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Native Sun News: Indigenous Riders complete 7th annual honor run

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Indigenous Riders from Phoenix, Ariz., Chuy Garza, Martha Morales, Cameron Carolin, Katherine Guerrero, Gerald Shipman and Rex Carolin ride out from Crazy Horse Monument on July 21, 2016, as part of the 7th Annual Iron Pony Intertribal Honor Run dedicated to End Domestic Violence. Photo by Aly Duncan Neely

Indigenous Riders complete 7th Annual Iron Pony Run
By Aly Duncan Neely and Anita Weatherbee
Native Sun News Correspondents
nsweekly.com

CRAZY HORSE –– A small group of motorcyclists from Phoenix, Arizona, who call themselves Indigenous Riders, rolled into the Black Hills on Tuesday, July 18 on an annual mission – to honor Native people. Each year they chose a different Tribe to honor.

This year, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe was the recipient of their hospitality. Buffalo meat and other food, supplies and travel funds were donated by InterTribal Buffalo Council, a national organization headquartered in Rapid City. Without their support, the event wouldn’t happen. Hours of preparation went into planning the event – time volunteered by people who organize it.

This year’s event began at on July 21, when the Indigenous Riders gathered on the rodeo grounds at the foot of Crazy Horse Monument for their 7th Annual Iron Pony Intertribal Honor Run. The theme of this year’s run was to End Domestic Violence.

The first stop for the riders was to pay a visit to the Indian University of North America, established and operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. Summer program students from the university engaged in a service learning project preparing stew vegetables for the riders to carry to their second stop, the Cheyenne River Cultural Center of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in Eagle Butte, SD.

Service learning is part of the student’s education, according to Professor Charlie Luecke, “students learn the importance of serving others before serving themselves.” This goes hand in hand with the triumvirate mission of the Indigenous Riders toward young people, “...guide them in making the right decisions and educate them in the importance of being Native American and preserving their culture.”