08.08.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Mon 8/8/2022 4:32 PM
Oh dear Sabine, wopila dear heart for your continued support. This helps so very much.
Love you so much. Cindy
Did you know that in South Dakota we have the same rate of Native American’s graduating from High School as we did when Native children Education started in 1935, less than 30% of our students are graduating from High School!
Why do you think that is? We believe it has to do with intergenerational trauma and not understanding the life skills necessary to make healthy choices.
07.07.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 7/7/2022 5:34 PM
Hello dear Sabine,
Thank you so very much for this contribution.
It’s sundance time and I always ask with those that contribute during this time would you like this to go to
the Sundance and for you to be apart of this prayer. Only if this is in your heart. Let me know.
Otherwise this will go for the Life Skills that we are working away on.
Much love to you sister warrior!
Hello cindy, for sure you can give it to the holy sundance.
My heart is with you, Love you Sabine
Local Serves on Panel at the National Institutes of Health to be an Emissary for Better
Health for the Lakota People
see the news here click the link
The Lakota Way of Health—In a Healthy Community
see the news here click the link
https://blackhillsparent.com/making-impact-oceti-wakan/
06.06.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Mon 6/6/2022 1:30 PM
Thank you so much dear Sabine for your continued support! Love you too!!
05.05.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 5/5/2022 1:24 PM
Oh my Sabine. You are a miracle worker.
Let’s talk next week. Much love and appreciation, Cindy
04.04.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 4/5/2022 5:34 PM
You are so wonderful dear one, Love Cindy
03.03.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 3/3/2022 3:54 PM
Good morning dear Sabine,
You amazing woman. Your work to continue this work is so greatly appreciated.
We are getting close to being half done with the 9th-grade curriculum is about half done.
Not quite as we are working so hard on them but all of us feel it is the best work that we have done.
The spirits are working with all of us and as we get ourselves out of the way, they are able to do the magic.
So humbled to be a part of this work and you are helping making it possible. Wopila!
08.02.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 2/8/2022 7:28 PM
Oh dear Sabine, your work and generosity is so appreciated.
Our curriculum is doing really well. Working like a crazy woman. Love you, Cindy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhha3ZxlB6g
11.01.2022
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 1/11/2022 3:25 PM
Good morning Sabine, You are really amazing. Wopila!
We are full of gratitude. Cindy
12.12.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota and Christmas
Thu 12/12/2021 8:57 PM
You are amazing dear Sabine. Know we appreciate your continued support so deeply.
Many blessings to you der heart. Love you so much.
11.11.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota and Christmas
Thu 11/11/2021 1:56 PM
Wow Sabine! Outstanding. Wopila! This is great.
We are starting the 9th grade curriculum.
I will divide it up between that and Christmas for the children.
Thank you dear one for all you do for the people here. Wopila!
Together we strong
You are so right!
10.10.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 10/10/2021 5:55 PM
Sabine, you are amazing! Wopila sister! May you have a blessed month.
23.09.2021
11.09.2021
I love this of Pete, my father-in-law by Arya Badiyan using her
art for social justice.
Gakála Pete Catches☝🏽❤️
Painting by my dear sister
Aryabadiyan.com
09.09.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 9/9/2021 5:18 PM
Step by step we moving forward.
Yes we are dear Sabine. You are such a light. Wopila!
We have ten schools starting their day with it.
It’s been crazy busy getting the teachers trained, etc.
Love you so much. Cindy
04.09.2021
28.08.2021
Pete Catches Sr. and Pete Cathes Jr. speak
link for the video
08.08.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 8/8/2021 7:19 PM
We keep moving 😊)
Oh, yes you do!!! Wopila dear sister!!!
23.07.2021
✨THANK YOU GOD!!!✨
thank yo for the complete awakening into my true nature in all aspects of my life and being
thank you god, for guiding me, leading me, protecting me and supporting
me to live the joyful plane of my soul
thank you for divine health, vitality and power of my body… thank you for inner presence, harmonie and compassion… thank you for a peacefull mind, clearity and wisdom
thank you for divine peace and the brightness glorie of being secure flowered and deeply connected in the heart of god
thank you for the blessing to live with my beloved husband
blessings to my parents, friends and ancestors
thank you for abundance and wealth
love peace healing and harmonie all over the world
thank you for living the love I AM
thank you – thank you – thank you
shanti – shanti – shanti ✨🙏🕊🙏✨
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sat 7/24/2021 5:16 AM
Dear Sabine, yes, I am so touched by this soul’s generosity. Please tell her all her donation goes to us getting this curriculum to our young people.
yes, the light wins. ♥️😘🌟🦅
19.07.2021
I just wanted to share we are just finishing the buffalo. It was so beautiful. Thanking you for your dear prayers. Wopila!
07.07.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Fri 7/9/2021 7:45 AM
So so much gratitude dear Sabine
Hello my sister,
So much gratitude for all that you do. Much, much love.
Great, thanks! Yes, shine shine shine with so much love dear one Cindy
21.06.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Mon 6/21/2021 2:51 PM
Our dear Sabine, This is wonderful! we are going to order paper and not styrofoam for Mother Earth. I will order that today to make these beautiful souls part of this beautiful prayer. I got a note for all lightworkers this morning that we are to hold positive thoughts and good intentions for the next seven days. An ancient tribe says if we do it will have a great effect on the earth and consciousness.
Love you for all you do dear one.
The light will win, Cindy
Message from the Anden 21.06.2021
This is a message from the Andean Shamans about the energy of change that will bring the Earth at the Summer Solstice….
The indigenous people knew it, they never lost the connection with the Earth and the Source, they knew how to interpret the messages of the Universe, and they still do…
The summer solstice has always been a sacred moment for them, the moment of reconnection with the Source.
This time, however, they herald an unusual time in the heavens and a defining moment in the destiny of humanity.
On this twenty-first of June – the summer solstice – Earth will be in direct and precise alignment with the center of the galaxy and the Central Sun of Alcyon.
At this unique time, the Earth will receive the direct inflow of very subtle and high level energies from divine source.
These are the energies of evolution, the energies that are capable of changing our genetic codes and bringing about evolutionary changes in species and planets.
On this day we must attune ourselves to the highest of peace, of love, among all living beings on Earth.
„We must envision a bright future for humanity“.
Indigenous people around the world know about this astronomical and divine event.
The Andean Shamans, guardians of ancestral knowledge and Pachamama (Earth) send us the following message with a tone of brotherhood and urgency….
We share this with you, which is very important for humanity and the planet:
„Synchronous to this moment, many grandfatherly guardians of the Andean tradition of ancestral lines are gathering….
Attuned in prayer and performing ceremonies and rituals for the healing of all.
The guardians tell us that it is very important to stay united and send positive and creative energy of love to the universe.
They ask us to maintain an attitude of tolerance, brotherhood and connectedness for seven days….
Interacting without arguing, communicating lovingly and calming our minds, letting go and forgiving every situation….
We are asked to maintain harmony within ourselves, not to fight, not to judge, not to resist and not to confront, so that the sum of all this energy helps our grandparents to strengthen more quickly the rituals they perform to protect and preserve our lives.
They ask us to chant and raise our vibration to the Light, to the Creator, to beautify the balance of our co-world.
Consequently, let us ask for the protection of every living being.
If you know someone who works as a healer, holistic practitioner, spiritual master, teacher of the here and now, light worker, ecological community, share this message with them.
„It is important to be united at this pivotal moment in our history“.
Thank you for your love, because with the participation of each and every one of our grains of sand, we can help protect our home planet and our beloved humanity!
Now more than ever we need to be together in peace and love!
06.06.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 6/6/2021 5:59 PM
Good morning Sabine, you keep moving in a beautiful way.
Wopila dear sister!!
14.05.2021
I feel like Peter is wishing me well for my trip to Florida.
The end was right over his grave site. cindy
05.05.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Wed 5/5/2021 5:36 PM
It is like magic!!!! Kisses from Austria!!!! WOW! WOW! You are amazing!
Amazing. Wopila sister! Love you too! Cindy
Miracles of May and the Cradleboard Prophecy
The Cradleboard Prophecy is important to remember as we continue to navigate through these times where there is fear and division creating a sense of uncertainty for many, feeling lost and confused.
We are all put on notice now to step forward as Faith Keepers and honor the Cradleboard Prophecy of Creation.
