2003 Northern Arapaho Spiritual Healing Run a Success
August 15, 2003
Last week’s welcoming for the Northern Arapaho Tribe’s and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma’s 2003 Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run was a great success. The Tribes extend their sincere thanks to everyone for the warm welcome and hospitality as well as the wonderful pot-luck supper provided by the whole community. The National Park Service shares the Tribes’ thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated. Special thanks also go to the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office, Kiowa County Road and Bridge shop, Kiowa County Commissioners, Kiowa County Extension Office, Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation, the Town of Eads, the 4-H Council, the USDA Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, William and Tootie Dawson, Milton Watts, Our Place Restaurant, Crow’s Stop N Shop, Bob Howerton, staff members from Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, the Country Manor Motel, and Ari Kelman with the University of Denver. Everyone’s contributions and assistance made the event a success.
Close to 300 people, including about 85 Northern Arapaho runners and "support staff," attended the pot luck supper on Thursday evening. Also present were the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes’ representatives to the Sand Creek Massacre Site and one of the spiritual leaders of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. The main part of the Northern Arapaho delegation was still in route from Wyoming when most of the local residents arrived at 6:30, so various introductions and talks about the meaning of the Spiritual Healing Run were given until the Arapaho delegation arrived and supper was served about 7:15. As everyone finished up their delicious supper, a group drummed for the family of Robbie and Andra Valdez, from Ethete Wyoming, who provided a brief demonstration of a variety of pow-wow dance styles. The drum group was led by Clark Trumbull Sr., Eagle Drum Keeper for the Northern Arapaho Tribe, Clark Trumbull Jr., Robert Goggles, and Alonzo Sankey. Mrs. Valdez explained the meaning of some of the dances, such as the grass dance, in which the grass dancers symbolically lay a foundation of grass for the dancers to follow. The planned dancers from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma were unable to get to town in time to participate in the dance performances, so the Northern Arapaho dancers provided the evening’s dances in the community building rather than moving everyone out to the arena as anticipated. Everyone appreciated the Valdez family’s educational performance, especially considering that they had been on the road from Wyoming all day and barely even had time to eat supper and catch their breath!
On Friday morning the 4-H got to the community center almost in the middle of the night to prepare a wonderful, filling breakfast for the runners before everyone headed out to the Sand Creek Massacre site about mid-morning. Gathering on the hill at the location of the monument, a Northern Arapaho elder told a story of a vision she received about Sand Creek while in the hospital. The Color Guard displayed the colors and the drum group provided an honor song for veterans as well as servicemen and women on active duty. In addition to the Colors, the veterans also displayed a white flag, symbolizing the flag of truce that was held by Chief Black Kettle on the day of the Massacre, honoring the Massacre victims. The runners were given a talk about the meaning of the run, reminding them that they are carrying prayers and honoring their ancestors who died at Sand Creek and other war veterans as well as those currently serving their country. Then with a great rush and the pounding of running shoes on the dirt road the runners were off, on their way to Denver. Reports as of Monday morning were that all runners made it to Denver on Saturday, happy and healthy.
The Northern Arapaho 2003 Spiritual Healing Run will undoubtedly be one of many such events to come. Having the Arapaho and Cheyenne runners and their families here for the evening reflects the historical associations between the Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribes and Kiowa County, and the ties among the tribe’s communities and Kiowa County’s communities that will continue to grow as the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is developed.