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Building Community with Tribal Communities Field Report: The Tribal Partnership helped with a Halloween Party hosted by the Grand Chapter here in Flagstaff. A Great turnout! Here is a Field Report from Grand Canyon Chapter staffer Stacey Hamburg: Pictures, from top: Art Table; Face Painting by famed Navajo painter Shonto Begay; Fantastic costumes! A bee, cat, dragon and black widow spider. This Friday we hosted a Sierra Club Family Halloween party in Flagstaff. With at least 35 people in attendance (we couldn't have fit more!), there were tons of fun activities for the kids - various arts and crafts, chocolate fondu, a candy scavenger hunt, a raffle using Condor Postcards and Shonto Begay kindly helped as the official face painter. Both parents and kids had an excellent time. We met some wonderful new people and hope to have them involved again in the near future! Many huge thanks to Andy Bessler for getting folks out to the party!, and to Liz and Steph for helping to set up, run the activities and clean up at the end! It was a great group effort - I couldn't have done it without you! Also thanks to the Coconino High School students that contributed pumpkins carved with a condor and one with the words "Reuse, Recycle." Very unique! Check out the great photos! And thanks again! For those of you who missed the great fiesta this year, we hope you can make it next Halloween! Hopi Paatuwaqatsi Run educates and inspires runners with message that WATER IS LIFE! Run organizers (L to R) Susan Secakuku, Nelia Naha, Bonnie Secakuku, Bucky Preston and Evon Peter. Everyone put in a lot of time over the past year to make the run go smoothly. Tribal Partners Main In the News Visionary Solutions Protecting Our Natural Heritage Building Community Who We Are Sierra Club Plateau Group volunteers and the Sierra Club's Partnership Program assisted grassroots Hopi runners host the 3rd annual Paatuwaqatsi Run (Water is Life Run) on September 16, 2006. Over 70 runners participated in this year's 30 mile course. Over 35 runners completed the full course and others formed 3-person and 6 person teams. The course was a challenge that followed traditional Hopi trails and visited sacred natural springs on and around 1st Mesa. Run organizer Susan Secakuku honors Sierra Club volunteers Bob and Nancy Sutherland for their help in doing the trail work in preparation for the run and other help. Great work Bob and Nancy! The run started early in the morning with Hopi elder Ferrell Secakuku throwing corn meal in the air four times to start the run. Hopi, Tohono O'odham, Navajo and Anglo runners all ran thinking of water and visiting the springs that have sustained the Hopi for thousands of years. The run was co-sponsored by Native Movement, Sierra Club's Partnership Program, Hammer Nutrition, and others. Two Hopi sisters laugh it up while traversing off the mesa towards Sheep Springs. The trail was tough! After the run, a traditional Hopi meal was served for all and several speakers educated the 100+ folks about various water issues. Andy Bessler spoke about the recent stoppage of Peabody's use of N-Aquifer water and the need to maintain a culture of conservation when it comes to using groundwater. He also passed on his feelings of gratitude for a solid partnership with Hopi runners and the great honor it was to run to such important springs. Native Movement's Evon Peter, Black Mesa Water Coalition’s Wahleah Johns and the Partnership Program’s Andy Bessler completed the 3-person team and finished the 30 mile course in 6th place! Of course, there were only 6 teams J At least we finished!! A big thanks to Bob and Nancy Sutherland of the Plateau Group for helping to prepare the trail and help with run logistics. Big thanks also go to trail boss Kris Kuhn for making sure the trails were good to go and organizing the aid stations. Despite recent flooding, the trails were great and there were no sprained ankles. Also, thanks to Sierra Club staffer Robin Tsosie and her family for helping set up the run tent and being there for us! Great work everyone! It was a wonderful event and we all look forward to the run next year! Look for more information at www.waterisliferun.org. 2005 Paatuwaqatsi Run in Hopi The Sierra Club Partnership Program has assisted with the Paatuwaqatsi Run (Water is Life run) for the past several years. The committee educates the Hopi public and their neighbors about water issues unique to Hopi, but issues we all deal with including drought, global warming and water conservation. Local Sierra Club volunteers are helping with monthly trail work service trips to clean the run route, which is measured not in miles, but by visits to remote natural springs. >> Photos from the 2005 Water is Life Run! Winds of Change Concerts In the past several years, the Partnership Program held "Winds of Change" concerts in the Southwest to draw attention to renewable energy like wind and solar across Indian Country. The Winds of Change Concerts brought together tribal musicians like Aaron White, Casper and the 602 Band and John Densmore of the Doors. Click here to read about it! Winds of Change factsheet Casper plays to the Flagstaff stop of the Winds of Change tour Aaron White plays with John Densmore For more information on any of these partnership programs, please contact: Andy Bessler Sierra Club's Environmental Partnership Program P.O. Box 38 Flagstaff, AZ 86002 928-774-6103 fax 774-6138 cell 928-380-7808 andy.bessler@sierraclub.org Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use