This can help us look to the future with hope and faith instead of doom and despair.
When the world was changing and the earth reshaping herself in the previous four worlds, it is said the Wolf Clan went deep into the subterranean tunnels of the earth to keep the Cradleboard prophecy alive.
The Cradleboard prophecy shares that there would come a time when thousands of rainbow warriors would walk upon the earth to manifest and birth the fifth world of peace.
They would awaken and remember who they were, they would use their gifts and talents to help bring about
this time of peace and would once again honor the earth mother.
They would be tested.
They would have to break through illusions, ego, fear and judgment.
This has been happening for many years but the Jupiter/Saturn Conjunction at the time of the Solstice
in December last year, jolted many awake who had been sleeping.
We are all now emerging.
We must remember these teachings about being stewards of the earth as we each carry the cradle board of a new world in our focused intention and dreams.
The cradleboard was used by the First Nation people to protect their infants from harm.
We must remain detached from the stories of illusion and deception as we use our own cradleboard
to protect the vision we each carry.
We must stay strong in our knowing and emerge into the full expression of who we are to fulfill the responsibility we each agreed to carry.
I have followed the rainbow teachings and the Path of the Rose since early childhood and have found that the ancestors are speaking louder than ever.
They are appearing and sharing through the natural world for those with ears to hear and eyes to see.
Those who honor the old ways through ritual and ceremony.
May offers so much if we take the time to honor the rhythm of the earth and make a commitment to find
our own personal rhythm and timing. We are asked to create our future in the present moment.
It will take courage, faith, trust, patience and resilience.
We will be required to forgive and walk in grace even at times when it becomes difficult.
We don’t have time to waste on silly story lines or judgment, our future depends on how we spend our present moment.
I encourage you to honor the 555, the new moon of miracles and the full moon
total lunar eclipse to find your balance and deep sense of inner peace.
When our internal world matches the vision of our outer world we become the living expression of the dream. Robbyne
23.04.2021
Message from Cindy
01.04.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 4/1/2021 3:23 PM
Wow! Sabine.
How powerful to wake up to your amazing work dear woman.
Wopila! We are so appreciative and I send you prayers and blessings for your work to help our children!!!!
Love you, Cindy
03.03.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Wed 3/3/2021 2:12 PM
Dear Sabine, Your commitment and generosity are greatly appreciated.
Your steadfast assistance is enabling us to continue our work with the teachers so they may better help the children.
We are meeting with them twice a week.
I can see the difference it is making in the teacher’s lives.
They are planning on opening the schools on April 3rd and plan to start each day with these lessons.
Know how much we love and appreciate you and the work that you are doing. Much love, Cindy
13.02.2021
02.02.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 4:30 PM
Oh Sabine, Your commitment to our work is so courageous.
We can’t tell you how much it means to us.
We love you and pray all you do comes back to you again and again.
Cindy
01.01.2021
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota and Christmas gifts
Fri 1/1/2021 7:47 PM
Oh Sabine you are amazing with your big donation.
Such help. I feel so good about our work this new year.
I love you too and I pray that your year is filled with love, light
and happiness. Love Cindy
12.12.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota and Christmas gifts
Sat 12/12/2020 4:17 PM
Oh my goodness Sabine! You are amazing!!!
Yes it is a miracle! Wopila!!!
Love Cindy
donation – giving tuesday dec. 1, 2020
Schulbücher für die Lakota Kinder in Pine Ridge Reservat Oceti Wakan Projekt
Seit 4 Jahren unterstütze ich das Oceti Wakan Projekt im Pine Ridge Reservat South Dakota USA
Giving Tuesday Actions here is the link for the webside
https://www.giving-tuesday.at/aktionen-2020/
Wed 12/2/2020 4:30 PM
This is amazing Sabine!!!
You did amazing job sister of my heart!!!!
Much love, Cindy
Wed 12/2/2020 4:32 PM
If we stay together we can win.
If anyone gives a little bit – I see now what happen.
Sharing is the new money
Love sabine
Wed 12/2/2020 4:47 PM
Yes! Thank you for your support! May light and blessings surround you!!!!
nov. 25, 2020
New Edition of Realities Within – Zintkala Oyate (Peter V. Catches),
one of the founders of Oceti Wakan, passed in 2018. We wanted to honor him by recreating this collection of some of his poetry and prose that he wrote over the years of his spiritual journey, his struggles in life being Lakota, and his love.
We have put this on our website for anyone of you that might be interested.
“The Sundance is not a rite of manhood or a display of crude
brute courage. I, myself, am already known for my courage and
fortitude within my bond of relatives and people. . .”
Peter V. Catches (Zintkala Oyate) has put on and conducted the Spotted Eagle Sundance for the past forty years; the longest running sundance in Lakota country.
He has conducted over 55 sundances.
He has spent his life creating educational materials to preserve the Lakota language and culture.
They include six language language books and CDs; a CD on the timeless symbolism behind the seven sacred rites given to the Lakota people from the Spotted Eagle view especially for our young people; he co-authored his father’s book, ‘Sacred Fireplace – The Life & Teachings of a 37th Generation Lakota Medicine man;’ he co-authored with his wife, Cindy, two alcohol/drug prevention workbooks (primary & for secondary schools) called, ‘Learning Prevention Using Lakota Values;’ a book of poetry of his love of the Great Mystery called ‘Realities Within;’ and is now working with his wife developing seven years of curriculum (2nd grade to 8th grade) life skills for the young Lakota called, ‘Woohitaka Mani Yo (Walk Forward in Bravery) using a medicine wheel approach. He and his wife have developed a successful Lakota Language Program that has broken the barrier that our young people have had in speaking to each other in the Lakota language.
2020 Newsletter Winter english
11.11.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Wed 11/11/2020 3:46 PM
Good morning dear Sabine! Yes, wopila!!!
Thank you so much for all that you do sister of our heart!
Much love and blessings to you and yours! Cindy
Beautiful. We are working so hard and going forward.
We are finishing the second half of the Teachers Manual to be ready of the first of year. Developing videos to help teachers use for online learning. Getting curriculum accredited for Lakota character and culture class. Been so busy. Getting news letter out and starting our Christmas for the kids. Going forward
10.10.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sat 10/10/2020 1:38 PM
Oh Sabine, wopila dear one! This helps so much. We spent all day yesterday training teachers now that the students have to be on laptops because of Covid-19, the teachers are having a hard transition getting this to the children. It was a good day and we will do more training next week.
We are asking for prayers for our teachers.
They are so challenged at this time.
We deeply want to thank you and those lives that you touch so much.
We have such gratitude for you being in our lives and all the help you have given us to help our children.
May each of you be blessed for your efforts and
sacrifice by the Great Mystery.
Much love, Cindy
september 12, 2020
„Children are our greatest treasure. The new generation coming up.
We won’t disappear. We shall live!“
-Pete Catches, Oglala From the book : Sacred Fireplace ( Oceti Wakan ):
Life and Teachings of A Lakota Medicine Man –
by Pete Catches Sr. and Peter Catches, Jr.
Pine Ridge SD, Oceti Wakan , 1997
9.9.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Wed 9/9/2020 4:53 PM
Oh, Sabine,
Such joy you gave me this 9/9 to receive the donation from you!!!
Your commitment to helping our children gives me such good feelings inside of me. Wopila!!!!
Dear sister of Oceti Wakan.
Isn’t this wonderful! We have collected around 400 stories and I’m able to now have them illustrated for the children for the second half of the Teacher’s Manual that we are working on now.
Wopila and much love, Cindy
. . . . . . .
GOOD NEWS By Connor Matteson
Published: Sep. 9, 2020 at 1:51 AM MESZ
Oglala Lakota County School District welcomes its new online learning students
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – NDN Collective hosted the district to help provide devices, resources, and class schedules for families who transferred their students out of schools in the Rapid City area and into the Oglala Lakota District.
Sarah Pierce is the Director of education equity at NDN Collective and says 127 families are making the switch and taking advantage of the opportunity to mix culture and education together.
“The most unique opportunity about it was providing choice options for families so that families could actually identify a school of choice option that suited their needs both culturally and linguistically primarily, but academically as well,” says Pierce.
link for the video and the great news
august 23, 2020
Walking the Red Road
We must all take measures now and join in the oneness of the ways we all hold sacred… there has been enough separation.
