mass hanging in US History? Did you know about that? Is there a memorial day to commemorate such a horrific and spectacular loss of life? I've seen this ride and the showing of some of our footage to the communities that we travel through have that healing effect. It brings people together. We talk, we share, we laugh, we cry. This in my opinion needs to happen all over. My hope is that this film and our experience here will spread like wildfire. There is so much wisdom in the land, the culture, the spirituality and the people within the Native American community. What first needs to happen is that the Native American community needs to get in touch with the Native American community. The fact that only 10 people under 30 on the Sisseton/Wopton Reservation speak Dakota is a real crisis. The language is in danger of dying out. The elders are passing away and with them will go the oral traditions of this great culture. This needs to be preserved and these brave warriors need to continue to live and thrive on their original land. From new green jobs, cultural and language education to returning to an organic diet the future truly is bright and this ride has shown me hope. Now I don't want to get all utopian on you. I have seen some of the darker sides of the community (as with any community) and I'll leave it at that. There is work to be done and I encourage the Tribal Governments and will continue to help my new friends in any way possible. I've made new friends. Within the Native American community and outside as well. I'll start small. Smooth Feather will continue to focus on the small. Small acts of kindness and finding out how we can make a difference in one persons life, a family, a community, a nation, an earth, a universe, a solar system, a milky way:)...The last little bit I give thanks to Pancho for his truly inspiring Global view.

I know I know..."Adam, this feels like the final scene, the final chapter of this journey, it's a little bit much and pushy for me. I liked it better when you're funny and getting bucked off horses in Canada"...True that is always funny, but I'm not trying to prove a point, make a speech, prove that I can craft an argument. I'm simply being direct. These men and women I've met are direct. They ride horses all day and will always tell you how they feel. Even if they're quiet, my new friends are as Sarah would say "Telling without telling"...The above statements are direct and I hope you the reader can appreciate that. I''m completely humbled by my experience here and look foward to tomorrrow when I'm back on the horse. I leave you with that tonight. It's ok after you get bucked off a horse to take your time in getting back on. That's natural, it's healing, it's real. But when you get knocked down, bucked off, broken up with, rejected, whatever, breathe, heal, take your time, but then get up and start running again. You and all the beings on this earth are truly made of magic. You were born to run. Run, feel the wind on your skin...Dance feel the air under your feet, sit still...feel the breath in your lungs...Whatever it may be...Get up again, and be direct, honest and you'll never go wrong...

Day 13...Day of Rest....Nanny Nanny Poo Poo and the Mafia

Tonight's blog will be short. A day of rest and a long night of community has left me a little tired. Two points that I wanted to quickly bring up that made me chuckle over the past couple of days. So I'll go in reverse order of my title because the first one cracks me up and I want to save it for last. The Mafia...Bill Miller is Jim's brother. From day one when they met me because I'm Italian they made Mafia jokes. It's kind of like their way of joking with me but also they're kind of serious and I believe it's their way of connecting with me and my background, not knowing a heck of a lot about me. I found it funny though that I came into this project trying to be rightfully sensitive with the Native Americans and the culture and here Bill and Jim are making Italian jokes and tying me to the Mafia basically because I'm Italian. I found it funny, charming and didn't take offense. I actually thought it was great that they crossed the line in that humorous way to make me feel at ease. It's a lesson for me and crossing into other cultures. Basically there's a time to be PC, sensitive and hyper aware of your surroundings, but in my humble opinion the occasional and well placed joke and crossing of the line in certain respects can really loosen up a sensitive and possibly tense situation. Second, Nanny Nanny Poo Poo...This is a quick story of oneness and unity. So I'm playing freeze tag with the kids on the road and as we're playing I heard one of the young guys say "You can't catch me, Nanny Nanny Poo Poo"...It stopped me in my tracks. My first thought was a generational thing. Instantly I thought, kids today still say "Nanny Nanny Poo Poo?"...Who in fact started that? It feels like it's been around for such a long time. I thought kids by now would have evolved out of that and into something I don't know maybe...cooler...I mean this is the Hip Hop generation, I was anticipating more of a "You can't catch me dog...YUP YUP" type of thing. But no, I got Nanny Nanny Poo Poo...It made me laugh. Kids are still kids and stories and history is difficult to break I guess. Which then launched me into a whole other thought. These Native American youth are the same as the white kids I grew up with. I know that sounds like common sense, but I must admit just as the generational thing shocked me, I was also shocked that Native American children would say that phrase. I guess in my mind (and I'd never really thought about this before today) but "Nanny Nanny Poo Poo" was an exclusively white saying. I thought that kids from other cultures would have other sayings. Actually they very well might, but the fact remains that "Nanny Nanny Poo Poo" is one of them as well. It made me chuckle and humbled me at the same time. It also got me thinking that sayings, stories are hard to break or change. If you're on the positive side of history then you're in the pink, but if you have generations of stories of genocide, oppression, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, spiritual practices made illegal until 1978, then those stories and history are tough to break and change. Just a thought. That's what this ride has become for me. A coming to terms with the past. The past of my country, the past of my new friends. Hopefully we'll get to a point where we all and especially the Native American community are playing a game of freeze tag with our pasts. We can run away, leave it behind and with a confident smile say, "Nanny Nanny Poo Poo, you can't catch me"...Our future is a blank slate...

Day 10/11...The Welu Farm in Milroy to Morton...

This is pretty awesome right now. Pancho and I are sitting in the front seat of the US engineered awesomeness that is our rocket on the road..."The Boneville" checking our emails and blogging while borrowing a signal from the farmhouse that we're staying at. It's a pretty hilarious scene. We're going to sleep in the barn tonight so I think a little technology before sleeping on a haystack is allowed. Today was a day of schools. We were up early to do a presentation and assembly in Russell, MN and then on to Milroy, MN for another later in the afternoon. We had a few of the riders speak to the kids and it was great to see the interaction between the students and riders. Questions were asked, answers were given and nobody blinked while discussing a very difficult subject for young people to understand and feel. A few light highlights came when we interviewed a few of the young girls who saw the presentation at Russell. During the interview it came out that one young girl had a crush on Chris who is one of the riders. Over the course of the next 5 minutes through loud giggles and physical movements that could have either been excitement or sugar(check that school lunch), the girls went on to express their crushes on Chris in a very sweet way ending with a C H R S...chant...I know I know I forgot the I in his name you say. But I'm just reporting what they did. In spelling his name it seemed as though they were so excited that knowledge of the alphabet went out the window. Oh yes, and just to set the scene on Chris' exit it went something like this...

