Deep ties to the land and close connections with animals have long helped define the culture of Native Americans and make their way of life possible. In Fort Peck, Montana, Charlie Four Bear reclaims that legacy by helping young people develop a lasting relationship with horses. Four Bear (Dakota and Lakota) is an elder on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and a former police officer.
“First they took our land,” he said, describing the devastation that occurred as white settlers pushed West. “And then they took away our buffalo. And then they led our horses.” The theft of so much indigenous culture, and the unequal allocation of resources and opportunities that continue to this day, has cost lives and undermined communities. The obvious scars of substance use and loss of hope are revealed in a horrifying statistic: in just one year, 28 out of 223 students at the local high school attempted suicide.
The Youth Mentor Program that Four Bear ran at the time was a way in which tribal leaders honored Indigenous traditions while instilling a sense of identity. It’s an example of how building community strength can remedy the systemic harms of declining health.
Horses have always been in Four Bear’s life – “part of our family in every way,” he said in a video describing his work, and it is that connection that has been shared with young people. . He admits getting on a horse for the first time was scary. “There are a thousand pounds of bones and hooves ready to step on you.”
But that fear quickly gave way to a sense of belonging, recalls an indigenous boy named Jay, who felt very comfortable with the animal. “It feels pretty cool. It’s great to connect with the horse in every way that you can. When circumstances separated Jay from his horse for several months, he recalls that “things started to go back to the way they were,” a downward spiral that left him in juvenile detention. He jumped on the offer to go back to the horses.
The sense of hope Jay finds among the animals is perhaps a harbinger of things to come. Kenny Smoker said: “Foretold by our ancestors that a seventh generation would come and in that time everything would change in favor of the Native Americans going back to the people we say we are. are natives. Jr. (Assiniboine & Sioux), Fort Peck Tribal wellness program coordinator. He believes that the elders of the tribe will show the way. “They provide wisdom to our tribe. We really need to tap into that to help address suicide and other health disagreements that exist. “
The Four Bears also saw the possibility. “We can help each other and be a sane tribe again,” he declared in his soft, firm voice.
The story of the Four Bears inspired a powerful work of fiction by author David A. Robertson. Read “Reclamation” in RWJF’s collection of short stories, Taking Us to a Better Place.