– Pete Catches ( Lakota)
8.8.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sat 8/8/2020 2:42 PM
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I feel strongly we will get this for our children.
We can’t thank all that you are doing to make this a reality touches our hearts deeply.
Wopila and may you be blessed for all that you are doing. Much love, Cindy
6.8.2020 Video Cindy Catches
12.7.2020 good things happen
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 7/12/2020 1:39 PM
Oh Sister,
You are amazing at a time when your efforts are so appreciated.
Our love and thoughts are with you and thank you so very very much.
Wopila! May you and your loved ones be deeply blessed for all your efforts.
7.7.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 7/7/2020 5:20 PM
Oh Sabine, this is so wonderful! Thank you dear sister!! Much love, Cindy
Article about the Pine Ridge Reservation CAMP # 344
Prisoner of War Camp READ THE REPORT – click the link
NO-135-The-Pine-Ridge-Reservation
june 25, 2020 memorial Crazy Horse Little Big Horn
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Thu 6/25/2020 2:06 PM
Oh, Sabine,
This helps so very much. Wopila, our sister for your steady commitment to help the children here.
We appreciate you and love you.
I hope you are staying protected and healthy.
Much love, Cindy
6.6.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sat 6/6/2020 4:43 PM
Good morning dear Sabine,
You have no idea how much we appreciate your donation today.
Thank you from deep in our hearts.
We are good. They are working up at the Sundance grounds preparing for that beautiful prayer that is so uncertain this year.
Oglala Lakota County Schools plan to use our Wellness Program from K-8th this coming fall which we are working so hard to get the Teacher’s Manuals ready.
They couldn’t afford to get the kids the workbooks but we are going to try and get what we can for the kids but working very hard.
This is so helpful. Wopila my friend and so happy to hear you are doing well.
Much love. Cindy
may 25, 2020
On Tuesday, May 26, at 8 pm pacific on
http://artistfirst.com/drbruce.htm,
Lucinda Laughing Eagle and I will be interviewing Cindy Catches.
In 1989, she helped her husband Peter Catches start a non-profit,
Oceti Wakan (Sacred Fireplace), a healing/educational center on the Pine Ridge Reservation for the Lakota people. Cindy wrote and published two books on prevention, „Learning Prevention Using Lakota Values“ primary and secondary.
Cindy and Peter created a Wellness Program which included seven years of curriculum, 2nd to 8th grades, using a medicine wheel approach with life skills for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental bodies.
Cindy is almost finished writing a book of her and her husband’s spiritual journey called, „I Married a Medicine Man.“
5.5.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 5/5/2020 2:19 PM
Dear Sabine,
Our heart is full of gratitude for your commitment and continued support.
I really don’t know how we would have made it without you and those like you.
We are good here. Very busy which is good as we have gotten our program in four schools this coming year K through 8th grade which we are so appreciative of. They weren’t able to buy a book for each student but they got the teacher’s manuals, the ancestor stories, posters, and parent’s handbook and will be teaching it each day. I’m so thankful.
We have had three deaths in the family these last three months and that has been very hard. We are on lockdown on the rez but so far so good with the virus. We are safe so far and very thankful.
Much love to you dear one! Wopila!!
april 25, 2020
As told by Pete Catches Sr. in 1992.
THE BLACK HILLS AND THE SEVEN SPIRITS
„The Black Hills are the center of Lakota people. There, ages ago, before Columbus came over the sea, seven spirits came to the Black Hills.
They selected that area, the beginning of a sacredness to the Lakota people. Each spirit brought a gift, a bundle, a color to the Lakota people.
The first spirit whose voice was like a giant wind, gave the Lakota people the whole of the Black Hills forever and ever, from this life until the great hereafter life.“
„The next spirit that came wearing the red paint, told the Lakota people there is a great eternal fire deep within the bowels of the earth, which we know as volcanoes- the fire, the everlasting fire- so the Black Hills belong to the Lakota people, and from it, that eternal fire in the bowels of the Black Hills is the life giving heat.“
„The next spirit that came wearing the blue paint, brought water, commonly what we know of as the ‚hot springs.‘ We went there to these hot springs to get healing, the healing waters of life.“
„The third spirit who moved swiftly unseen by the naked eye, brought the air that we breathe. You’ll see that- you go to Wind Cave and the Earth breathes air in and out. There is a secret about this here only known to us medicine men, we cannot share openly, it is very sacred. This air is needed for all life for without it nothing can live, nothing. The plants need air all creation needs air.“
„The fourth spirit who glittered in the sun, brought the rock people, including all the gold and as I mentioned before the minerals. The Black Hills were stolen and are being exploited because of these.“
„The fifth spirit from the root people, brought the sacred medicines. There is a medicine for every sickness here, if we medicine men spend enough time alone here we can find a cure for any sickness such as AIDS because the Black Hills are very sacred, they are life itself. We will have these medicines till the end of time.“
„The next spirit who was like a four legged, brought animals, the buffalo, the deer, all the animals from which we get body parts from, food, and medicine. We transform these into our way of life because all life is one, they are us and we are them. This is creation, we are connected by the sacred vein of life – Wakan.“
„The seventh spirit that came from above like a winged, presented and dedicated the Black Hills to the Lakota as a whole, gave it to the Lakota forever, for all eternity, not only in this life but in the life hereafter; the two are connected, they are forever tied together.
Our people that have passed on, their spirits are contained in the Black Hills.
Every spirit we know comes from the Black Hills, this is why it is the center of the universe.
This is why it is sacred to us.
In this life and the life hereafter the two are together.“
„We will never part with the Black Hills, by the power of the holy ones and all creation the Black Hills are not for sale, it is set in stone and nothing will ever change that.“
„We cannot sell the spirit, generation after generation our people have looked upon the Black Hills as the heart of everything that is, the center of the world. It is a circle, we began from there and we make a complete circle of life, and we go there after our demise from this world.
This is why the Black Hills are sacred to us.“
As told by Pete Catches Sr. in 1992.
april 12, 2020
Our morning Easter Day. It’s good with social distancing we couldn’t have
our yearly Easter egg hunt for the children.
Good thing. Hope you are experiencing loads of gratitude and having a blessed day❣️ Cindy Catches
4.4.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sat 4/4/2020 1:10 PM
Thank you so much!
Your support makes all difference especially in this times.
Wopila dear heart!
Good morning dear ones. I hope each of you is staying at home and staying 6′ apart from others when you must see others.
I pray for each of your safety. I believe our Creator is giving us space and time to relax and connect with Him more,
to stop the rat race we have come to – so much we heated up the world, we were going so fast to the point even Mother Nature is saying . . . ENOUGH! What you do to ME, you do to the whole and yes, that includes you. She is breathing again. Let us breathe again and think why are we here? What is our purpose? Am I to be a better mother or father? Have I connected, again and again, our children to the Most Important Relationship, to our Creator as you understand the Great Mystery for all of us? This is the time to really connect and in connecting with Him, I pray that you connect and see that we are really one family – the family of man. We have one Mother, Mother Earth, and one Father, our Creator. Regardless of the religion or spiritual way you walk, it is time to honor all spiritual ways and to honor all. We are not supposed to judge others, we are only supposed to help each other, do the work that we have power over, which is ourselves, and in helping ourself to grow, and helping each other, we save us all.
We can do it because we were created to do it and to live in the times that we are in.
You’ve known this was coming all your lives.
Now it is time to do the work you were created to do.
I love each of you. Be safe Cindy Catches
3.3.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 3/3/2020 2:26 PM
Heart full of gratitude
Dear Sabine,
Please know that your donation is so much appreciated. We are working so hard to have all the ancestors‘ stories and the Teacher’s Manual finish by the new 2020 school year.
Oglala Lakota County Schools are wanting to put it in their four schools on our rez as their Lakota cultural class. We are very hopeful.
Your donations are helping us to be ready for them.
Much love, Cindy and Oceti Wakan
february 21, 2020
Someone reminded me of this video of the love of my life and his dream of Oceti Wakan. It is a good time to thank each of you for helping our dream become a reality one day at a time.
We are slowly getting the trauma healing and life skills curriculum that he made sure we developed before he left this world to get to his people. Wopila!
2.2.2020
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 2/2/2020 3:02 PM
Good morning Sabine,
Your commitment to helping the children is so appreciated!
We need it so much and please know how much it is appreciated.
Wopila!!!
january 2, 2020
Thu 1/2/2020 8:01 PM
It is the little drop every day what let the plants grow.
