Red Ride. Bicycle Ride For Hurricane Relief.

Benjamin Harlow, 05.04.2006 15:24

Traditional Prayer Stick carried by bicycle from Southern Oregon to Louisiana.

Prayers offered to Louisianas hurricane and socio-economic impacted Biloxi-Chitimach Confederation of Muskogee tribes, and the Point-au-Chien Indian tribe.

Photo by Levi Van Meter

Have you been listening to the story from many directions; the stories of people's lives changed through communities ravaged by neglect and hurricanes. The stories of grass-roots organizations and collectives founded in neighborhoods where hope was being withheld, sometimes at gun-point. Have you felt the string that binds communities and has been carried by many people who have offered their time to help stitch the south back together? Finding the end of the string has been a journey in it's self for me.

On April 9th, 2006 the Red Ride, a ride of prayers, will commence to deliver a prayer stick to the Native American tribes of hurricane-hit Southern Louisiana. The Red Ride is a proposed vision to the creator from Naomi Archer, director of Four Directions Solidarity Network, and myself Benjamin Harlow, an Oregonian. Embodied in a bicycle journey of 70 days and thousands of miles. The Red Ride proposes to carry a prayer stick to many Indian Nations, tribes, organizations, and people everywhere along the route. The riders will ask permission to pass through these people's land. Then offer the prayer stick to each tribe to carry through their land, and gain the prayers of their people. Local events will be scheduled or requested in areas the ride passes through, in coordination with the indigenous governments to build solidarity, and illustrate the connectivity of issues from one tribe to the next. If we haven't contacted your tribe about being a part of the Red Ride Prayer Run please take this as an invitation to contact us with your desire to help. Contact information is at the end of the article.

The Red Ride is in response to an appeal for help posted on January 25th to the Four Directions Solidarity Network website,  http://www.eswn.org from 4 tribes in Southern Louisiana. The aforementioned tribes are the: Grand Coulie/ Dulac band, the Isle-de-Jean Charles band, and the Bayou Lafourche band, three bands of the Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, and the Point-au-Chien Indian tribe. Though their independence and fortitude has brought them through many disasters and Indian hardships. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created an intense burden on the people, and storm assistance was then requested. The Four Directions Solidarity Network mission statement is a "grassroots organization that uses a community-based model to organize people, supplies and other forms of support in collaboration with indigenous leadership and communities". Four Directions was founded in early October while Naomi Archer was working with Common Ground in New Orleans. When searching the storm devastated south with medic, Dave Pike, they encountered Native American tribes who had received very little federal help, if any. Naomi's heart lies with indigenous wisdom, and she understands the ways in which the needs of these historically marginalized people can be effectively met by a relief organization. Four Directions Solidarity Network’s focus in Louisiana is: immediate relief and recovery of homes and community, long-term relief and recovery through rebuilding and placing on stilts the homes and community, solidarity through cultural preservation, tribal empowerment, and autonomy goals. These goals can only be met with your help.

When I offered to come down and help, and decided to ride my bicycle there, Naomi and I came up with the Red Ride proposal. My goals have been to reach out to communities and individuals who need assistance. This year I wanted to focus on Native Americans, which is a part of my heritage. When I read Four Directions Solidarity Networks mission statement and focus, I knew it would fit my goals.

Naomi and I have been working hard to setup the Red Ride, which will take shape organically as it finds its way past many Native American homes. The ride will travel from Ashland, Oregon, along the California coast, crossing Arizona from the southwest corner to the northeast corner and meeting New Mexico around "Four Corners". The ride will then proceed into Oklahoma, the home of the Five Civilized Tribes, and leave along a southern route of the "Trail of Tears" through Arkansas and into Mississippi meeting up with the Natchez Trace trail, then turning south. The Red Ride proposes a stop in Baton Rouge to meet with a prayer walk leaving from the Bayou tribes for scheduled media events. Baton Rouge, which means 'Red Stick', is the state capital and has both cultural and political significance as well as access to a wide range of media outlets.

