As I write this holiday greeting, a large swath of the United States has been hit hard by major blizzard. Tribal citizens in South Dakota are facing extreme wintry conditions with some roads impassable. Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank D. Star Comes Out has declared a state of emergency.
Celebrating on Christmas with family and friends may look different this year for those who got caught in the storm.
In Minnesota, riders who are part of the Dakota 38 + 2 Memorial Ride are making their way to Mankato, Minnesota. They will be away from their families on Christmas so that they can honor the memory of 38 Dakota men who were executed on the day after Christmas in 1862 on the orders of President Abraham Lincoln. They will ride into Mankato on December 26th where a short ceremony will be held.
Christmas may mean different things to those of varying religions. Whether you are Christian or not, there is one principle of the Christmas story of two millennia that remains an admirable desire and goal: “Peace on Earth.”
The Ojibwe believe “To love is to know peace. You must love yourself in order to love another.”
However you may celebrate Christmas or any holiday this time of year, all of us wish you a peaceful and safe holiday season.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Native News Online. Mino niibaa-anama’e-giizhigad!
May peace prevail on earth,
Levi Rickert
Editor & Publisher