Love it! Know that drops are what make up the ocean.
With prayer, it holds all the power there is.
Know how much this means.
Please let your friends know how much it means to us!!!!
Much love, Cindy and Oceti Wakan
january 1, 2020
If We Behave In These 10 Ways Towards Children The Future Of Humanity Will Be In Safe Hands
link for the report
message from cindy for 2020
december 31, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota – Happy new year 2020
Tue 12/31/2019 6:18 PM
Our dear Sabine,
It is with much love and gratitude that we get your generous donation for our Life Skills Program.
What a way to start 2020 out and to end 2019.
Please know we honor the sacrifice that you made on behalf of our children this past year.
We pray it will bless each of you with great bounties. Much love, Cindy
december 24, 2019
Faith and Arabianna are cooking away and getting the goodies ready to give our famines with their presents that all of you made possible❣️we are able to do about 150 children this year.
Jordan, James & I and delivered some presents to my nephews today!
They were happy! Big thanks to unci Cindy Catches & Natalie Hinhan Luta Hand for getting these two sweet boys something for Christmas 🎄 and to their mama TaschaNaye TaschanayeLuvz.
Love you and keep watching over us! 🙌🏽❤️😇
november 30, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 12/1/2019 1:25 AM
Thank you so much Sabine! We love you. Cindy
november 2, 2019
Visit Cindy in Pine Ridge South Dakota.
The Books are ready, the Teacher are ready ……
To Teach and heal the last 500 years of massacre and genocide what
the Natives get since Columbus come over there.
october 1, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Wonderful donations that you are helping us continue what we are doing!!!!
Thank you!! Much love. Cindy Catches
august 31, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Sun 9/1/2019 8:44 PM
Wopila dear sister!!!
This helps so much!!! We are down to nothing.
I’m on my way home and will be in touch tomorrow!!!! Wopila!!!
Cindy
july 22, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Tue 7/23/2019 12:14 AM
It is with a heart that is full that we say wopila for your generosity and your sacrifice.
As we want you part of this beautiful prayer for all of creation, we will be using your donation for the Sundance.
We prayer for your family and loved ones.
Love you Sabine. ♥️
july 4, 2019
Wed 7/3/2019 9:42 PM
Sabine, we always ask each person that sends money in the month of July we ask if you want that money to be sent to use for the sundance.
The reason we ask is that each that sacrifices to that prayer becomes a part of that prayer.
Know that if you want it to go to Life Skills we are perfect with that too.
It is just something we have always asked because the prayer is so special.
Know we love you and are so appreciative of all that you do. Much love, Cindy
Thu 7/4/2019 8:38 AM
Hello cindy
For sure you can use the money for the sundance.
I will appreciate to be part of that prayer. wopila
Love sabine
Thu 7/4/2019 11:57 AM
Know that you will be part of it. Wopila!
july 1, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Email Oceti Wakan Sat 7/1/2019 2:57 PM
Oh Sabine thank you so much❣️❣️❤️ This helps so much. Much love.
Cindy
june 25, 2019
Ponca Nation & Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Take the Lead on MMIW Billboard Campaign
in Oklahoma to Support “Not Invisible Act”
The Truth hurts and we have to find a way to STOP this MADNESS
Suicide rate for Native American women is up 139%
Alia E. Dastagir
Published 10:41 AM EDT Jun 22, 2019
link for the News REPORT USA TODAY
june 15, 2019
World Peace Vision of the Bahai
Cindy Catches:
Many of you know that I am a Baha’i and have often wondered what that really was all about.
This 30 min Youtube film is a real vision of what that is.
I welcome you to view this film about how we can move towards world peace.
In reality, we each play a role in it regardless in what religion that we are a part of.
We must look beyond „religion“ as ours being the only true one if we are to build a world of peace;
we must acknowledge that „God“ is the Great Mystery that we will never fully understand as a simple human.
Let us get all the tools we need to transform ourselves to become instruments of peace.
In reality, it is what each spiritual way teaches.
Cindy Catches: my Love
Oh, I love this. Tell Mike he gave me a belly laugh which I needed. I see that you do this which is so precious.
The more that we can work together in our spiritual work I think the Great Mystery smiles upon us.
Unity is the key to healing the world, unity in our diversity.
Love you and look forward to seeing your smiling presence.
june 1, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
„Grown men can learn from very little children, for the hearts of the little children are pure.
Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.“
Black Elk
Email Oceti Wakan Sat 6/1/2019 2:44 PM
Oh may you be blessed by the Great Mystery.
While you were doing that I was listening to my first grandson being born.
Wopila❣️❣️❣️❣️❤️😘😘
may 29, 2019
Here’s a kids’ podcast that tells native stories with native voices
here is the link
april 30, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Email Oceti Wakan Wed 5/1/2019 1:39 AM
Hi Sabine, we are getting good TV and article this week.
Working hard on getting grant in tomorrow but funds are low but we are doing our best.
Thank you for this. Every bit really helps at this point.
Thank you so much!!! Much love, Cindy
Be the Change:
Oceti Wakan helps Lakota children remember their roots
Video from Cindy Catches
Black Hills Fox
link for the Video and report from Cindy Catches Pine Ridge Reservation
april 22, 2019
We wanted to sing the praises of a supporter of Oceti Wakan and a donation that he sent to help the people
who already experience such hardship, but with the recent floods, those hardships became even more extreme.
He asked that a portion of his donation be used to give the children an Easter basket and egg hunt,
these families have gone through such a hard time, so to see the joy and celebration of these 34 children
and their families celebrating Easter and Ridvan – Holy Days, for the Christians and the Baha’is – all
celebrating „renewal“ in the journey of the Red Road of life – and
the joy and benefits of choosing a spiritual path for this journey of life.
They got toys, candies, money and all gathered had a fun time!
Thank you for remembering a people who are all too often forgotten, your love and contributions make such a huge difference!
Thank each of you for helping Oceti Wakan make a difference in these children’s lives.
april 18, 2019
Putting Children first and using Prevention Tools and the
Wisdom of the Medicine Wheel
SUBMITTED BY CINDY CATCHES, OCETI WAKAN
Lakota TIMES Report link
This is an edited article in Lakota Country Times this week that we did
Many of our children in South Dakota are living in the unhealthiest and deadliest counties in the US.
A study at the University of Wisconsin Health Institute in 2015 revealed the 25 healthiest and the
25 deadliest counties in our country. What they found was that five out of the top six counties with the
highest mortality rate were within the Lakota/ Dakota reservations.
( time.com/ 3757522/ deadliest-counties/ )
In response to these shocking statistics, I’m sure we all agree we must figure out what we need to do to
turn this around in the shortest amount of time.
Oceti Wakan’s answer is for our schools to have a daily health class that not only addresses the life skills
one needs to have a healthy physical body but,
just as importantly, the skills one needs to have healthy emotional, spiritual and mental bodies as well,
using the wisdom of the medicine wheel, a whole-body, healing and well-balanced approach to health.
Our children and youth are suffering because of the cycle of trauma and addiction we are dealing with
now in Lakota Country. Our curriculum is designed to break the cycle of addiction and to help our children
to choose life, instead of wanting to end their lives.
Addressing this about six years ago, Peter Catches, one of the founders of Oceti Wakan, wanted to find
answers to how we can end this devastating cycle and turn our children around. We think we have a solution.
Oceti Wakan proceeded by writing a grant to ANA (Administration for Native Americans) to develop a seven-year
whole body approach curriculum with 2 to 8 grades in mind. We named our curriculum “Life Skills for the Young Lakota.”
We also published another version called “Life Skills for the Young Native American,” because many of our relatives in
this region have similar cultures and situations.
Our goal was to gradually, year-by-year, help our children develop within themselves the life skills, tools,
and habits necessary to make the healthy choices necessary to live their best lives.
We used the ancient medicine wheel approach that embodies all science and granular life education.
Since each of our four bodies, the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental needs to be nourished, educated,
developed and protected equally, in order to experience wholeness and to have the life each human being deserves.
We have found that the trauma our children and teens experience in many of their households and communities,
as well as intergenerational trauma they may inherit, often get stuck in their minds and bodies.
This needs to be addressed and healed, the earlier the better.
Each lesson in our life skills curriculum starts with a few minutes of a trauma healing activity.
Most of our children are lost and don’t know who they are and where they fit in today’s world.
