My Beloved Relatives, As we walk this sacred road together, there are times when hardship rises suddenly before us, like a cold wind coming off the plains without warning. These moments can shake us, can make us wonder why such tests appear on our path.
But I want you to feel what I have learned over the past 81 Winters-Even the most challenging moments are not meant to break us. They are part of a larger wisdom that our eyes may not yet see. What appears to be a difficulty often holds the seeds of strength, unity, and awakening.
When I look back on the painful chapters our people have lived through, times when sorrow moved across our communities, I can see now that each of those moments helped lift our Nation in ways we couldn’t see at first. They deepened our compassion, sharpened our understanding, and brought us closer to the truth of who we are. What appeared to be a loss became the ground where courage grew. What looked like darkness became the fire that shaped our spirits.
This is my ongoing experience: Whatever comes to us, even when it feels harsh, is wrapped in a blessing we may not yet recognize. Outwardly, it may feel like fire and vengeance, but inwardly, it is pure water.
Wakan Tanka places medicine inside every struggle. The Great Mystery never leaves us; instead, we are being prepared, refined, and strengthened for what lies ahead.
Adversity is not a sign of abandonment. It is the stone that sharpens our spirit. Winter carries the seeds of spring.
So, my relatives, hold fast to your courage, as the outer world grows darker! Walk forward, knowing our Creator and our Ancestors are constantly with us, closer than our closest vein.
Together, we rise—stronger, clearer, and more united than before.
Lala, Deksi, Ate, and Brother Phil
