Monday, August 25, 2014

Sioux Reservation

Originally Posted September 8, 2004 by Mags



We’ve been stuck in towns beginning with “W” for the last 2 days! Wanblee, White River, Whitten, Wood and today we’re in Winner. We’re traveling Highway 44 in South Dakota where the fields are filled with sunflowers. Fields of crops and grass and gullies filled with trees beginning to turn color. Two days ago while riding through the first “W” town- Wanblee- we stopped at the only gas station in town. (Wanblee is on a Sioux Indian reservation and a large blue water tower is its largest feature.) Sam, a Sioux Indian at the gas station offered to let us camp on his mom’s property. We rode 6 miles past Wanblee to his mom’s house and she let us put up our tent near a circular arena where they perform Sundance ceremonies. Sam said they dance from sunrise to sunset for 4 days straight. Ernestine, Sam’s mom, was a sweetheart- she brought us a blanket, lavendar oil, chairs and Indian skillet bread. In the morning, the inside of our tent was dripping with dew- (I think we’ve finally got back into the humidity again). When we were about to leave Ernestine gave us leather pouches filled with sage to protect us. People are friendly and curious on the reservation but it seems like a depressing place to live in some ways because of the lack of an economy. 

Original Comments: Sioux Reservation
 
It is so good to see your pictures of the people and places. We appreciate the connection particularly as we just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and our friends asked us, "Do you know where your children are?" Fortunately, we could say Logan, Lindon, Draper and smallwords.org. We pulled up your site while we were in McCall, Idaho, and it was fun to ooo and aaaahh about your adventures.

Report on the twins---Chantel had to have another blood transfusion and seems to respond well. Has had to have oxygen now and then. She is very active and different times of the day and tries to pull on the hoses she is connected to. Jadira is gaining weight and learning to swallow. Their beautiful black hair and rosy pink cheeks gives us such joy as we look at them. The parents are doing a marvelous job of being there for the twins and helping the other children get to and from and being happy about the adventures of having their little sisters getting ready to come home. No date for that yet as they have to be able to gain more weight, nurse, etc.

Love, Melanie

Posted by Melanie Harris at September 9, 2004 11:30 AM

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