We have collected close to 300 ancestors’ stories so far and are matching them with our lessons.
By the end of seven years, we believe our children will understand the noble culture they come from,
have a strong Lakota identity, understand the values and teachings their people lived by that create health
and well-being in a person, and see that they are just as applicable to them today. We have found that the
wisdom of these stories can be profound.
Our Wellness Program also includes a “Parent’s Handbook.”
A child does better if their parents are involved which allows the adults in the household to reinforce
what is learned at school, and often to learn new life skills and parenting skills for themselves.
Many of our children’s parents came from a cycle of addiction in their homes and grew up without having the
opportunity to learn them. Also, many children were removed from their parents and put in Boarding Schools;
Their parents never had the opportunity to parent.
We invite you to please visit our website and explore the Wellness Program solution at www.ocetiwakan.org.
Feel free to contact Cindy Catches, Director of Oceti Wakan, to learn more or set up a meeting or presentation.
march 25, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Email Oceti Wakan Mon 3/25/2019 4:49 PM
Oh warrior of light, know how much your efforts, your sacrifices for our children are so appreciated.
May you be blessed for your efforts.
Much love, Cindy
This is an edited article in Lakota Country Times this week that we did
Many of our children in South Dakota are living in the unhealthiest and deadliest counties in the US.
A study at the University of Wisconsin Health Institute in 2015 revealed the 25 healthiest and the
25 deadliest counties in our country. What they found was that five out of the top six counties with the
highest mortality rate were within the Lakota/ Dakota reservations.
( time.com/ 3757522/ deadliest-counties/)
In response to these shocking statistics, I’m sure we all agree we must figure out what we need to do to
turn this around in the shortest amount of time. Oceti Wakan’s answer is for our schools to have a daily
health class that not only addresses the life skills one needs to have a healthy physical body but,
just as importantly, the skills one needs to have healthy emotional, spiritual and mental bodies as well,
using the wisdom of the medicine wheel, a whole-body, healing and well-balanced approach to health.
Our children and youth are suffering because of the cycle of trauma and addiction we are dealing with
now in Lakota Country. Our curriculum is designed to break the cycle of addiction and to help our children
to choose life, instead of wanting to end their lives.
Addressing this about six years ago, Peter Catches, one of the founders of Oceti Wakan, wanted to find
answers to how we can end this devastating cycle and turn our children around. We think we have a solution.
Oceti Wakan proceeded by writing a grant to ANA (Administration for Native Americans) to develop a seven-year
whole body approach curriculum with 2 to 8 grades in mind. We named our curriculum “Life Skills for the Young Lakota.”
We also published another version called “Life Skills for the Young Native American,” because many of our relatives in
this region have similar cultures and situations.
march 25, 2019
About the Situation Lakota Dakot Reservations 2015
written by Chris Wilson, March 25, 2015
link for the report
march 22, 2019
Jr. Youth and children making ‚Vision Boards‘ of what is in their heart for this new spring year
to manifest this coming year.
Saw some beautiful and deep thoughts from them.
feb. 28, 2019
Donations for Life Skills for the Young Lakota
Email Oceti Wakan Thu 2/28/2019 10:37 PM
Dear Sabine,
Please tell your dear ones how much their sacrifice and efforts mean so very much to the children here.
Each bit helps us in our efforts.
I’ll get something out to you right away and know how much all of your efforts mean so very much.
Warmest love, Cindy
feb. 2, 2019
Donations for General Support
Email Oceti Wakan Sat 2/2/2019 5:46 PM
This is great, thank you so much!
Sabine, our dear woman,
step by step we will bring it to a reality with the generosity and effort and sacrifice
that you make for the people here.
Bless you, dear woman and words can’t express how much this helps right now.
Much blessings to you and your loved ones.
Cindy and the people of the Oceti Wakan
jan. 13, 2019
Message from our Native American Elders – As we stand before the dawn
of a new millennium, we pray for America’s survival, our survival.
We pray that we will be given strength by the Creator to follow the footsteps of our forefathers to share
our love, respect and compassion for one another.
There is good in everyone because our Creator has put a little of Himself in all of us.
We pray for forgiveness for the pain and suffering we have caused one another.
We pray that our children will not repeat our mistakes.
We pray that we can respect the diversity of America; all life is sacred.
Every child born is a precious gift of our Creator.
It is our sacred trust to embrace children from all walks of life because we are part of the same family.
We pray that children will honor and respect their elders-that is where the wisdom comes from.
This respect will not allow forgotten elders.
We are all equal, with each having our own special gift to contribute.
These values allow our youth to become leaders and workers in our society.
Children, you are our future and our hope for the people. Stand and be courageous.
We pray to learn and use the wisdom of all that has come before us, to achieve personal successes
and to contribute to those of others. Only when our young ones learn respect for everything can they evolve.
EARTH
We pray for respect and love of Mother Earth because she is the foundation of human survival and
we must keep her pollution-free for those who will travel after us.
Protect her water, air, soil, trees, forests, plants and animals.
Do not just take and waste resources.
Make it a priority to conserve.
The land is given to us by the Creator to care for, not to own.
If we take care of the land, the land will take care of us.
UNITY
We should have respect for each other. We pray for commitment and responsible behavior in order to
help those in need and to give them support and friendship.
Be an example in life that others may follow; serve people, community and country.
We should all strive to be a leaders and contributors. Do not sit back and let others plan and do all the thinking.
dec. 8, 2018
Donation for Christmas Project for Children
Email Oceti Wakan Sat 12/8/2018 7:31 PM
Awesome! Wopila!!!
You have brought light into so many young people eyes and hearts.
Please give our heart felt appreciation to all those who have sacrificed for these children.
It means the world to them.
With much love and gratitude in our hearts,
Cindy Catches and the staff of Oceti Wakan
With much gratitude for your radiant heart. Wopila!
Thinking of my dear „Santa“ today as we continue this sharing with him by our side.
This year close to 150 children will get what their hearts were yearning for, plus some with teddy bears and
sleeping bags to keep them warm, plus another 60 preschoolers and kindergarten kids got teddy bears and
about 30 elders at nursing home and hospital will get teddies. I feel him helping each step of the way.
Happy Holidays everyone.
nov. 20, 2018
Newsletter von Cindy Catches Winter 2018 OCETI WAKAN
newsletter winter 2018
nov. 16, 2018
New printing of Pete Catches‘ book of Sacred Fireplace.
A wonderful Christmas for those who would know the value of this book.
Visit www.ocetiwakan.org to order.
sept. 18, 2018
Email Oceti Wakan Tue 9/18/2018 4:08 PM
Oh, dear Sabine and Medicine. You are so good.
Wopila to you and the friends who are helping us to grow.
Checkout our website as we have updated it.
It helps us so very much.
Sending love and blessings to you both, Cindy
sept. 7, 2018
life skills
Our newly developed curriculum, Life Skills for the Young Lakota and Life Skills
for the Young Native American, is designed for students in 2nd grade through 8th,
but it is useful for other ages including high school.
We focus on guiding our children and youth in making healthy choices and developing
life skills to assist them in living their best lives and contributing to the wellness of their communities.
The workbooks are centered on the concept of mitakuye oyasin (we are all related) –
in our relationships with each other, our Creator, Mother Earth and all of creation.
Our program is based on a whole body/medicine wheel approach.
Students are asked to see themselves as having four bodies: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.
As we go around the medicine wheel, the lessons will address subjects that relate to each body.
In some cases, such as setting boundaries, the topic will be addressed in all four bodies consecutively.
For adolescent ages, we address addiction, enabling, codependence, depression, suicide,
and other heavy but important subjects (after building up to them).
Developing more funds for this project will advance the work of training teachers, making assessments,
giving presentations at conferences and meetings across the US, getting the curriculum out to other tribes,
and aiding in the development of customized versions for them, among other functions.
We are eager to put this work that took thousands of hours to develop during the last three years into the
hands of our beloved at-risk Native children and youth.
august 31, 2018
Just Released: Two new ‚Life Skills Workbooks‘! The best yet!
july 30, 2018
Email Oceti Wakan Mon 7/30/2018 3:56 PM
Wopila for your generous contribution
Dear Sabine and Medicine Turtle,
Thank you so sincerely for all that you both do to help us do the work we are striving so hard to do.
In September we will be attending and having a booth at a Native Wellness Conference in Minn which people from all tribes will be there.