We still need a lot of community support to make the Red Ride as effective as possible. Cyclists or runners are encouraged to join in for part or all of the Red Ride. Ride through you home-town with me, please contact your friends or groups with the information about the ride, so they can join in. Route information is posted to the website (below), and anyone can contact me, or Naomi Archer, before or during the ride. Community members who can lend a supporting hand on the bicycle route will be dearly appreciated. Home-stays to charge batteries, or a yard to pitch a tent in, bicycle collectives who can help tune the machines, and community kitchens who can offer a healthy meal, are all being sought out. The ride itself has no major sponsors funding the daily expense I or other riders will incur. So if you can help out in any way, even just a comment of support or prayer for the tribes posted in the journal will keep the riders encouraged and rolling along. The Red Ride website with journal, links, route information, and sponsor thanks is located at  http://www.cloudforest.org/bicycleride, and is being hosted by the Cloud Forest Institute. CFI is also the 501c3 fiscal sponsors of Four Directions Solidarity Network and the Red Ride. Financial donors of any ability can make a tax-deductible online donation through the Red Ride website, send a check to the Cloud Forest Institute made out to "CFI/ Four Directions", or visit Four Directions website for item specific donations. We work in solidarity, sustainability, and peace. Thank You for your support and prayers.

Naomi Archer- Four Directions Solidarity Network
P.O. Box 1059
Bourg, LA 70343
Website-  http://www.eswn.org
Email-  fourdirections@riseup.net
Telephone- (828)-230-1404

Benjamin Harlow- Red Rider
Red Ride Website-  http://www.cloudforest.org/bicycleride
Email-  bicycleride@riseup.net
Telephone- (541)-245-8598

Cloud Forest Institute
P.O. Box 1435
Ukiah, CA 95482
Website-  http://www.cloudforest.org
Telephone- (707)-463-2482

e-mail:: bicycleride@riseup.net
Homepage:: http://www.cloudforest.org/bicycleride