Chris: Thank you everyone for your time, I appreciate it. I gotta go RIDE...(said Clint Eastwood style steely and smoothly)

Middle School girls melt and cue the video...and scene...

Ok, so that was pretty hilarious tonight when we watched the footage enlarged on the barn wall that we're staying at. It's great to be able to share this footage with the riders/supporters as we go. Pardon the cheesy reference but tonight felt like camp. It's pitch black, there's a pig farm, chickens, a peacock, the horses are right outside, there's a few dogs running around and the Welu family and their friends have been nothing short of spectacular. They cooked for us, provided us with a place to stay and even have matching sweaters with their names on the back with a Native American greeting on the front and the word PEACE in rainbow colors on the front. An amazing gesture and really only adds to my camp reference so I feel validated and officially less cheesy.

On a personal note, tomorrow I get back on a horse for the first time since my near bucking experience in Canada. I'm ready. I'm in the third leg of the relay and I believe it's my turn to step up. Some of the riders have gone home to see their families and will return, others are tired and could use the rest, and also I am inspired to get on, show my solidarity and not ride for me, but ride for these people. The people who I've spent the last 10 days with and have gotten to know. I feel their passion and struggle and tomorrow just happens to be the day I ride. All of us on this ride and the people we've interacted with, if you've read this blog, looked at the website, have all played a part during the journey. There is no job that is better than the other, not one person who is above someone else. From riding horse to cooking a meal or from cleaning dishes or singing a song after dinner, we all play a part and I'm happy to be a part of something beautiful and historic.

I can't get over the fact that I'm in the front seat of a car on a random farm in Milroy, MN writing this blog. We truly all are connected. And whether that's the internet, or GOD or what the Natives call Creator, it's nice to know there are people out there who think of you, pray for you if you like. Send you good thoughts and good vibes for a better life and a better world. I have so many thoughts running through my head but lately they've been slowing down and coming out of me at just the way I'd like them to. It sometimes feel like this blog is writing me. Ooooooooo, that sounded so new agey I almost scared myself out here in the dark. My only light is this laptop and a blow up Frosty the Snowman lawn ornament that looks like he's loosing light but still maintains the Frosty shape that we all know and love. That's another thing I realized. The holidays are upon us. Xmas, Channukah, Kwanza, New Years, (my birthday, call me...cough) It really feels like the holidays even though I'm on this ride away from my family. I feel very close to them and I know that they know I'm thinking of them every step of the way. That has been expressed very clearly by everyone here how although they are sacrificing their holidays away from their families, they feel like family here and the 10 day unfolding prayer and journey is for their children, for the youth of all communities. It feels great to be a part of that. You should all feel proud that in reading this you are a part of it. We're all the same, one planet, one people. I used to think that was a little too much, but if you can give yourself some space and find your voice, you might be saying the same thing. And that doesn't mean you have to leave your job or school and become a radical. The real joy is finding your voice and space in your everyday lives. What's your horseback ride? Maybe it's waking up in the morning and feeding your child. Or getting your kids ready for school, studying for a test, saying I love you to someone, giving someone a hot meal who needs it, there are infinite ways to find your ride. Actually here's a trip. You're already on it. We're already on it. Everyday is a different path along the way but the ride always is, always was and always will be. That's something that I've understood while being here. Even though I'm in MN on a ride for healing, my journey is with the people and within myself. It's not magic, there's no spiritual fairy dust I'm sprinkling on myself. It's living my life in different circumstances and doing the best job I can. I like that. I like that a lot.

HAND CRAMP!!! oohhhhh, lesson number 1, when hunched over a laptop in the front seat of a car take hand breaks because the mix of cold and constant movement is not good for the joints. I'm not a doctor but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn express last night...yeah right, I slept on the floor at a community center. So cool. Pool table, good food, good people. Thank you to the communities of Russell and Milroy, MN for their hospitality and good will to all. We could have done this without you...

Alright off to sleep. Early morning tomorrow and I'm riding so I could use the rest. BIG UPS! to the Dakota 38 riders!!! (said in an Ali G type voice) We're creating a character here on the road that keeps us light, wait for the footage.


Day 11...Blizzard #2...I can't really explain the footage we shot today. The riders took off today into driving snow. I was expected to ride the 3rd leg. I must admit that I was a little frustrated with the disorganization this morning. One point that has been stressed during the ride is that we are all leaders on this journey. It has been pretty empowering to the group and actually there have been very few slip ups along the way with this large a project. But this morning for instance there was very little discussion about some of the dangers of taking off into the snow, wind and freezing conditions. My first concern is for the safety of the ride. Recently I've been straddling both worlds of being involved and on the ride and simply helping to document. I've come to the realization that I can do both, and now it's just about going through the process. It was a little messy today. We took off on 19E from the farm with 6 riders. The conditions were very bad and when Pancho and I caught up to the lead team, we could barely see the road ahead of us. Within the messy conditions however we did manage to get some pretty terrific shots so all was not lost. Midway through the second relay the ride was called. In other words, it was being shut down for the day. The conditions had worsened and Gus Higheagle's (our brother from Canada) truck and horse trailer with one horse in it had slid into the ditch. Oh and also, I'm running on EMPTY on my gas gauge. We pull up to the horse trailer in the ditch and everyone is pitching in to help out, Pancho jumps out to help and when I get out to film, I'm told to not get out of the car and move ahead as it was dangerous for my car to be on the road unattended. I wanted that shot of people coming together to help in the middle of the blizzard but the story of it will have to do. I didn't get the shot but moved on and finally got some gas. At the end of the day everyone involved was safe and save a young girl getting kicked in the hand by a horse everyone was was healthy. (she's fine now)

We're currently in Lower Sioux, MN at the Jackpot Junction Casino and had an early dinner at the community center here. We left the camera at home and really had the chance to just sit with the group and bond after a messy and unexpected day. Bill Miller said it best today. Sometimes things go wrong. There's something to learn from both approaches today I feel. Preparing and talking about what everyone feels and then making an informed decision, (the model I'm used to) and the other of, get the horses ready, and let's ride, (one I'm not used to.) We rode about 7 miles today and we'll go back tomorrow and pick up the remaining mileage for the day so all is well. I'm beginning to see a whole world that I was never privy to. Tonight at dinner we heard some great stories from Jim, Bill, Orville and a few others. It really felt like a family tonight. No cameras, mics, just a Xmas tree in the background and people talking about their lives, what they're thankful for and what this ride means to them. Very cool.

