By Christina Hansen

The summer solstice will bring together all nations, all faiths and all species in one prayer for peace at Blue Star Equiculture Draft Horse Sanctuary and Organic Farm.

Monday, June 21, 2010, will see people of all faiths gather on Burgundy Brook Farm on Rt. 181 to celebrate our sacred connection with the Horse and with Mother Earth. Diverse spiritual and religious groups are invited to participate alongside Chief Arvol Looking Horse, who will be praying for the future of all horses, of all humans, and of the Earth. All are welcome.

“We are the watchers. We are the witnesses,” says Looking Horse. “We see what has gone before. We see what happens now, at this dangerous moment in human history. We see what’s going to happen, what will surely happen unless we come together ~ we, the Peoples of all Nations ~ to restore peace, harmony and balance to the Earth, our Mother…”

Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe of the Lakota Sioux. He began World Peace and Prayer Day in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1996 as a means to reconnect all people of all faiths with Mother Earth. This year, Chief Looking Horse, a board member of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, is coming to Blue Star Equiculture to honor the Horse Nation and its contribution to our common history.

Blue Star Equiculture executive director Pamela Rickenbach says that World Peace and Prayer Day is a unique opportunity to raise awareness about both facets of Blue Star’s focus: working horses and the environment. “Horses are crucial to our connection with our own history and with the Earth. Yet horses across the country are facing an uncertain future, through neglect, homelessness and the ever-present specter of horse slaughter. At the same time, the environment is in crisis. We want to show people that horses, especially working horses, can help us restore balance in the environment and in our society.”

Equiculture co-founder and historian Christina Hansen agrees: “We like to say around here that draft horses are a national treasure, just like wild mustangs. Horses ~ whether draft horses, other working horses, riding horses, or mustangs ~ built our nation. We are all a ‘horse people.’ This event is a time to celebrate our connection with the horse and with the earth, and to honor horses’ contribution to our lives.”

The weekend’s activities begin on Saturday, June 19 with a benefit concert, “Music for the Horse Nation.” Music begins at 3pm and will feature several popular local bands including: Jubilee Garden, The Pencils, Gaia Roots, Rhythmic Circus, and Josh Noone and the Federal Crime. On Sunday, visitors will be entertained and educated by a native historical reenactment by Ken Hamilton, featuring the customs and practices of the Nipmuc people who settled the area before European settlement. A program introducing the public to the history and life stories of several of the equine residents at Blue Star Equiculture will also be presented. Sunday’s activities will conclude with a drum circle in the evening.

Wagon rides and informational displays about Blue Star Equiculture, horses and horsepower, and the history of the land at Burgundy Brook Farm will be available all weekend. Limited camping is available onsite by reservation only, $10 per site per night.

Author Harvey Arden will also be on hand all weekend and will speak and participate in Monday’s events. Mr. Arden was a National Geographic staff writer for over 23 years. He has continued to pursue his desire to collaborate with extraordinary people to share their stories, life lessons, and messages as an author and editor. He is the author or editor of numerous books including Wisdomkeepers: Meetings w/ Native American Spiritual Elders, Dreamkeepers: A Spirit-Journey into Aboriginal Australia, and Noble Red Man: Lakota Wisdomkeeper Mathew King.

The International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros will have an informational booth to educate the public about the plight of wild mustangs and burros. The ISPMB is the nation’s oldest wild horse advocacy organization, founded in 1960 by “Wild Horse Annie,” Velma Johnston.

Approximately 30 vendors of crafts, jewelry, food and more will be onsite on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to Saturday and Sunday events is $10 per day, $5 for children aged 5-12. All events are family friendly, and a kids’ craft and face-painting booth will be available in the vendor area. Vendors and sponsors are still being sought. “We also need volunteers, lots of them,” says Rickenbach. “This is an opportunity for all of us to come together for the benefit of horses and the Earth.”

For more information about vendor, sponsorship, and volunteer opportunities plus a schedule of events for World Peace and Prayer Day (an alcohol-, drug- and weapon-free event), visit
www.worldpeaceandprayerday.org.

All proceeds from the weekend benefit Blue Star Equiculture and Wolakota Foundation’s S’unka Wakan program.

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Blue Star Equiculture Draft Horse Sanctuary and Organic Farm is a 501c3 non-profit organization specializing in draft horse rescue and retirement, organic farming, environmental education, and horse-drawn history tours. Its mission is to provide homeless working horses a sanctuary and the opportunity to be useful and positively improve their lives, while bringing education, equine awareness, skills and healing to the community and the environment. For more information about Blue Star Equiculture, its mission and its horses, visit them on the web at www.equiculture.org.

Wolakota Foundation is a grassroots non-profit organization emerging from the needs of traditional Lakota (Dakota/Nakota) people to maintain their cultural and spiritual lifeways for the sake of future generations. Since its inception, the organization has sought to promote and protect as well as educate others about the traditional values and wisdom of Indigenous People. For more information, visit www.wolakota.org.