WOUNDED KNEE, SD – They gave up their warm beds and spent Christmas away from their families. For the last two weeks many Lakota young people have been committed to prayer as they rode their horses along the same frozen trail Chief Big Foot and his band followed 120 years ago after the murder of Sitting Bull on Standing Rock.

Once known as the Big Foot Memorial Ride, the Omaka Tokatakiya/Future Generation Ride has a Facebook group page informing visitors theirs is a way to “Celebrate Life and a New Generation, with a Vision that our Children and Great Grandchildren will continue to live in good health and happiness.” The group is proud they have “survived and will continue to carry the prayers that elders of the Bigfoot Ride have made for” them.

Several Youth Leaders were named for the Omaka Tokatakiya on Dec. 28th, 2009. The appointment of these leaders officially transitioned the group from the Bigfoot Memorial Riders to the Omaka Tokatakiya / Future Generations Riders.

: Charley New Holy (Oglala area); Joe Sierra, Anpowin White Plume, Tyson White Plume, and Rosie Lip (Manderson area); Tre Goings (Pine Ridge area); Jeremiah Young Bull Bear (Kyle area).

: Edgar Yellow Earring and Martin Taken Alive (Bull Head area); Paige Bailey (Ft. Yates area); TC Hill, Ramey Hill, Melania Fast Horse, Kim Cameron, Wiyaka His Horse is Thunder, Kody Nadeau and Teddy Iron Cloud (Wakpala area-Spirit Riders).


Nicole Silk and Joseph Looking Horse (Green Grass area); Lisa Lone Eagle (Dupree area); and Kelly Romero (Cherry Creek area).

: this morning the Standing Rock group left the banks of the Grand River, as the day goes by I ask all of you to say a little prayer for them because today our prayers have started for the Future Generations “Omaka Tokatakiya.”

: tonight a lot of us are spending our last nights in warm beds and thinking about what’s to come tomorrow and we’ll be suffering and praying for our Future Generations. What little we have we will continue our journey bringing hope, peace and strength to our nations. Great Creator of all beings grant us a safe journey as we travel our grandfather’s and grandmother’s road guide us well, give our horses strength and may we walk and ride in good health. As for our young people, let their path be clear and no harm to come to them bless them and watch over them and show us leaders how to guide.


a meal at Bridger Community Center in Bridger, SD. The riders from Standing Rock totaled 40. We have about 75 youth and 15 adults leaving from Bridger.

: we are saddling up this morning and making our way to the north fork of the Bad River. 10:22 am: we are on our way in the 25th Big Foot/Omaka Tokatakiya Ride.

: At 1:44pm after 26 hours we are finally out of the dead zone. We made our first camp last night at 7pm with 98 riders. Today, we left our camp with 120 riders. And at 6:46 pm we are now at Big Foot Pass.

Today 92 riders crossed the White River. We lost 18 riders to lame horses and the cold air. We made our camp around 4pm. We are resting at the Little Wound School in Kyle, SD.


Today belongs to the horse! All the horses will take a day of rest. And starting off our first activity of the day is a 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament with Cheyenne Rock, Pine Ridge, Little Eagle, Cherry Creek, Standing Rockies and Takojas; we have our own LNI here on the ride.

– the ride pulled out from Red Owl Springs at 8am, making their way to Wounded Knee. I estimate they will ride into Wounded Knee around 3 or 4pm today. Tonight there is a gathering at the Wounded Knee School Gym.

-a prayer ceremony to remember the ancestors will be held at the gravesite.