It's been a long day and this is a double long post so a quick ending is in order now...Day 12, possible quick ride then a day and a half of rest. That's the plan. But like I'm learning, sometimes there is no plan, it's ok to just go and trust. ADAM

An Emotional Ride...Day 8

So it's 10:45pm and in the past 20 minutes I've lead a mini Yoga class, laughed my ass off and teared up from watching footage from the riders sharing their experiences at Dakota State University to a room full of white students. That's a full 20 minutes. You know there's a very popular expression that says "Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt,sing like no one is listening,and live like it's heaven on earth."...that analogy is pretty much running on a 20 minute cycle here on this ride.

From a screening and graduation at the Flandreau Indian School, to a beautiful ride and dinner at our first stop in Minnesota with the beautiful people of Pipestone, MN. Over the past few days I've found so many things that I've been inspired to write about but actually have found it difficult to put into words. And as I'm writing tonight I feel that this blog is actively evolving from a check in of the happenings of the day to really an attempt to capture stories. People's stories. People who look like me. People who don't look like me. People who have completely different beliefs. People with amazingly difficult upbringings, people who inspire me and people who are truly all alike. The stories may be different, the skin color may not be the same, but whether man or woman, elder or child, all of the stories I've heard have touched my heart and soul. As I'm writing this I'm watching footage of the DSU talks with Sarah, Pancho, Kevin and Sarah's son Mikey...We're watching footage of a young man named Craig. Craig makes me cry. Craig is honored to be on this ride and shared his heart, soul, and pain with a room of complete strangers. All of the riders did this that day and I've very rarely seen such transparency. To be honest it's a lot to handle. There's a lot of pain. There's a lot of hurt. There's a lot of history that I didn't know about and when I hear it, does not paint the prettiest picture of what my country did to the Native American people and the struggles the community continues to have.

If you're non native and reading this blog and you're like me before I came on this ride, you know very little about the Native American community aside from what you've read. You've probably never spent time on a reservation except maybe on a school trip when you were younger or a family vacation at some point in your life. My thoughts of Native Americans before I can here were completely general. I knew from what I read that Native Americans received little attention from the main stream media and in textbooks, but realistically all I saw publicly of Native Americans was based upon something in the past, a stereotype. Wigwams, tepees, feathers, war bonnets, bows and arrows, almost something you would see in the Museum of Natural History. Those are all representations of the history of the Native American community, but the fact is that THAT is what passes for current views of Native Americans held by the majority of Americans today. That and possibly Casinos, Alcohol and drug abuse and some of the struggles facing the community at large. I'll be the first to tell you that I was wrong. That's a shallow attempt at the whole story and it's only in being here and living within the community that I can truly see individuals. See beyond a general community to being able to ask questions about people in their specific lives. Their struggles and joys as opposed to a history lesson and macroleve type questions. There's a time and a place for that but starting small and getting to know people is the first step. I'm so thankful to be on this ride and meeting new friends and from this point on, truly being welcomed into a new family.

Kevin is one of the riders. He's sleeping over tonight. I've given him my bed. It's great to have him here watching videos of himself. He's never seen himself on tape like this. Sharing himself emotionally with a room full of strangers. I remember him telling me that he's not much for speeches. In 5 minutes, he moved a room to tears with a simple and honest power that was both healing and refreshing. It made me cry and laugh at the joy and possibilities that I finally see for individuals. Thank you to Kevin and all of the riders for helping me to see past the large and connect with the small. It's something I've connected with before and had lost. Thank you for helping me connect again.

Tonight's blog is all over the place, but I'm pleased with how it's going. Kevin just asked me for a smoke. Pancho breathed deeply while downloading material. Sarah and Mikey just left and Silas has been asleep for an hour. I'm blogging. That's a community moving all at the same time still connecting. I love this.

Ok, a few juicy stories from the past few days. Let me start with today and then finish with something I'd like to say about storytelling and the youth. This morning the MEDIA came...dum dum dum...I say that half jokingly as the we the crew had a 2 hour discussion last night at Subway, (yes there's a Subway in Flandreau and I completely rocked a turkey breast footlong on wheat bread with every topping imaginable...thanks Jared) on the benefits and drawbacks to involving the media into this spiritual ride. I won't walk you through the transcript but will say that it was a very spirited discussion. Fast forward to this morning when the ABC affiliate from Sioux Falls, SD showed up at the Flandreau Indian School to capture footage of the horses the riders and to truly be a part of the ride themselves. I told them this on the phone and I don't think they truly knew what they were in for. Sean and Mike from
ABC show up get some footage of the horses and then begin their interview with Jim Miller. Jim immediately hugs them and says "I love you guys" upon meeting them. They were blown away. Essentially during the interview Jim relayed the importance of the ride and also said something very interesting about forgiveness. He mentioned taking responsibility for the Native American part of the Dakota conflict and basically was asking for forgiveness and truly looking for healing and reconciliation. Mike and Sean expressed after the interview for our camera that basically they had been to Native American ceremony's before and the tone they felt was one of anger. Not here, not today and not Jim. Jim was ALL LOVE. I'm on this ride and it is ALL LOVE. It's all healing and it's all inclusive. These reporters were part of the ride this morning and they felt that energy and that love. It blew them away.

A big thanks to both Sioux Falls, SD ABC and NBC affiliates who participated in the ride today and ran great pieces this evening on the 6pm news.

Second story from the past few days involves Sarah's son Mikey. He's 9 years old, very funny, smart, endearing and a bit of a ham. He loves to jump around, play games and is really a bright light amongst the team. So last night after dinner Pancho, Mikey and myself were left afterwards to clean up while Sarah and Silas captured some footage of a meeting with the leaders of the ride. After about an hour of cleaning, we turned off the lights and took a rest on a couple of couches. Mikey said to me, "Adam, tell me a ghost story"...I was tired, I said "Mikey, not now, you tell me one"...he smiled and launched into a legitimate 7 minute story of action, adventure and suspense with ME as the main character. I closed my eyes and felt great. It brought me back to times when my mother, father and grandfather would tell me stories with me as the main character. My grandfather specifically used to tell a story called the "Three Golden Pears" where I was a young Prince hunting a giant who was threating my kingdom. It had it all and I loved hearing him tell me that story. Strangely enough, last night was the first time I felt like that since my grandfather past away, and it was from a 9 year old. One of the big themes of this ride is that the ride is for the youth. To preserve their language, culture, ancient ways. Another big theme is respect your elders. Both of the previous statements I 100% agree with. I'd also like to add another one....

