Most of the machines of mobility I write about here have at least wheels and usually an engine too, but the humble horse is a damn good means of mobility too. Put those horses and riders in the snowscape of a midwest winter and it’s too much for this writer to resist. So after writing this post on the 2013 ride and this post on the 2014 ride I spent most of december in Florida the last 3 years and missed the ride.
But this year, thanks to my greedy trailer park landlady in Florida and with due credit to this mild winter, I’m back and enjoying the ride again. The ride has grown bigger and better with a new contingent of walkers and riders from the Sisseton, South Dakota area joining the group midway as well as the runners doing an all night relay from Fort Snelling to join the group for the closing ceremonies in Mankato, Minnesota at the site of the unjustified hanging of the Dakota 38.
So the ride has grown, and for the better- As well as honoring the Dakota 38+2 and all the victims of that sad and uncalled for war, young activists are bringing their issues such as the tragedy of the too many missing and murdered native women and children and the pollution threat of oil pipelines to the ride. Along the way, natives and European immigrants alike are finding common ground organizing support for and enjoying the ride. The ride is also a massive logistical effort with a whole fleet of support vehicles expertly organized and driven by largely native drivers and helpers. Native Americans seem to have a natural talent for driving and fixing vehicles… If you need a truck driven safely through our midwestern winters, put a native behind the wheel!
Hope to see you along the ride next year…
GearheadGrrrl 