The 5th Annual Harvest Pow Wow now over, plans for the 6th are already on the drawing hide. I would like to thank all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work in making the 5th a huge success. It was for me a great pleasure to watch many new faces as they perhaps experienced a Pow Wow for the first time. SOARRING offered many special presentations and events, something for everyone. We were extremely blessed with perfect Pow Wow weather. As the front cover story tells, we are also quite blessed with the edition of our new bison. The 5th Harvest Pow Wow was once again an example of community building well done.

This year's second annual Midwest SOARRING/AICI (American Indian Council of Illinois) canoe trip took place the following Saturday on September 25th. We had 30 canoes - ten more than last year. The water level was at a 94-year low, but our spirits were not! Jan had her first introduction to a canoe that day, and the magic it can perform: one minute it's a canoe, the next, with a wave of a paddle, a submarine - which proved to be quite a refreshing experience! Fortunately for us, we were able to turn it back into a canoe, and we continued along our way. We were treated to a beautiful fall day, gentle waves, swans, ducks, geese and even a couple of heron along the rivers banks. When we reached the end of our 13-mile paddle, we stood up, brushed the last of the sand and mud off, and I reached into my shirt pocket to release the last few minnows in it. I want to commend some of the members who were very active in removing debris from the water and along the banks. This is in the spirit of our respecting the waterways of Mother Earth, and I hope this spirit continues and spreads! I wish to thank Ivan Dozier for his excellent choice of the Kankakee River this year and we look forward to next year's paddle.

I wish to acknowledge my good friend, Amy O’Connell, for her hard work and dedication as SOARRING’s treasurer. Amy was responsible for our first bank CD, and was active in helping to estimate and control our budget. She was always willing to take a hand on different projects. At this time, Amy has decided to step down from her position. Amy, your efforts, hard work and dedication will truly be missed. Many thanks.

An update on our greenhouse project: Our two greenhouses have arrived and are currently down state with Ivan Dozier. One will be transported to

the Westchester site as soon as the ground is prepared. Ivan and I have recently spent two days at the USDA Roselake Plant Center in Michigan. We gained additional information on the greenhouses and the plant program in general. This promises to be a very exciting and rewarding program. We’re about ready to bloom!

Our calendar is already filling with dates for the year 2000. I am quite excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, the new programs that will be offered, our annual events that are community builders, and the homing in on the land for our village. It is time to set our goals for the future and raise SOARRING’s goal bar a notch higher. This is essential for growth and fulfillment, for if we do not challenge ourselves, we become stagnant. Now that fall is upon us, take time to walk in the woods with family and friends. Treat you eyes to the colors of creation and give thanks for what you have.

I strongly embrace each of you,

Joseph Standing Bear

JSTANDBEAR@aol.com

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