Listen to OUR YOUTH. They are the ones telling the stories that we're going to live into. They are the ones who are going to preserve and thrive within our culture whether native, non native. OUR YOUTH are storytellers like no other and their imagination runs as wild as the magical horses we ride on this journey. I felt that last night. Thanks Mikey for being yourself, being creative and sharing it with me.

Tomorrow morning we leave Pipestone, MN and travel to Russell, MN. The ride continues. It's quiet here. I like when you can hear just the ticking of the clock. You can really take in your day. And when you've had a day where you've laughed, cried, danced, sung, prayed, questioned, answered, listened and shared yourself with others, your head can hit that pillow and know you did everything you could that day to live now. As part of the Dakota prayer stated before the 38 men were hung on Dec 26, 1862 "It's a good day to die"...in other words, I've LIVED!!!

Live, Love, and do something today that scares you. much love from the Smooth Feather Team on the road...

Footage from first week of shooting

Hello All, Silas Here. Adam has been a rock star on the blogging front for our journey so far. I just wanted to post a quick link to some video that we put together of the ride so far. This project has been inspiring me in deep deep ways and it's such an honor to spend time with everyone out here. I hope you enjoy the quick preview and there is much more to come.

To see the video click here

Big Smile and Much Love, Silas

Day 5...Blogs, Blizzards and Blackouts...adam

Where do I begin today? A day of firsts, a day of high winds, a day of high snow, a day of high flying planets...(I'll come back to that last one) We arrived last night to Howard,SD and our accommodations at the local 4H complete with horse stables for our some now 40 horses. After taking the horses from the trailers and into the stables a fe of us huddled around a laptop to look at the weather for the next day. The forecast, snow, wind, rough conditions. The group then proceeded to circle up. This was the first time we had done this. We'd circled up for ceremony's outside but mainly during these ceremony's there was only one or two people speaking and we were outside with logistical concerns about keeping ahead of the weather and making certain mileage markers during the day. Last nights circle was different. We made it to Howard after a long day of riding. As we passed the microphone around to hear peoples comments, concerns, feelings about the ride/day, you could tell the riders legs were sore and they were tired from the journey but they stood. Upwards of 50 people shared their stories, their history, their personal journey and they stood. We were hungry, tired, and knew that there were challenges ahead tomorrow...We all stood. We wanted to share, we needed to share, and I could feel the Utopian words of "We're all family" grow simply from language and thoughts to hugs, helping saddle a horse, pushing a car out of the snow, cooking for 50 people, sharing a blanket, making tea for a friend. Thoughts are things.

7am came very quickly this morning. We plugged in the coffee and awoke to a blizzard. Horrific riding/driving conditions and the waiting game began. Some wanted to ride, others wanted to wait until the afternoon. Visibility was zero, the snowy wind was blowing sideways, and after deliberation and communication within the group the decision was made to wait until at least 12noon to see if the storm would pass. We were back to the laptop now and continued to check in with local weather sites to see what the forecast was for the upcoming hours to see if we could ride today. It's 22 miles to our next stop Madison, and you could tell there was a itch within the group to get moving regardless of the conditions. As the day wore on, it became more and more evident that the weather was not going to break. The final decision was made. Although the passion and spirit of the riders was strong, the best decision for the group was to remain here in Howard for the day/night and ride tomorrow. We moved swiftly into action. Our host here at the 4H Jim Krantz made his indoor stable available for our some 40 horses and our job now lay in getting enough bales of hay indoors and then get the horses out of the cold and into the warm shelter for the night. I have to say. I've traveled all over the world and I feel have had a lot of truly amazing experiences. Today's experience of running horses out of a stable through snowy conditions and snow drifts that came up to my knee into an indoor shelter is one of the most memorable and amazing experiences I've ever had. Rolling out the hay, ushering these beautiful animals inside is something I'll never forget and am thankful to all of the men and women who trusted me with their horses enough to handle them. Quick real time update, there's some sort of amazing drumming going on right now with some sort of hat game going on. I can't completely tell what's happening but I'm enjoying the community feel and it's nice to see people circling up and laughing, playing games. Ok, back to today. After the horses were placed in the barn, the hay was placed all around the fenced in area, I stuck around to just watch.
I watched these horses for over an hour. Just watching, leaning against them, rubbing them, brushing ice off their backs. I melted. It was pure love. Pure emotion and pure stillness. The fact that these animals who during the ride display such power, grace and strength can all of a sudden become so still that they begin to look like statues was mind blowing. I've never been this intimate with a horse. Never been able to look this closely at them, attempt to read their body language and as Sarah would say "tell without telling"... That's the part of today that I truly loved. To see all of the strength, passion, power, love and energy that these animals posses frozen in a moment. I breathed deeper than I had in a very long time. I hung on them like I was a 5 year old. Just leaning on them, letting them feel my weight, feeling their strength. It was so relaxing. If not for needing to do other things around the center, I would have laid with my chest on that horse for the rest of the day. Laying on the beach in a tropical paradise has nothing on a snowy afternoon break with my new 4 legged friends in Howard, SD. Speechless.

Back to real time. We've just screened a 3 minute cut of the footage so far. It's amazing to see this film begin to come together and I'm loving the process of involving everyone in the shooting, feedback and sharing sessions. I have Silas and his commitment to empowering others to thank for making this a special experience for me and I know for the rest of the community. Emotions ran high after the screening and through my tears, I listened to other riders/supporters share their thanks for "the film crew", (FILM MAKER!!!, I'll return to this:)) their fellow riders, the communities that we are riding through and most importantly the native ancestors who were hung, displaced, and a people who have been oppressed for way too long. It's time for a change and it's empowering to see so many individuals "Be that change" here on the ride. It's happening now, here, all over. Can you hear this drum? Can you feel it? Carl and Kevin are pounding on this drum as this game is being played. People are smiling, eating, watching others, talking...close your eyes, turn off the television, the radio, turn your phone off, go outside if you have to...Listen, can you hear the drums? The sound of change, the sound of revolution and the cries of a people who are fighting for their culture and their lives...To me it sounds like a heartbeat. One heartbeat, One people, One breath, One moment. That's how change comes. It may look like it happens over long periods of time but it happens in one moment. It could be now, could have just happened or it could be coming. We just have to listen for it. Find your horse, find your peace and find yourself. Ask questions, smile at children, maybe learn the drums:)

We leave tomorrow morning and we'll decide as a group how we travel. I'm off to eat some food. Oh and yes, I promised you the Pancho "Astronomy" story. Basically Pancho is an Astrophysicist who after the film screening, gave an amazing presentation about the universe, our place in it and it's oneness. I want to thank him for the presentation, inspiring tonights blog, and truly inspiring everyone he comes in contact with. I'm honored to be here with him...Si se puede!

