Dear ONE Spirit friends of the Lakota people,

It is the time of year when we pause before the December holiday rush to remember and give thanks for our family, for the food we eat, for the warmth of our home. We at ONE Spirit especially give thanks for each of you. You have upheld the ultimate human values of sharing with those who at this time need our help.

• You have provided many of the basic necessities to the Lakota elders, children and families you sponsor or whose needs are filled through the Okini program
• You have given generously to help provide the food that the Lakota people deliver to homes around the reservation: Project SHARE
• You have supported the Lakota men who gather, cut and deliver wood to homes to be used for heat in the coming winter: Fuel Assistance
• You have provided traditional art supplies to the talented youth of Pine Ridge: Buffalo Children's Society
• You have filled Christmas Boxes and sent them to children who otherwise would have no gifts: Gift Box Program

But the greatest gift of all was giving to the Lakota people the ability to use their own efforts to care for themselves and their people. John DuBray, Member of Wicasa ki Tatanka (The Men's Buffalo Society), the men's group that handles the wood program on Pine Ridge, expressed eloquently the feelings of the people.

"…most of all the best accomplishment can not be measured by money alone. The men will have made a stand for their community and in a place where there are almost no chances of making a living these men will earn a few dollars for their families in a good way."

We honor you for joining us in standing with the Lakota people.

Our work is not finished. We recently published a letter from a Lakota mother asking for help for the seven children who share the 3 bedroom house with her family and her mother and father. Those children made a Christmas wish list. At the top of each list is the request for food. That letter and the similar ones we receive daily, clearly show that the poverty cycle is crushing hope and life. It is only through support like yours that children can be given the gift of dreams, that elders can have warmth and food, and that Lakota families can again be strong.

We and the Lakota people need your continuing help. Donations of any size will be used to continue the work you, we and they have begun.

• $50 will pay for the delivery of a load of wood - $500 will supply wood to heat a home all winter
  
• $30 will buy food for a family - $120 will feed a family for a month
  
• $25 will provide a Christmas Box for a child or elder - $250 will provide boxes for 10.

When you buy holiday food for your family this year, donate enough money to buy food for a Lakota family.

When you turn on your heat and feel the warmth of your home, donate to the wood program.

When you watch your talented children perform in holiday concerts and pageants and parades, donate so that a Lakota child can utilize his/her talents.

When you buy a Christmas gift for your child, wrap up a holiday box to send to a Lakota child or elder - let your child send a box and experience the thrill of giving.

We at ONE Spirit join with the Lakota people to say "Wopila Tanka" ( a great big thanks) for showing that you care.

The survival of the world depends upon our sharing what we have and working together. If we don't, the whole world will die. First the planet, and next the people.
-Fools Crow, Ceremonial Chief of the Teton Sioux

Visit One Spirit at www.nativeprogress.org