We hope to get our curriculum to other Nations. Your efforts make so much possible.
Love you both. Cindy
june 18, 2018
Email Oceti Wakan Mon 6/18/2018 5:09 PM
Good morning Sabine and Medicine,
Felt so good to wake up this morning with this generous donation.
We will do everything in us, as Peter did with the Sundance,
to give Oceti Wakan the life it needs that by the time I pass it will be manifested
in all the ways our founders saw it … helping the people.
You both are a big part of that.
Wopila dear friends.
Much love to both of you and so much appreciation.
Love, Cindy
june 14, 2018
Peter V. Catches
The sound of a spirit calling, talking in sacred union,
I find myself as mysterious as the words that I chant,
The chant more infinite than its beginning . . .
The world around me is swept away, all its thoughts,
All its binding connections, all its binding overwhelming
chaos, in that shadowing echo, I found myself . . .
The silence of hatred ending, falling in an eternal canyon,
I laugh in overjoyed happiness in the melody of the sacred
chant, knowing the realization that love is beginning . . .
Perceive
my
life
in that glow,
Who once frantically sought, who once frantically
wandered, who once frantically sobbed in the night,
will never again, for I have found myself . . .
There beneath the shade of the sacred Tree.
I found in the eternity of the desert, to live in tranquil
Unity as equal in the spirit . . .
Zintkala Oyate
june 11, 2018
It is with a sad heart to share with you that Peter Vitus Catches (Zintkala Oyate) took his flight
to the Land of the Winds at 7:40 pm on June 8, 2018, at his home on Tobacco Road,
Calico Community, outside of Pine Ridge, SD, at the place of his birth, June 16th, 1955.
Zintkala Oyate was beloved by people all over the world for all that he did to preserve the
Lakota culture and language during his lifetime.
He put on and conducted the Spotted Eagle Sundance for forty-four consecutive years,
as well as conducting Sundances at Cheyanne River Reservation,
Rosebud Reservation, Standing Rock Reservation and Lower Sioux Reservation —
totaling over 50 Sundances.
He authored six Lakota Language books and CDs.
He created a CD for young people to understand the timeless symbolism of the
Seven Sacred Rites given to the Lakota.
He co-authored a book with his father ‘Sacred Fireplace’ and authored ‘Realities Within.’
Peter was the co-founder of Oceti Wakan (Sacred Fireplace) a non-profit organization with his father.
He developed a Wellness Center for young people and helped develop a seven-year
(2nd to 8th grade)
Wellness Program based on Lakota culture to give life skills and a strong Lakota identity
to young people so
that they could make healthy choices to have the life that was intended
as wakanjeya (sacred beings).
As a 38th generation medicine man, Peter was the Keeper of the Spotted Eagle ways and medicine.
He touched hundreds of lives with healing and growth in their spiritual journey.
june 8, 2018
In memorial forever missed webside link
link for webside
Peter V. Cathes 38 th Generation Zintkala Oyate Lakota Spotted Eagle Medicine man
passed on to the happy hunting grounds
General Information
Full Name Peter V. Catches
Date of Birth Thursday, June 16th, 1955
Date of Death Friday, June 8th, 2018
Place of Death Pine Ridge, SD
Webside for Donation and sending Flowers
link for webside
april 4, 2018
Oceti Wakan
Oh my goodness!!! Please your dear heart!
Please, please tell the person how much this helps us and how much we needed it!
Thank you and yes, I will write up something for you. Wopila!
On Rosebud reservation,
Todd County Schools have decided after all their middle school student started on Book 4 this year
that they wanted all the kids K-8 to take the curriculum.
So all the kids will be starting it next year as we understand it.
We have been so busy producing it that we haven’t spent enough time getting it out to the schools.
We are almost done with 7th grade, Book 6 and will be finished with 8th grade, Book 7 by the end of September.
We have collected over 230 traditional Lakota stories which we have matched with our lessons.
We are working on developing mapping and questions and answers to these old stories and
matching them with the lessons right now.
That was a huge job.
love cindy and peter
http://www.ocetiwakan.org/
march 30, 2018
Help Lakota Children lead a BETTER LIFE
No one has ever become poor by giving
WOOHITAKA MANI YO (WALK FORWARD WITH BRAVERY)
We are developing seven years of curriculum (2nd grade to 8th grade) that will be known as Lifeskills for the
Young Lakota for our children in order to help them develop the life skills necessary
to have happy and successful lives.
We will use a cultural approach that includes that of a medicine wheel to help them
develop a healthy self identity.
On Mondays our lessons will be on the tools to develop a healthy physical body;
Tuesdays our focus will be to develop the tools to have a healthy emotional body from tools
to heal the trauma that is in their daily lives to ways to develop and maintain healthy relationships;
Wednesday our focus will be the spiritual body by teaching about virtues and character traits
and the important of service; and
Thursdays our focus will be learning the tools to develop the brain and the mental body.
Each week the child will go around the medicine wheel in their lessons that include corresponding
activities in a workbook they will each eventually take home.
Oceti Wakan has gotten a three year grant to do much of this work.
It has partnered with a couple of our schools to test these curriculums as we develop them.
Developing more funds to put into this project will advance the work faster as well as aid in the
development of versions for other tribes.
LAKOTA LANGUAGE LEARNING STATIONS
Oceti Wakan’s goal was to break the existing barrier of less than 2% of our young people understanding or speaking the Lakota language.
We have machines at stations in the back of classrooms where children go and put on headphones and learn to speak Lakota words and phrases each week.
At Porcupine School, they have used our program for the last four years.
LEARNING PREVENTION USING LAKOTA VALUES
A set of primary and secondary prevention workbooks that are using a culturally-based program for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.
Over 80% of our schools have used this curriculum prior to ‘No Child Left Behind’ came into our school system and programs like this were dropped.
Now, with our children in such trouble, schools are interested in ordering this program again.
feb. 26, 2018
Email Oceti Wakan Mon 2/26/2018 3:53 PM
Our dear Sabine,
You are really amazing. We just got back from Sioux Falls and it is good to be home.
We have made that trip twice in the last three weeks and twice Peter ended up in the hospital for a few days each.
But he is healing and at home.
Thank goodness me and my team can continue writing our lessons with the great help of the spirit world from where ever we are here.
We are about half way done with Book 6 (7th grade) and it has been so guided so far.
I’m excited by this project.
We got news last week that the Rosebud School Board approved our project for their whole district which is such an answer to our prayers.
I’m not sure what that looks like but I am still in much gratitude.
We can’t express how much your support means to us as the last few grants we did not get and we are doing the Teacher’s Manuals
and the collection of traditional Lakota stories are not funded so this means a great deal.
Wopila dear friends.
My love to you and Medicine and the work that you are doing to help the people here.
Your contribution of the donation is greatly appreciated.
Much love Cindy and Peter
jan. 12, 2018
Make an Impact Oceti Wakan
Black Hill Parent Magazine
link fuer den Zeitungsbericht
dec. 31, 2017
Visit by Cindy und Peter V. Catches 38th Generation Medicineman Spotted Eagle Clan in
Pine Ridge Reservation South Dakota USA
dec. 3, 2017
Email Oceti Wakan Sat 12/2/2017 5:01 PM
Donation for Christmas
Thank you so very much for all that you and Medicine do and may you be blessed in all your efforts.
May your sacrifice come back many times to you.
We honor the work you both do so much as it helps us to do the work that we do.
We so look forward to seeing you when you are here.
Safe journey.
nov. 13, 2017
Email Oceti Wakan Mon 11/13/2017 1:36 AM
donation for the young lakota
Thank you for your support! You guys are amazing. Wopila.
News nov. 8, 2017
Email Oceti Wakan Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 7:29 AM
I’m so glad you guys are amazing. Here are a picture of the workbooks we have developed so far for Life Skills for the Young Lakota and the five we did for Life Skills for the Young Native American. We are working hard on a Parents Handbook and workbooks for 7th and 8th grades along with us continuing our gathering of old Lakota tradionsl stories that was part of their oral history. We have collected and created questions like what virtues does this teach. We’ve collect over 150. Also we are working on the Teacher manuals.
Also Todd County Middle School is starting each day out with it for all their students.
Another elementary school is trying to get it for their students.