I understand blog and blizzards Adam but what about the blackout part? For about 10 minutes tonight we were without lights. That's it. It was a "B" though and I thought would fit nicely with the first two "B's"...that's my creation today...ha...

Day 3...Full moon...adam

Chris, Luis, Janice, Jim, Billy Ray, David, Bill, Orville, Sarah, Jesse, Gus, Kevin, Tyrone, Jason, Craig, Evelyn, Mark, Harold, Dallas, Silas, Pancho, Julian, JB, Andy, Mark from the gas station, Claire, Harvey, Peter, are just some of the wonderful people I've gotten to know over the past week. These are the names that I remember, there are some riders/supporters who I've shook hands with, shared meals but have yet to get their names. I wanted to start out with them on this blog tonight because they are the ones who are really making this ride come alive. From the riders who are logging 30 miles a day on horseback, to Janice/Luis who prepared all of the food for the nights we were staying in Ft. Thompson, to Julian and Dallas who are camping out every night in a tepee to watch over the horses at night, everyone is playing a part in this truly amazing journey that I am so happy and proud to be part of and also a witness to. I spent the night in the tepee with Julian, Dallas, and Pancho and wanted to wish them well as they are sleeping there again tonight. I look forward to other opportunities I have to spend the night there. The last few days have been difficult. A lot of riding, confusion at times about when to have the camera on/off, which ceremony's could be filmed which could not, discussions about our own production team coming together with people from different backgrounds, what we saw the film as, getting to know the riders, excitement, exhaustion, I'd say the emotions ran the gamut. What I do feel today though and I'm confident that the riders/supporters feel the same way is that this film and the ride are coming together as one. We're not making a film about this ride, we really want this group, community to feel that they are part of the film making process as well as it has been evident that the riders/Native American community want us as the film crew to be a part of the ride. The word that has been used a lot is family. We all have a new family. Sound Utopian? Pancho will I know be able to link this Utopian ideal scientifically and all that really means is communication, honesty, amongst people of different backgrounds. On some level we all know this, but watching it unfold in practice in the middle of a small town in South Dakota is amazing and even more inspiring to be a part of. It makes me miss my family, my loved ones and makes me want to reach out to those who matter most in my life.

Some specifics about the ride today. Great shots all around today culminated by Silas jumping a fence to hang with some wild horses and donkeys to get a ridiculous sunset and simultaneous moon shot over a rolling hill. Sitting on the side of the road was never so gratifying. According to Sarah, Silas has horse medicine in him, which at this point I'm bound to believe as he truly has an amazing way with the animals and enjoys getting the shots with no fear. To make sure the 30 or so miles was achieved today, there was a relay happening with the riders/horses. 3 or 4 groups would take turns riding throughout the day with the thought that smaller groups could cover more ground as well as keep the riders/horses safer as we approach towns with more traffic on the roads. All of the riders have been fantastic and what they are doing for themselves, their families, and the Native American culture is more and more inspiring everyday. I know I'm using that word a lot, but it's the best description I could come up with. I can't wait for everyone to see this footage and to be able to truly appreciate the dedication and commitment that it takes to organize, feed, shelter, ride over 16 days for 330 miles in cold weather and possible dangerous conditions.

I wish all who are reading this a safe day, night and wherever your journey takes you. By the way it's a FULL MOON tonight, go outside and howl at it, I promise you you'll feel good.

Day 1 of the ride: Adam

It's 7am and we're in Lower Brule getting ready to go to breakfast. In various states of getting up, getting ready, and meditating Silas, Pancho, Jesse, Sarah and myself are at the beginning of the journey. Last night the riders were assembled here in Lower Brule at The Golden Buffalo Casino convention center. Thanks to everyone in the community here for providing the convention space, the food for the riders and supporters. There were very moving speeches last night including that of spiritual leader Jim Miller who's dream the riders will be following starting this morning. After last night's dinner, there was a sweat lodge, and then back to the hotel for a quick sleep. To say our crew is excited is an understatement. I was thinking last night how amazing it was to hear from Jim especially last night. He has this amazing natural leadership quality that has been developed over a lifetime and I'm also sure was naturally always there. He said something that really struck me. He said he'd never done this before, and he was going to need everyone's help. There will be times during the ride that he'll need to make speeches in communities, at colleges and it will be time for others to take a leadership role. He demanded it and expected it. It was really inspiring to hear someone ask for help in that clear a way and express his own fears at the same time. That is definitely one of the things that I took away from all of the amazing speeches last night, Jerry, Mark, Harvey and others, (sorry if I'm forgetting names) as well as the sweat lodge experience. That was my first sweat since last summer and jumping in from the cold weather to the heat was quite a shock. At first the sensations are quite uncomfortable and the fear of not being able to breathe is immediately present. I knew it was coming so it was much easier to be with that fear and I did what I needed to do to be with my breath, lower my head and sit with my fear while participating in this very important ritual. The feeling after the sweat is an amazing one. Prayers are offered during the ritual and not only the physical sensation of moving from the heat to the cold but the experience of moving from a spiritual ceremony back into "life" is amazing. I'm enjoying how I take things with me now. I'm bringing more of myself wherever I go. From breakfast to sweat lodge, from the spiritual to the neutral, more of me shows up each time. I think previously I was compartmentalizing situations, and trust me I still do this but I definitely am seeing progress. Alright enough of me, back to the ride. The roads are icy so thoughts and prayers are going out to the riders for a safe journey. I enjoyed the children last night, just running around, having fun at the dinner. There was a common theme of this ride and the documenting of the rituals on film is for the youth, to continue traditions within the Native American community and promote healing not only within their own community but across communities and cultural lines as well. My horse "bucking off" was shown last night and got quite a laugh. I'm happy to provide some humor:)...Jesse sang beautifully again last night and I do believe the journey has begun. Special thoughts,prayers and love to the riders, supporters and tarheir families and to everyone reading this blog for a great day. In the words of the Dakota/Lakota language Anpetu which means "today is a red day" (a holy day, sacred day

From wild horseback riding to 5th place in a Potato dance, a wild and memorable weekend in Canada...:Adam

