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Dear Mr. Buchner,
Thank you for your recent free concert on the Pine Ridge Rez. I read a related story on the Lakota Country Times website about it. I went to your website, looked through it, and ordered your cd. I listened to your music and watched your videos. Very nice. Thank you for your support of Native Americans.
My wife's great, great, great grandmother was a full blood Cherokee in Alabama. I recently purchased a log home in Ellijay, Georgia at the foothills of the Cohutta Mountains. As you know, we are located in the heart of what was formally the Great Cherokee Nation. I have become quite interested in Cherokee history and culture. This lead me to interest in all Native Americans.
I have become involved with helping the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation. It started with buying Star Quilts from Pansy Two Bulls Weasel Bear and Wilma Thin Elk to help them earn money to support their families and has inspired me to help others on the rez.
Through Pansy, I am supporting a new initiative at Kili Radio. Pansy's nephew, Joshua Kills Enemy committed suicide a couple of months ago. Recently, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls (a relative of Pansy's husband, a descendant of Sitting Bull) declared a reservation wide state of emergency concerning suicides among the young people on the reservation. Here is an excerpt from the Lakota Country Times, "According to handouts distributed to those gathered, the OST Ambulance Service reported that they had responded to 17 calls in November for service involving a suicide attempt or completion. From October 1, 2008 through August 1, 2009 they answered 96 attempted or completed suicide calls. The OST Department of Public Safety reported there were suicide attempts, threats or completions from 84 adults and 16 juveniles in 2008." Pansy and I wanted to do something constructive to address this problem. Since she has connections with Kili Radio, they agreed to allow her to start a radio show targeting teens. I am sponsoring the show ($200/show) and am starting two $1000 scholarships in Josh's name. It will be a call in show were teens can call in a talk about any topic.
We both want this to lead to bigger and better things. Pansy feels that the teens often have nothing to do and nowhere to turn. We plan on building community centers in each community on the rez. I know this is ambitious but we have to do something. There is too much despair and hopelessness on the rez. We have to change that.
I am asking for your support in whatever way possible. I would like to talk to you more about it or meet with you to discuss it.
Thanks again for your inspirational music. We need to get the word out. Hopefully, you can help. Please contact me or Pansy at the following.
Wado
Mark Dentler
spinalsolution@mindspring.com
800-922-5155
404-277-4174 Cell
Pansy Two Bulls Weasel Bear
pansy@goldenwest.net
pansyweaselbear@hotmail.com
(605) 867-1853
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