News oct. 28, 2017
Oceti Wakan und ihre Projekte
Cindy und Peter haben ihre Projekte nun auf ihrer Homepage – siehe Links
Woohita mani yo – link
Lakota Language – link
Learning Prevention – link
Weihnachtsgeschenke – link
News sept. 28, 2017
Email Oceti Wakan Thu 9/28/2017 4:03 PM
Our dear Sabine and Medicine,
It is so sweet to hear from you. Been so very busy.
We just got back from going to Pierre for the South Dakota Indian Education Summit where they asked us to give a two hour presentation on our curriculum. It went really well but so much work preparing the powerpoint presentation and everything.
I have wonderful news that two schools on Rosebud Reservation has already ordered our books for their children which represent over 600 kids who will be getting life skills every day.
I’m so excited and one other school there wants it for their school also but asked me to give a presentation to the teachers when we deliver the books next week to Rosebud.
We are working so very hard getting the Teacher’s Manuals ready as 24 of one school and 20 of another school. Also so much interest from other schools at the summit.
We have to tell you that your donation was a gift from heaven as we needed it so much to accomplish what we needed to as the Teacher’s Manuals were not in our grant for the curriculum.
We have also developed great posters for the kids for each workbook.
I’m going to send you some pictures that you might want to share.
Not only did we do ‚Life Skills for the Young Lakota‘ but we took all the Lakota out and made another book called ‚Life Skills for the Young Native American‘. The pictures below will show you the work as we haven’t even had time to put it on our website yet. I will also send a sample of the poster.
Love you guys so much and really can’t begin to tell you that your contributions has helped make this possible.
It takes all of us doing what we can to make this a better world. I love you guys, Cindy and Peter
Unsere liebe Sabine und Medizin Turtle,
Es ist so süß von euch zu hören. Wir waren so sehr beschäftigt.
Wir sind gerade zurückgekehrt, um in Pierre für den South Dakota Indian Education Summit zu gehen,
wo sie uns gebeten haben, eine zweistündige Präsentation auf unserem Curriculum zu geben.
Es lief wirklich gut, es war sehr viel Arbeit dieses vorzubereiten – die Powerpoint Präsentation und Alles.
Ich habe eine wundervolle Nachricht fuer euch:
zwei Schulen im Rosebud Reservat haben bereits unsere Bücher für ihre Kinder bestellt.
Es wird fuer 600 Kinder repräsentiert, die jeden Tag Lebenskraft bekommen werden.
Ich bin so aufgeregt und eine andere Schule dort will es für ihre Schule auch haben und man bat mich,
eine Präsentation an die Lehrer zu geben, wenn wir die Bücher nächste Woche an Rosebud liefern.
Wir arbeiten sehr hart, dass die Lehrer-Handbücher fuer 24 von einer Schule und 20 von einer anderen Schule bereitgestellt werden.
Es war sehr viel Interesse von den anderen Schulen auf dem Indian Education Summit.
Wir müssen Euch sagen, dass Eure Spende ein Geschenk vom Himmel war, da wir es so sehr brauchten,
um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, denn die Lehrerhandbücher waren nicht in unserem Stipendium für das Curriculum.
Wir haben auch große Plakate für die Kinder für jede Arbeitsmappe entwickelt.
Ich werde dir ein paar Bilder schicken, die du teilen möchtest.
Nicht nur haben wir „Life Skills für die Young Lakota“ gemacht, aber wir haben Lakota herausgenommen
und ein weiteres Buch namens ‚Life Skills für den Young Native American‘ gemacht.
Die Bilder unten zeigt euch die Arbeit, da wir noch nicht einmal Zeit hatten, es auf unserer Website zu setzen.
Ich werde auch eine Probe des Plakats schicken.
Liebe euch so sehr und kann es gar nicht beschreiben, wir sehr eure Beiträge dazu beigetragen haben,
dieses zu Ermöglichen.
Es verlangt alles von uns, und wir tun was wir können, um eine bessere Welt zu Erschaffen.
Wir lieben euch, Cindy und Peter
News sept. 12, 2017
DANKE an den Spender
Email Oceti Wakan Tuesday, September 12, 2017 9:17 PM
How wonderful your work is.
I can’t tell you how much this helps us as we were out of money to continue on the Teacher’s Manuals and
they really want them and this will help so much!
We’ve developed them for Book 3 and Book 4 and most of Book 5 but they want them for Book 1 and 2 and next year for Book 7 and 8.
So much work and we don’t have these costs in our grant.
The grant was only for the development of the workbooks 1 to 7 which is so much work.
But we are so excited with it.
The middle schools at Rosebud Reservation is getting Book 4 for all their students in middle school.
Thank you so much! Cindy and Peter
Wie wunderbar ist eure Arbeit.
Ich kann euch nicht sagen, wie sehr dieses uns hilft, da wir kein Geld mehr hatten, um mit den Lehrerhandbüchern fortzufahren –
sie wollen sie wirklich und das wird und so viel helfen!
Wir haben für sie Buch 3 und Buch 4 und für die meisten das Buch 5 entwickelt, aber sie wollen auch das Buch 1 und 2 und für das nächste Jahr das Buch 7 und 8.
Es ist so viel Arbeit und wir haben diese Kosten nicht in unserem Stipendium.
Der Zuschuss war nur für die Entwicklung der Arbeitsbücher 1 bis 7, die so viel Arbeit war.
Aber wir sind so sehr aufgeregt.
Die Mittelschulen bei Rosebud Reservation bekommen Buch 4 für alle ihre Schüler in der Mittelschule.
Wir danken euch sehr! Cindy und Peter
News July 2017 – Das Projekt fuer die Kinder in Pine Ridge
Entschuldigt, dass ich so lange brauchte um die Bilder und unsere Vorstellung zu schicken, aber ich arbeitete an zehn Schulbüchern, die ich bis zu einer Deadline hin drucken lassen musste.
Heute ist ein heiliger Tag für mich und ich werde nicht arbeiten, sondern dir ein paar Informationen und Bilder schicken, die du auf deine Webseite stellen kannst.
Zuerst ist es wichtig zu wissen, dass wir allen Lakota Kindern und allen Native American Kindern helfen,
die Werkzeuge zum Heilen zu erhalten und gute Entscheidungen in ihrem Leben zu treffen.
Ich werde dir eine Kopie der Vorderseiten der beiden Bücher schicken.
Das Programm dauert sieben Jahre (von der zweiten bis zur achten Klasse) um den Kindern zu lehren,
wie man einen physisch gesunden Körper hat, gute und starke Beziehungen führt,
das Trauma aus der Vergangenheit heilt und den Alltag bewältigt.
Wir geben ihnen die nötige Bildung um den Teufelskreis der Sucht zu unterbinden und zeigen ihnen die Entscheidungen, die sie treffen müssen um eine gesunde Zukunft und ein gutes Leben zu haben.
Diese Schulbücher sind auch dazu da, die Identität als Lakota oder als Native American wiederherzustellen,
zu stärken und auch darüber aufzuklären wo und wie sie in die heutige Welt hineinpassen.
Es gibt auch Handbücher für Lehrpersonen, um diese Schulbücher auch für Leute zugänglich zu machen,
die keine UreinwohnerInnen Amerikas sind.
Es ist ein Ganzkörper – Zugang, der ein altes Werkzeug des Medizinrades verwendet, um die nötigen Lebenssachkenntnisse für einen physikalisch, emotionalen, spirituellen gesunden Körper und die
Weiterbildung der Seele zu erwerben.
Jeder Teil ist so wichtig wie der andere.
Wir beten dafür, dass wir die Möglichkeit haben werden, dieses Wissen allen Native American Kindern in ganz Nordamerika übermitteln zu können.
Wir brauchen unbedingt viel Platz für die zahlreichen Schulungen, die wir liebend gerne hätten: Kultur, Sprache, Heilungen, Kindererziehung, Redekreise, Schutzkurse für Kinder; Lebenssachkenntnisse für Kinder und viele mehr.
Oceti Wakan ist eine 501 (a) 3 nicht kommerzielle Organisation, die gemeinsam mit Sabine und Medicine arbeitet um Gelder für unsere Vision zu sammeln. Eure Spenden gehen direkt zu unserem Oceti Wakan Account.
Wir danken Medicine und Sabine fuer ihre sehr zu würdigende Arbeit, die unter anderem aus Spenden sammeln besteht. Danke, dass ihr unsere Organisation berücksichtigt.