So how I want to begin this blog post is through something that happened to me over the weekend. I rode a horse to a ceremony that we filmed. Now I don't mean one of those "dude ranch" horses that I rode when I was 13 years old that I could kick countless times and it would still walk...This is a horse raised on the land of the Canupawakpa Dakota Nation reserve (Canadian term for reservation)...and let me tell you, these horses are ready to run...All started out fine when Gus who we went to visit asked me if I wanted to ride over to the ceremony. I felt honored, here I am an outsider being asked to ride with three "first nationers" (Canadian term for Native Americans) to a very important horse ceremony for their people on their reserve. I was excited, I had ridden horses before, not many but I felt confident I would be able to ride up to the ceremony and look like I knew what I was doing...So Gus hands me my horse a beautiful brown horse named "Spirit"...I was given the instructions that "Spirit" was a good horse and without hesitation I jumped on. I mean, I'd done this before, I just rode a horse this summer in the Hamptons and felt extremely comfortable why would this be any different. Foreshadowing much? So we take off literally across the plains with myself on Spirit, and Gus, Tyrone, and Kevin taking the lead. Now let me continue to say we're taking off across the plains, this is Canada in the dead of winter, snow is on the ground, a stray dog from the reserve is following us and the whole time I'm thinking this is pretty awesome. Our horses mainly walked for the beginning of the trip and an occasional trot was a a welcome change. But not too fast I thought, there's no trail, keep pulling back I thought, don't let this horse get away from you. The best example I can give of the difference between the "dude ranch" horse and one raised on a reserve is akin to going from driving a 4 door safe sedan to jumping
behind the wheel of a really nice 6 cyl sports car. Once you get behind that engine you can really feel the power of the vehicle. It was the same with this horse. Ok, so the ride continues, and all is well. The air is cold, I can see my breath and it really is an amazing scene one I'll always remember. Over the horizon I can hear the sound of a truck, I look to my left and it's a few of our friends with Silas riding in the back of an open pickup getting ready to film us as we're riding to the ceremony. This promises to be a pretty great shot as the light is perfect and the new camera we're working with does amazing things with slo motion...Riding past the truck are Gus, Tyrone, and Kevin with me in the rear. There's laughing and all is well, now here's where it gets interesting...Gus, Tyrone, Kevin, split the truck which leaves me behind the truck and to the left. I guide "Spirit" to the right directly behind the truck to get a good shot and then eventually reunite with the other riders, what ends up happening next was a complete shock...no sooner than Silas said "Mastrelli!!!" in a very this is awesome type way, did the truck hit the gas and to my surprise spooked my horse "Spirit". Now in case you're wondering, we do have that footage and let's just say it's hilarious. So, the horse gets spooked and basically takes off!!! Now the best analogy I can come up with for the distortion my face went in to takes us back to Chevy Chase in European vacation as him and his family are running away from the German hordes who are planning to kill them...My face was a cross between that and Jerry Lewis screaming "LADY,ahhh!!!, "Spirit" was kicking, bucking, twisting, trying to get me off...All I could hear through my panic was everyone screaming "Pull back, pull back", so in my best cowboy voice which I'm sure sounded more like Santa saying "Ho,Ho,Ho", I started pulling back and shouting "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!!!" and after a good 10 seconds (that's right I lasted more than 8 seconds) I was able to control the horse and bring him to a stand still. Kevin grabbed my horse and we quickly switched horses. I rode a different seemingly calmer horse up to the community center and although I was still excited to be a part of the ceremony, my confidence was shaken. We arrived to the center and tied the horses off. We then went on to bless the horses and the riders for a safe ride, sing songs, share stories of the Dakota Nation, (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota) and listened to Gus and the eldest tribe member Albert express their desires for their people moving forward. A really moving moment for me came when Gus' daughter Jesse got up toward the end of the afternoon and sang an amazing rendition of Mariah Carey's HERO. Her voice is beautiful and the lyrics took on completely new meaning for me. I felt tears welling up in my eyes and began if only for a second to be a part of the tribe. After a full day of singing, speeches, food, community and conversation, it was time to ride the horses back to the house. I was less than thrilled to get back on a horse. I didn't feel confident and thought it best if I took the car. It's funny though what happens when simply asked, did I want to ride?...My response, yes, so I literally got back on the horse. The ride back was fairly uneventful, I was now on Rudy, a much calmer horse and although I wasn't confident I did have moments where I really appreciated the beauty of the ride. We returned safely and it got me thinking. I've heard people tell me that phrase "When you get knocked off of the horse, get back on"...for my whole life. People say it so matter of fact that it's actually lost it's meaning. I wondered how many of those people who've told me and I include myself telling others, have ever ACTUALLY gotten kicked off of a horse. It's a completely different feeling. That was the closest I ever got to getting kicked off a horse and let me tell you it's a completely different feeling than anything I've ever felt. I wasn't sure I was going to be safe when I got back on. Everyone one of us has our own horses to fall off and I'm pretty sure they all feel intense when getting back on, we're not sure if we're going to be safe or not. For everyone who's ever felt that way, (which I hope is everyone at one point) I'll share what everyone at the dinner table that night shared with me. They said..."We'll it's not whether or not you're going to fall or get kicked off, when you're training wild horses that's bound to happen. You know you're going to get back on but the important part is HOW YOU FALL..." I thought about that really hard. It's about HOW YOU FALL, knowing that I'm going to fall and then just protecting myself the best way I could so that I could continue. I loved that, I felt it really empowering to hear after a day when the last thing I wanted to do was get back on a horse. We all had a good laugh about it, and although I didn't feel completely comfortable I wasn't hurt. I'll always remember it.

After the day we took a drive to Saskatchewan that night to participate in a round dance which is a community even with singing, dancing and amazingly enough Santa Claus. I never realized how much of a part Christianity played in the Native American community. It makes sense as missionaries continued to move west brought their religion into the native communities. Gus had given Silas and I white cowboy hats so we were really playing the part when we arrived at the dance...Gifts were given out, and we were honored as the film crew from New York. There's still to this day an amazing sense of ceremony that remains. The footage will show this more clearly. The highlight of the night came when Sarah and Silas participated in a "Potato" dance the winner getting $100. (which we found out later) The point of the dance is to do a step type dance while keeping a potato pressed between two people's foreheads or third eye shakra's for the Yogi's who may be reading this. Easy you say? Money in the bank? Think again, these potatoes were misshapen and the pressure was on for Sarah and Silas to perform well. A few minutes of warm up S&S tried different strategies, talked through hand signals and made me laugh so hard I didn't know what to do with myself. After the practice round the whistle was blown and it was time for the event...There was 10 or so couples dancing and the formidable team of Sarah and Silas really started off strong thanks to a combination of arm lock started by Sarah and Thighmaster inspiring deep knee bends by Mr. Hagerty. After a strong start I knew they wouldn't last long, they were dancing too fast. The other more experienced couples were barely moving and it seemed like there was a little inside knowledge of the judges. I'm not calling for a fix, I'm just saying...The last final flourish to stay in the game resulted in the potato being pressed directly into Sarah's left eye by Silas' forehead while they maintained a slow turn to the left. They both knew it was over but watching them try to keep it together was priceless. I have footage oh yes, I have footage. Eventually the potato dropped to the floor. The result. 5th place, a respectable showing for their first dance together. I have high hopes for this team in the future.

