It is always a pleasure to write you this newsletter and share the wonderful projects of the NCPC and the stories of the Naraya: A Dance for All People! As we look back upon the past year, it is also a time to reflect on the important works of Spirit that we have accomplished in our own personal lives, in our circle of family & friends, and in our world.
In the days of old, the Native people who walked these lands deeply understood the meaning of community and family. The very survival of the tribe depended on each and every member; everyone had a place within that circle and no one was cast aside. Central to existence was their gratitude to Mother Earth and all creation for the abundance in their lives.
Times have changed, of course, but the needs of the people have not. The Dreams and Visions of our hearts still cry out around the Tree of Life, the slender threads in the web of life still connect us all. The gratitude for our lives must flow abundantly (and tangibly) if we are to envision a seventh generation walking upon Mother Earth.
It was from that gratitude of many dancers of the Naraya and from the abundance and blessings from the Tree of Life, that the NCPC was born as a way to support these dances, our Elders and to give back to the Great Basin Native People from whom this Naraya springs.
Here is some news on NCPC Projects that your generosity has helped sponsor in the past six months!
One of our most exciting ongoing projects is the NCPC National Winter Coat Drive to benefit the Native People of the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. Naraya communities and interested individuals around the country have been collecting new or gently used warm coats and blankets for the Community Access Program on the Reservation. The winters are long and cold here in Idaho (sometimes 20 below in January) and living on the Reservation as I do, I see many adults and children without adequate winter clothing. Some people here cannot afford to purchase a new coat, the need is that simple. The first shipment of coats were distributed (and eagerly taken) within two days of their arrival.
This fall your NCPC assisted the Lillian Vallely School, in Blackfoot, Idaho, with a restoration of their 16 ft. tipi. In 1998 the tipi was a gift to the school. For a number of years it was used in the warmer months as a teaching area for many Indian cultural activities including learning Shoshone language, traditional story-telling, dance, craft-work, and early traditional living. Sad to say however, vandalism occurred. The NCPC provided funds for the tipi canvas cover to be repaired, and for new poles. Once again the children can enjoy this wonderful traditional structure in their activities. I myself initiated the tipi with a sharing of traditional Shoshone stories and songs when it was set up again at the school!
Assistance was provided this summer for the annual Bannock Creek Sun Dance conducted by Laine Thom, four days of hard dancing where prayers are offered for the health, healing, and benefit of our many communities and the larger world around us. The NCPC is always honored to support this traditional and sacred endeavor.
In the past six months the NCPC has also aided a number of Native Elders in obtaining basic health care, transportation, and supplies for ceremony. These simple but essential needs allow the elders to continue to serve their communities-- thank you for your support!
Our ongoing Projects continue with Jola LeBeau's Women's Gathering this past summer in Fort Washakie, Wyoming; the work of the women at Poo-Ha-Bah Hot Springs in California; and Barbara Snyder's work with the Washo Tribe of California and Nevada-- all with funding provided by your NCPC.
Since my last newsletter to you, the Montana Community held their dance in late August at a new location along the beautiful Bitterroot River and valley of the same name. The ceremony was held entirely outdoors. Three tipis and a mess hall tent were erected among the tall pine trees-- it was a small but powerful dance! "Hats off" to the folks of Montana for such a wonderful experience!
In October, the New England Community also held their dance at Camp Robin Hood in New Hampshire. The newly-constructed main lodge of the camp was the site of all activities including the ceremony itself. It was a wonderful celebration of autumn with this loving and self-sufficient community.
As incredible as it may seem, 2010 marks the 20th Anniversary of the revival of our beloved Naraya: Dance For All People. While many changes, struggles, and comings-and-goings have transpired, the Dance has endured!, the roots of the Tree of Life grow deeper. At the conclusion of NY Naraya this year, I shared with everyone that I would like to invite all bundle keepers, all vision keepers, and all dancers past-and-present who would like to come together to reinfuse and rededicate our ceremony for the next 20 years, and to honor this Dance of Change. Needless to say we all must rally together in the spirit of harmony and equity to make this happen, remembering again that there is room for everyone under the Tree of Life. I envision this Anniversary as not just a recognition of New York where the Dance began again in 1991, but rather a Celebration for us all. My dear Auntie Em would like that...
MORE INFO TO COME
A new project that your NCPC is considering is an Adopt-an-Elder program for the winter months. Many elders in the Great Basin have difficulties in the cold time of the year providing heat for their homes. A great deal of them still use wood or have their heating fuel or gas delivered to them in refillable tanks. We of the NCPC are compiling a list of elders that have a hard time making it through the winter months. If you are interested in this program, please contact us to discuss this new project.
Please remember that none of these works of Spirit could happen without your continued generous assistance and heartfelt support. It is easy to read this newsletter and put it aside for later. Rather, in the Spirit of gratitude for what the Dance for All People has done for you this year and in the spirit of give back to those from which it originated, please take a moment of your time and send a contribution to the NCPC in whatever amount, either by mail (NCPC, PO Box 6089, Pocatello, ID, 83205) or instantly from our web site. It is all appreciated, and will enable our dances to continue and all the good works to continue on behalf of the Great Basin Native People. And of course all donations are tax-deductible.
Dear Family & Friends, may we all have the most Happy of New Years ahead!
In Spirit with you all,
Clyde M. Hall
Executive and Cultural Director
Naraya Cultural Preservation Council
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Murray Edelman
Vice President: Deborah Wolf
Treasurer: David Ti
Secretary: Hollis Melton
Exec. Director: Clyde Hall
The Naraya Cultural Preservation Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of traditional ceremonies and knowledge.
This includes the support of Native American people and cultures of the Great Basin Plateau, the preservation and continued use of their sacred sites, and the renewal of the Naraya- an ancient dance of healing and spiritual communion- and the strengthening of the communities who sponsor it.
The Naraya Cultural Preservation Council is
committed to the vision that peoples of all colors, genders, orientations and religious beliefs may dance in peace together under the Tree of Life.
NCPC
Box 6089
Pocatello, ID 83205