Peter und Cindy Catches, July 10, 2017
Die Plaene des Educational / Ceremonial House
Help us raise $200,000 to make this a reality for our children here! With your help we can make this a reality! Wopila!!
Helfen Sie uns 200.000 Dollar fuer unsere Kinder hier zu sammeln, damit es zur Realitaet werden kann.
Mit eurer Hilfe koennen wir es schaffen! Wopila!!
link zur webseite und direktes spenden moeglich
Email July 10, 2017
Vielen Dank für eure großzügige Spende. Weil es schon bald Zeit für den Sonnentanz ist,
werde ich die Spende für diesen verwenden. Ich möchte dich und jene,
die so splendid gegenüber unserer Arbeit waren, in dieses Gebet miteinbeziehen.
Es ist ein wunderschönes und mächtiges Gebet und ich möchte, das jeder von euch ein Teil dieses Kreises ist, der für das gesamte Leben von Wert ist. Wir lieben dich.
Alles Liebe und ein großes Dankeschön an dich und Medicine
Cindy und Peter
Interview with an Lakota Medicine Man Peter V. Catches
News June 2017 from Oceti Wakan
Oceti Wakan arbeitet seit vielen Jahren mit Kindern und Jugendgruppen zusammen, um sie aus dem Kreislauf von Alkohol, Drogenmissbrauch und Selbstmord herauszuholen. Sie leben in Wohnhäusern, die Alkoholismus und Drogenmissbrauch, Arbeitslosigkeit, extreme Armut, Depression und Hoffnungslosigkeit beinhalten. Wir streben danach kulturell fundierte Bildungs- und Bereicherungsaktivitäten zu erbringen, um diese Bedingungen in ihren Haeusern zu verhindern.
Wellnesszentrum Oceti Wakan Sacred Fireplace
Wir tun dies, indem wir ihnen Werkzeuge geben, um diese Schwierigkeiten nicht nur zu bewältigen, sondern vor allem auch, Ihnen andere Möglichkeiten für sich selbst zu geben. Die Lakota waren schon immer für die Tugenden der Großzügigkeit, des Mutes, der Stärke und der Treue bekannt, so dass wir uns darauf konzentrieren, Tugenden wie diese zu identifizieren und zu entwickeln, gesunde Entscheidungen zu treffen und anderen zu dienen.
Aber ein Gemeinschaftsgebäude zu bauen, um dieses zu realisieren, ist eine solche Herausforderung, dass wir schon fast aufgehoert haben, daran zu glauben. Unser Traum ist es, ein Oceti Wakan Wellness Center für Kinder und Jugendliche hier auf Pine Ridge zu schaffen. Das Zentrum würde kulturell-sensible Berater beinhalten, die die Jugend durch solche Schwierigkeiten begleiten und anleiten wuerde. Im Moment koennen wir nur 20 begleiten,
sie sind im Alter von 12-17, wir konnten den Selbstmord verhindern.
Zum Glück haben es 200 in diesem Jahr ueberlebt und es werden noch mehr.
Dieses Zentrum kann nicht nur ein sicherer Ort sein, um sie durch ihr unruhiges Leben zu begleiten, sondern es ist auch ein Ort, wo sie mit Werkzeugen ausgestattet werden, um mit ihrem Leben umzugehen zu lernen.
Dieser Ort gibt ihnen ihre Kultur und die Lakota Zeremonien zurueck.
Diese Vision erfordert eine Investition von $ 2.000.000.
Die Bedürfnisse unserer Kinder sind so gross und wir fühlen, dass wir jetzt handeln müssen.
Wir haben einen doppelten Trailer für eine Investition von $ 200.000 gefunden, den wir sofort als Wellness-Center nutzen konnten, um es auf unserem Land umzusetzen. Dazu gehören die Elektro-, Wasser- und Kanalanschlüsse.
Einige Beispiele für unmittelbare Aktivitäten, die dort stattfinden könnten:
• Wir haben einen Ältesten, der gerne eine Trommelgruppe gründen möchte, um unseren jungen Jungen die heiligen Lieder unseres Volkes zu unterrichten.
• Wir haben ältere Frauen, die einen Quiltzirkel benutzen wollen, um junge Lakota-Mädchen zu betreuen.
• Wir haben ein Programm, das wir sofort einrichten können, telefonische Telefax / Telepsychiatrie anzubieten,
wenn wir einen Platz für die Beratung unserer Jugendlichen hätten.
• Wir wollen laufende Erziehungsklassen haben.
• Der Stamm möchte, dass wir unsere Präventionsunterricht wieder zur Verhütung von Alkohol und
Drogenmissbrauch für Jugendliche starten.
• Wir brauchen einen Platz für Unterstützungsgruppen für Trauer, Sucht und Co-Abhängigkeit.
• Wir werden fuer diejenigen, die arbeiten wollen, unsere eigene „Lakota Language Learning Stations“
unterrichten, damit sie die Lakota Sprache wieder lernen.
• Wir haben ein Zuhause für eine Leihbibliothek von Büchern, die wir für die Jugendlichen gesammelt haben,
um über sich selbst und die Weisheit der Zeitalter zu lernen. (Es gibt keine öffentliche Bibliothek in Pine Ridge.)
Und so viel mehr…………..
Alle Beiträge zu diesem Projekt würden tatsächlich einen Unterschied in der Welt machen und es könnte ein
Wendepunkt für viele junge Lakota bedeuten.
DANKE an den Spender.
Wir haben es Cindy und Peter V. Cathes uebergeben und sie hat uns gesagt, dass sie nun das 2. Klassenzimmer bauen werden.
Somit werden alle Spenden, die wir bekommen fuer Cindy und Peter direkt in dieses Projekt geleitet.
DANKE fuer eure Unterstuetzung aho
Maerz 2017, das 1. Klassenzimmer ist fertig
News from Pine Ridge Reservation Cindy and Peter Maerz 2017
Wir waren im Maerz bei Cindy und Peter V. Catches eingeladen. Sie haben uns das neue 1. Klassenzimmer gezeigt, dass DANK euren Spenden errichtet werden konnte.
Sie haben schon einige Lehrer und Lehrerinnen ausgebildet, die nun in den Schulen die Lakota Sprache unterrichten werden. DANKE an euch ALLE.
Das 1. Klassezimmer ist fertig DANKE an ALLE
August 2016, graduation and teaching of the lakota language
June 15, 2016 das 1. Klasssenzimmer ist fast fertig
Betreff: Thank you so much for all that you both do!
We want to thank you so very much for your generous contribution. This helps us so much.
With sundance coming up and our Wellness Center soon to open up with our Jr.
Youth prevention classes, this is sooooo helpful.
We pray that your trip is or has gone really well for everyone!
May you both have many blessings and protection for all that you are striving to do.
Der Bau des 1. Klassenzimmers
In den Vereinigten Staaten waren alle Indianerreligionen bis 1979 verboten und es wurde mit 10 Jahren Haft gedroht. Somit brauchte es viel Mut fuer Pete, diese heiligste Zeremonie wieder zu seinem Volk zu bringen.
Im Jahr 1964 wurde er zum Chief des Sundance Oglala Sioux Stammesrat.
Er starb im Jahre 1993 und liess seinen Sohn Peter, um ihre Arbeit zu vervollstaendigen und das zu tun,
an was sie glaubten und zurueckzubringen, was ihr Volk wieder heilen wird.
Sie lebten ihr ganzes Leben im Reservat Pine Ridge in South Dakota.
Ueber Jahrzente haben Pete und sein Sohn Peter Einheimische wie Nicht-Inlaender
im Reservat geheilt und unterrichtet.
Peter hat in der Naehe seines Hauses den Spotted Eagle Sundance 42 Jahre in Folge durchgefuehrt.
Es ist der laengste laufende Sundance im Lakota Land.
Ihr ganzes Leben haben sie Menschen unterstuetzt, indem sie zahlreiche
Heilungszeremonien, Holy Pipe und andere Lakota Zeremonien durchfuehrten,
um den Menschen zu helfen.
Pete hat mit der Hilfe seines Sohnes den Sitting Bull Buffalo Sundance zu der Hunkpapa Lakota in
das Standing Rock Reservat zurueckgebracht.
Sowie in andere Reservate in gesamten Raum Dakota und Minnesota.
Nun kann man die Sonnentaenze in den Reservaten nicht mehr zaehlen.