We said our goodbye's to the people at the dance and basically slept on the hour and a half car ride back to Gus' house. We had a full day of traveling (12 hours back to Flandreau, SD) the next day so sleep was needed. The next day we woke up, quick breakfast, added a passenger, Gus' daughter Jesse and headed back home. After an entertaining stop at the border in which we saw some deer and Silas was questioned about traveling to Denver, we made it back last night safely and feeling inspired about the upcoming trip. Silas and I had great conversation in the car about his vision for the film, and what's inspiring him these days. It's very needed to check in like that to keep people going as the road can become exhausting.

We pick up Silas' friend Pancho from the airport today, show some clips from previous Smooth Feather productions tonight at a school and then take off for the ride tomorrow morning. In honor of yesterday Dec 7, I would like to give special recognition to all the lives lost on that date in 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Also a birthday wish to a very special girl Kristin who's birthday also falls on Dec 7. That's all for now from snowy SD. See you on the road!

Post by Adam

So let me reiterate how cold it is here in South Dakota. The temperature at it's lowest was a whopping 5 degrees...This got us on the crew thinking about specifics on the road and how we'd best be able to hold interviews with the riders, with the least amount of time spent on set up as we know the weather will be a factor. Solution. An RV, that's what where looking for. An RV for the crew to set up camp with that will be a roving production office/spot for interviews/place to sleep for us. The quest begins...Today was a productive day at times and very relaxing with needed rest at others. Time has seemed to slow already and the day seems longer with conversations moving in and out of specifics about the ride to the history of the Native American people as a whole, is that Pineapple ripe and can we have it for desert tonight. Pretty standard really. Today's first stop was to interview Sid Byrd who is the eldest male at 90 years old of the Santee Sioux Tribe here in Flandreau, SD. "Sid was raised on a reservation in South Dakota, where, early on through the guidance of his grandfather, his life became a bridge between worlds, that of his Lakota people and that of the white man. Later, as his life unfolded, he came to hold the common ground among some native peoples, marrying a Hopi wife. The path of his heart, which Sid has pursued through his deep Christian conviction and his work as a Presbyterian missionary, has been his way. His stories and education are an inspiration..." (introduction from Stories of a Lakota Elder)

Silas, Sarah and myself went over to Sid's apartment and set up the camera. He was very enthused to be speaking with us and embarked in the telling of a slew of jokes throughout the morning and breakfast at the retirement home where we originally met him...The session and the stories lasted for an hour and a half and his stories ranged from the Great Wars of 1862 and the Dakota 38, to larger thoughts on Native Americans and their history here on this their original land. There were many touching moments, many passionate moments, and I look forward to looking at the footage in the near future. Before I move on I do want to mention one point that he mentioned that stuck with me. Out of the 38 men that were hung on Dec 26, 1862, 36 of them had converted to Christianity during the time of their imprisonment.

After we packed up the gear, we next moved on to Sarah's high school alma mater The Flandreau Indian School. There we met with Stuart Zephier the acting Principal of the school. After showing him the promo video, it became evident that he had never heard of the "Dakota 38"...The story was not a part of his history. I had naively assumed that all native american history would be universal and would be reproduced in the same way that my version of American History was in textbooks when I was a kid. This is not so. There are so many different tribes with so many different written and oral history's that it makes sense that not every story would travel across tribal lines. As I learn more, I'm getting the feeling that every tribe will have their own similar stories of triumph in the face of great adversity as the Native people have had that heaped upon them truly not shortly after the first Thanksgiving.

Stuart was excited about the project and the conversation got rolling with ways of getting the school, the community and most importantly the youth involved in this historic ride.

Dinner tonight was a chicken salad, Apple juice, followed up with Pineapple. An interesting mix indeed, but it all seemed to come together nicely. There was doubt in what we both wanted to eat but Silas just started moving forward and pretty soon something was there to eat. I like that. Moving forward, taking an action, even if that action is nothing. But choose it. If you want to relax, relax, if you want to run, run. If you want to be indecisive, then that's fine too. There's a time and a place for every emotion, every feeling that you have within yourself to just be and for you to be ok with it. I needed to hear that today so I'm glad I wrote it.

Tomorrow we leave at 6am for a 12 hour car trip, (Sarah bought the new Honda btw)to Canada to film a very important horse ceremony. Our good friend Jim Miller will be attending a funeral tomorrow and will be unable to attend but a phone conversation that Silas had with him earlier today has renewed the juices in the tank for the team and we're ready to go...

Post by Adam

My name is Adam Mastrelli and I'm going to be one of the crew members, camera/sound here at Smooth Feather on the road with our latest film "Dakota 38." My first involvement with Smooth Feather came through being inspired by "Lusaka Sunrise" and helping to promote the film in various screenings throughout the NYC area. I'm an an actor/filmmaker living in New Jersey.

