| Looking
Horse was born on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota
in 1954. Raised by his Grandparents Lucy and Thomas Looking Horse,
he learned
the culture and spiritual ways of the Lakota. He speaks both Lakota and
English.
At age twelve he was given the enormous responsibility of becoming
the 19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe,
the youngest in history. He has felt, on many occasions, overwhelmed
by inheriting such a
responsibility of the Lakota, Dakota & Nakota Nations at such a young age.
He
was raised in an era and lay witness to the suppression of his peoples'
spiritual practices. He decided to "work for change and let the world know
how
beautiful our way of life is, so the seventh generation can have
a better future. His life has revolved around his commitment
to work towards religious freedom,
cultural survival and revival.
In 1986 as one of the spiritual leaders of the Bigfoot Riders,
they initiated
a prophecy known as "Mending the Sacred Hoop of the Nation." Chief
Looking
Horse honored the healing journey by riding with the Bigfoot Riders every
December 15-29th in severe temperatures, which all the committed Bigfoot
Riders endured to understand the immensity of the hardship of Chief Bigfoot
and his band. They are proud to have touched the spirit of the people that
gave so much for our way of life.
In 1993 Chief Looking Horse traveled to New York with Elders
of different
Nations for the United Nations "Cry of the Earth" Conference
where he did the
opening prayer. The Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization invited
him
to Holland, Netherlands to pray for Peace & Unity in 1994.
The birth of the Sacred White Buffalo in Wisconsin, in 1994 directed
him to
begin another spiritual journey of a four year commitment to organize
World
Peace & Prayer Day on June 21st in the four directions. Bringing
awareness to
the Prophesies with a call to secure the sacredness of the sacred sites that
dwell every 100 miles around Mother Earth.
In 1996, he journeyed from Wahpeton Dakota Reservation, Saskatchewan
on the "Unity Ride", where the Bigfoot Riders rode horses
to Devils Tower, properly
named "Grey Horn Butte (He Hota Paha)", site of the first World Peace
and
Prayer gathering. The second year of the World Peace & Prayer Day was hosted
by Chief Sundown of the Joseph Bighead Reserve in Canada, which was followed
by a four year commitment of the "Unity Ride", that continues this
year in
Canada, starting on June 21st.
The third year gathering took place in Pipestone, Minnesota,
where the sacred blood of the people lie in a vein of stone which
is quarried to make the sacred
pipes. This particular gathering was a call to the seventh generation to
run from the different Nations, along with the Bigfoot Unity Riders
riding from
the east beginning at Birch Coulee, another massacre site during the 1862
Dakota Sioux Uprising, where 38 Dakotas were hung in Mankato.
New Orleans honored Chief Looking Horse by proclaiming August
27th as "White
Buffalo Day" where he was given the key to the city by the mayor in
1996. Chief Looking Horse was awarded the prestigious Canadian Wolf Award
in 1996, given to a person who has dedicated their life to
working for Peace.
The
first
award was presented to Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa.
Arvol was invited to speak on peace and unity at the Clinton's
1996 inauguration.
In 1998, he spoke on sacred sites & freedom of religion before the Special
Reporter of the United Nations. It was the first time in history that a representative
of the U.N. came to the US to listen & compile concerns for discussion at
the UN in Geneva, Switzerland concerning indigenous religious freedom.
Chief Looking Horse has worked on international peace processes
and global
healing. Some of his work includes traveling to Iraq to pray for
peace, acting
on the spiritual advise of Elders from his Nation who feared a great
war if
the Lakota did not pray for peace.
He traveled to South Africa to meet with spiritual leader Desmond
Tutu on
global healing and World Peace and Prayer Day. In 1995 he met with
the Dali
Lama to establish a relationship between Tibet and the Lakota Nation.
Chief Looking Horse also assists in retrieving the remains of
the ancestors
from museums such as the Smithsonian. He continues to work towards
the
repatriation of sacred bundles and human remains in an effort to bring
respect
and ritual rites back to the sacred. His work has been endless in lecturing
on
religious freedom, protection of sacred sites and cultural survival.
His
living legacy is to bring pride and restoration back to the Lakota,
Dakota& Nakota lands, culture and spirituality.
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