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I'm listening! 08.04.2006 - 20:07 I just wanted to say a few words of support as I think this is a fantastic way to help some of the people who have been hurt the most. We'll be watching your progress. Here's to a safe ride. Vanessa Houk> Ben receives a spiritual send-off at Pow Wow 10.04.2006 - 08:37 Written Sunday April 9- Last night at the Pow Wow Ben was given a blessing by the elders. They described his trip to New Orleans and gave him prayers for the prayer stick he is taking with him on his journey. It was so moving to have several hundred people be silent and honor and pray for his safe trip and for the people of New Orleans. I was honored to witness it, and just happened to be there at the Women's Resource Center health information table when he was called up to the front of the pow wow. For all I know, there were thousands of people in the gym, from all over our region, and they were told to continue to pray for Ben and the success of his trip. Magic from the red road already! Linda Richards with first hand report> every morning 10.04.2006 - 23:20 Ben and Naomi, I am so proud of you for taking on this big, important journey. Although I've never met you, I'll be wishing you well every morning , until you have arrived safe. Jon Dowd> reposted from the Red Ride Journal 11.04.2006 - 11:08 Saturday, The Red Ride is under way. I left Ashland, OR Saturday night with a beautiful blessing . I spoke about the intention of the ride to a large gathering of traditional Indians at the Southern Oregon University, Native American Student Union Spring Pow-wow. Karner Austin an Eastern Cherokee/ Manohoac Siouan elder who is from Louisiana spoke for the people their and explained their plight and situation, He thanked the people of the Northwest for taking him in 30 years ago and asked them to join in and offer prayer to the ride and the Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, and the Pointe-au-Chien Indians. He told me to make sure i expressed his gratitude for the people of the northwest to the chiefs in LA. I presented a Turkey feather to Karner, to say thank you, and asked if he would place another one on the Prayer stick. Then the Arena Chief offered a pouch of tobacoo to the people and the chiefs in LA and asked that i tell them to offer it, and burn it in a good place. This is a true blessing. Thank you everyone involved with the Native American Student Union at SOU. Sunday, The first day on the red ride. The creator wanted to come to me in the form of rain today. Looking glass, chain link, wind-shield wiper. Hayes hill, 1,654 feet high the sky opens up and sun shines on us at fifty miles. Today i crossed the Rogue River, the Applegate River, the Illinois River. My folks rode with me on the first day. My DAD joined for thirty miles to Grants Pass and bade me farewell with love and wishes of good luck. My MOM rode with me to Cave Junction then treated me to my first night on the rode with a bicycle. Monday, April showers have driven me inside. Have run me from the road to my soon to be favorite place. The bar. How often will I find myself sitting in a bar at 2 in the afternoon drinking coffee typing on the computer. Giving myself a great chance to journal the experience and let out the experiences of the day. I am glad that I have my trusty notebook with me, and that all of this will find a home and be edited. There is magic in what I am doing. I left my moms company and cried for the first time on the ride. I let the feeling of aloneness come on and let me know that we have nothing to worry about being on the road by ourselves. The time we spend out here by ourselves will take many shapes. I will find many friends and figure out my own strengths and weaknesses. I have a huge appreciation for bicyclists everywhere. For people who get out and leave their cars. Who lead their lives with purpose and find the strength and stamina and beauty in riding a bicycle. The rains have lightened. I know the way of the wind, and could find myself further down the road today. My destination is not until tomorrow. I have time in my schedule to allow for the course of events to take a very natural flow. I should be in San Francisco by the 21st. which shouldn’t be to difficult. It is a little over three hundred miles away and I still have 11 days to get there. I am not pushing myself to do more than 60 miles a day yet. That is what I figured would be my rate. This storm, is it going to be two fold. Should I wait for the second blast to come through, or make haste for the coast when the first section lets up. The sun feels as if it is going to shine again. I want to make haste for the coast. That is my goal for this evening to sleep on the sands and shore of the pacific ocean. Note to self, drinking in the day when I stop for rain will not be a good idea. There is a possibility in it of me finding a comfortable spot to stop. We should get back on the road. 12 miles after i stoped to write the last entry on monday at Patricks Creek Lodge i meet disaster. I am still alive to write about it. I have a sore and swollen left knee, a headache, and a bruised left elbow. The front wheel of my bike is tacoed, and the headset has been yanked loose leaving the tacoed wheel parallel to the handlebars instead of perpendicular. The dropout for my rear derailuer is busted and i fear that the rear triangle is bent also. Hwy 199 through Oregon is a great road to ride. lots of shoulder room, good hills, and interesting towns like wonder, and kerbyville. Once you break the California boarder things change. They change drasticly. Hwy 199 begins to drop into Crescent City CA following the Smith river gorge. There are several sections of this hwy that hug right up next to the mountain and do not give a bicyclist any room on the road. The sets of these curves are spread out and should not be seen as too intimidating. Towards the end of these curves, after you cross the middle fork of the Smith River at Slant Bridge, just before the Middle Fork of the Smith River wayside on a slight downhill traffic overtook me. A garbage truck yielded behind me and waited for us to finish the corner before passing me. Hot on his heels was an empty flatbed truck, tailgatting the garbage truck around the corner, unaware of me. The compression of the flatbed truck braking hard behind the garbage truck caused it to waver sending me into a waver with its wind. As soon as the flatbed truck passed, with its last blast of air, i was forced into wrecking my bicycle down in the ditch. No one stoped, they just kept passing by. I flaged down a retired truck driver, Bob, in his nice pickup truck. He was headed to Medford, had whole grain, stone milled, barley and Millet Peanut Butter cookies, and didn't mind taking me and my gear back home. it took me two days of hard riding to get 100 miles out. Bill and I made it back to Medford in about 2 hours. Where do I go from here? The crash has definitely shaken me up a bit. I saw the semi's tires and flatbed far to close for comfort and do not desire to crash again. 100 miles into the ride and traffic has already given me a good scare. Is this bust? Should i stick my thumb out and head to Louisiana that way? I am far from making any decisions tonight. Please, let me know what you think. email me with your thoughts at  bicycleride@riseup.net . Benjamin Harlow Red Rider> e-mail:: bicycleride@riseup.net Homepage:: http://www.cloudforest.org/bicycleride