Alright boys and girls out there of the Blogosphere, welcome to South Dakota!!! First things first and let me get this out of the way, yes it's cold. But it's also flat, laid back and peaceful. There's a sense of the holidays here already, and I've only been here for a few hours. I was picked up at the airport after a missed flight and a delay in Minn., by Silas and Sarah in our friend Jesse's 1990 Pontiac DeVille, two words...a-mazing...Nothing beats driving around the frozen tundra that is Sioux Falls, South Dakota in a this majestic piece of American engineering...I'm currently sitting in a Honda dealership as Sarah is contemplating buying a car and I've somehow lost Silas. Last he was seen walking off to the other end of the store smiling and laughing into his cell phone. He'll turn up. We also stopped for lunch and bought a book about the "Lakota" people for us to read. It's called "Through Dakota Eyes" and is a history of the Dakota people and importantly to this project the Dakota War of 1862. Silas is reading it right now, I look forward to diving in to it soon. A few thoughts about our most recent national holiday Thanksgiving. As is to be expected for me Thanksgiving took on a different meaning this year, a different feeling. A much more somber and real look at what the Thanksgiving holiday represents, what we're celebrating and why there's a huge "Kermit the Frog" float following an Iroquois Indian 3-5 minute song and dance without a microphone. I believe that was the only Native American tribute throughout a parade highlighted by boy bands, Broadway musicals, and larger than life floats...not that there's anything wrong with that...It got me thinking...Why are Matt Lauer and Meridith Viera not talking more about the history of Thanksgiving? Why were there not more tributes and or representatives from the Native American community? Did they reject the parades offer or where they never offered? I began getting curious. I began to wonder what really happened at the Thanksgiving that I learned about in school. What was the rest of the story? What happened before it, after it, specifics...So...I looked it up, I love the internet...There's so much information from so many differing sources it's really an amazing invention, thanks Al Gore. I don't see it being a good use of this blog space to provide specifics and repost history here for you to read, but I do encourage you to look it up for yourself. Google "Thanksgiving"...Get a few different posts, read about different viewpoints of history, I promise you won't be disappointed...

So moving on, I feel like a kid again. Like I'm on a road trip, a journey. It's amazing how that can just happen. Things can be going one way for so long and then all of a sudden...boom...things can just change...I had been sick for the past 3 days and had to postpone my original Nov 30 flight. I'm so lucky that I had my mother and father with me for those three days to help get me to the doctor...ends up I have some sort of virus that at it's peak had me jumping into a tub of ice cold water to cool myself off from a very high 103.8 f fever...My fever has gone down since then and although I'm still running a fever and have a sore throat, I feel like a kid! I continue to take two Amoxicillin, and Prednisone...On Friday we drive to Canada to film a horse cermemony and I believe we're also going to attempt to film Sarah's brother Josh who is the Tribal leader of the Santee Sioux Indians. He's a great person to speak with about Indian affairs and politics as he and the rest of the tribal leaders were present when President Elect Obama, came to South Dakota to meet with Tribal leaders. I'm excited to hear what he has to say and have many questions about politics in the Indian community, how they specifically interact with the US gov't, and challenges they are currently facing...I look forward to being of help and am off to take my medication...Also Sarah's back from her test drive and is smiling widely, we may have found a winner...ADAM

Our latest film "Dakota 38"

Hello all, It’s been a while since I’ve written on this blog yet I’m back on board.
Currently I find myself in rural Flandreau South Dakota with 2,300 fellow residents. Smooth Feather has rented a nice 2 bedroom home on Pipestone Avenue and we’ve got a 1990 Pontiac Bonneville parked out front. :) The Pontiac is courtesy of my great friend Jesse who is letting us borrow the whip for the duration of our time filming here. Jesse, once again, you’re the man.
Our latest film, “Dakota 38” started over 4 years ago after I experienced my first Native American Sweat Lodge at my good friend Jeff Galuzas place in Maine. The sweat was lead by Lakota Spiritual Leader Jim Miller who was visiting Maine from South Dakota. Over a Dinner afterwards Jim asked me if I would help him create a film in 4 years. He said that he wanted to ride 330 miles on horseback to honor a dream that he’d had that would bring healing to his people. I was very intrigued by the opportunity and agreed to help him create a film. And so today, 4 years later, after many hours of travel, contemplation & growth from this project, we’re gearing up to film the ride across South Dakota and Minnesota.

The past couple months have been very intense...That seems to be the best word to describe it. I recently got back from visiting my family for the Thanksgiving holidays in San Francisco and I found it difficult to put my experience living in South Dakota into words. And so I guess I’ll leave that description for the film :) It’s always been the best way that I’ve been able to express my thoughts.
So we’ve got an amazing group that is coming together to create this film. Sarah Weston who is a member of the Santee Sioux Dakota Tribe here in Flandreau, is co-directing the film with myself. We’ve also got Adam Mastrelli who is flying in from New York to assist with camera work & sound. J.B. & Andy Weston will also be filming from the saddle throughout the entire ride and Jay McKay has already fired up the keyboard for an original score. Zach Graber emailed yesterday and will be lending his post production magic during the editing of the film and there are many more members of the Smooth Feather posse who will be taking part in some way.

So as I write, my ears are popping at 20,000 feet as I approach the Omaha Airport. Adam flies in this week and then Sarah, J.B, Andy, Adam & myself will be assembling for a week of pre-production in Flandreau. Then on Friday we head 12 hours north to Manitoba Canada for our first shoot which will be filming a horse ceremony. Because many Dakota elders from Manitoba will not be able to make the long trip south, this ceremony will allow them to offer their prayers and support. After that we’ll head back to South Dakota and gear up for the 330 mile ride. We'll be sure to update both this blog and the one on www.dakota38.com for the duration of the ride.

Sending big smiles from open Skies,
-Silas

Back In Life Featured on YouTube

Checking my email last night was quite a trip,....I all of a sudden had about 300 new emails from YouTube in my inbox :) It's such an honor to be a part of this film and to see Zack's inspiring message spread to so many folks around the world. Last night Zack and I had a chat on the phone, and we were both floored by the news. If anyone would like a DVD of this film to pass onto someone who could benefit from it, feel free to give us a shout.

Thanks also to all of you on YouTube who have shared your thoughts and emotions regarding the film, I can't tell you how much of an honor it is for all of us to read them.

Big Smiles,

Silas

LUSAKA SUNRISE ON YOUTUBE HOMEPAGE

Lusaka Sunrise is currently a featured video on the home page of YouTube Check it out :)

Joes Journey is Complete

Monday, January 14th – 10:30 P.M…..Joe’s Journey is complete! :) Since the amazing premier under the stars we had in Connecticut this past summer many people have given fantastic feedback and helped mold “Joe’s Journey” into what it is today. From Jay McKay’s original soundtrack, to some magic from the Jones Street Boys, to advice from filmic masterminds such as Myles Jewell…we finally felt that it was ready to rock. We sent out the link to Joe this morning and his reply, “I’m watching it right now….You are the BOMB! You're the best. I'm quite emotional” :)

You’re the man Joe! :)

We’re all looking forward to a premier of “Joe’s Journey” on February 20th in NYC where Joe will be speaking after the screening. We’ll be sure to give the details should anyone want to roll out for it.

Until then, we hope you enjoy the film.

Big Smiles from fresh flakes in VT,

-Silas