Who:
Andy Bessler
Southwest Regional Representative, Partnerships Program
Where:
Flagstaff, AZ
Not only 24 hours, but a three day event: The Mother Earth Gathering from July 7 to the 9th was about not only protecting, but exploring and enjoying all that Mother Earth has to offer deep within the Grand Canyon. Robert Tohe of the Sierra Club's EJ Program and I led a group of Sierra Club volunteers down the dusty 8 mile trail to the small Havasupai Village of Supai for the Mother Earth Gathering, an event co-sponsored by the Havasupai Tribe and the Sierra Club. The village of Supai is located in the Grand Canyon within the Havasupai Tribe's reservation and reachable only by trail or helicopter. We spent a day setting up a musical stage, cooking meals and exploring the sacred waters of Supai creek that runs through the village down to Supai falls to give thanks for the crystal blue water and for Mother Earth. The actual gathering was several days of workshops, music and traditional dances in honor of Mother Earth that brought out several hundred Havasupai community members to learn about our efforts to protect sacred sites like the San Francisco Peaks (www.savethepeaks.org). In the heat of a July day in the Grand Canyon, we took breaks swimming below Supai falls and in the cool evenings, we enjoyed inspired words and music from drummer John Densmore formerly of the Doors who joined us with traditional native musician Aaron White and inspiration speaker and well known Indian activist Russell Means. For several days, the normal clock gave way to "Indian Time" and the Mother Earth Gathering went off without a hitch. In one wonderful 24 hours, I got to swim in sacred blue water with a former Doors drummer, witnessed Hopi Eagle dancers from Second Mesa, Apache Gaan (Mountain Dancers) and Havasupai Ram dancers bless everyone with an evening of dances in honor of Mother Earth. Wow, do I love working for the Sierra Club!
