Welcome to this Dakota owned Site and Center

October 2009: Many of you have probably heard about the so-called sweat lodge in Arizona where 3 people died and more were taken to hospital. This subject is close to our hearts and so we have dedicated a page especially to this. Included on the page are our own findings, the response from James Ray and Arvol Looking Horse's statement about it. Please check it out HERE (updated 28 Oct, 09)

August 2009: This summer we have had a lot of people visiting us from all over America and Canada who have seen this website and decided that they should visit us. It has amazed us that so many of you want to come and meet us and see the Center. We thank you all so much for spending the time and resources to come to us. It has been lovely to meet you all.

In the new header above you can see our tipi that is now standing outside the Center, thanks Cindy and Greg for helping us with it. We have had the tipi for years but didn't have poles for it. This year we managed to get some from friends, and straight away erected it. So far it has some items in it and we are hoping to get backrests made for it shortly.

After making and updating other people's websites I am again trying to find the time to update and redesign this site! (G)

May 2009: Before I get down to the regular front page I have to add the following update:

Re: SOS We need help!

In response to our SOS we were truly amazed at how many people contacted us. Some sent money, some gave financial advice and some gave support. We are thankful for all, and we are thankful that our wonderful friends worldwide are so open to sharing.

I am happy to announce that Chuck managed to pay the taxes up fully last week, (May 2009) and we also managed to pay off part of the next bill as well.

On the advice part we are planning on working on this as well as soon as I, Gloria, can manage to get back to the States. Chuck and I have discussed our future plans for the Center and we hope to be able to bring good news on that front in a couple of months.

We cannot name everyone on here who sent in donations, because some was sent in by anonymous donors, others sent were a group effort. However we do want to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. You have shown us that the Center is important to you. Many people said that the work that we do on education and historic facts is invaluable and it must not stop, we agree with you and are happy to say that it will continue as long as we can do it. It is our passion and our life's work.

Chuck has been making little Pipestone thank you's to send to those that we have names and addresses for. They should be with you shortly.

We are so thankful for your assistance in this, and you will be in our prayers.

Mitakuye Oyasin

Chuck, Gloria & Alice

OK Now back to the regular page

Hau Koda, welcome to the Little Feather Center, we are located in Pipestone, Minnesota, the home of the genuine stone that our sacred Pipestone Pipes are made from. The Center is Dakota owned and operated and the site is full of information on the Dakota culture and other Native American issues. If you continue through this site you will, I hope, learn much about the Pipestone Pipes and the authentic Catlinite stone that they are created from. By the time you leave you should be able to tell the difference between the genuine stone from Pipestone and the look-alike red stone from Jasper, and also know about the various styles of pipes, the sacred pipestone quarries, quarrying and the history of Pipestone. You may also have signed a petition or two!

I am Running Elk (Chuck Derby), I am Dakota, please allow me to introduce you to my life, spiritual and work partner Gloria, escort you through the doors of the 'Little Feather Interpretive Center' and show you around.

At our Center you are only a stranger once!

Chuck and Gloria 2008

September 2009: This summer has been a busy and exciting one for us, we have had many visitors to the Center and have gone out to do talks and met a lot of other people. We have also done Taco sales in a number of places. We put on a lunch for 30+ elders from the Lower Brule Reservation, and met with Paul LaRoche (Brule) and will probably be working alongside of him on one of his new ventures. We had Sundancers coming over to the Center for showers and security during a storm and a new movie opened at the National Monument that Chuck was in. We did a number of talks that were televised and had a good turnout during the Rendezvous weekend in town. As stated earlier we now have a tipi up outside the Center, and as of a couple of weeks ago a sweat lodge. Chuck also met Kevin Costner a few days ago and it looks as if we will be working with his venture Tatanka, in SD. Photos from some of these things are on a separate page HERE.

May 2009: Today we viewed 'Ancient Tracks' the next DVD in the series Wakan Sota, it is in the final stages of production, and it is very good. As before Nico has done a fabulous job in putting it all together in order. Filming was done over a 2 year period, and yet he has bought it altogether in a wonderful way. As soon as it is ready we will put information on this page, please keep an eye out for it!

September 2009: The new DVD is now ready, we are just printing up the covers, so if you want a copy, the title is 'Ancient Tracks', please email us to order a copy. International Format only right now. (Stills from the DVD are HERE)

We also now have the US version of 'Sacred Smoke' for anyone who has had problems viewing the international format DVD. Both DVD's have a lightscribe label on rather than a paper one, and the cover of the old one has been recolored.

I am pleased to say that some of the local businesses have added the 2 DVD's to their stock, you can get them from the Pipestone County Museum, the Indian Shrine Association at the National Monument and our friend Tammy has some at her new store in Pipestone. You can't miss it as it has a big sign outside, 'Indian Crafts'!

As we speak the next DVD 'And the Stone Sings' is being finalized with extra filming, hopefully by next spring that will be available as well.

No Guns on the sacred Pipestone National Monument grounds

The latest project we are working on is letting people know about the new ruling that the government will be bringing in in January. The ruling will allow anyone to be on National Park land or National Wildlife areas carrying concealed weapons. This will include the Pipestone National Monument, a place, where since time immemorial it has been an unwritten law that weapons should be buried before setting foot on the land. A place that is very sacred to most Native American Tribes.

The Park Superintendant is trying to get the Monument an exemption from this ruling because of it's history and religious standing.

We have set up a facebook group for people to have their say and to join to keep up to date on the issue. We have also set up a website giving more details. A petition is being worked on.

Facebook group

Website

Updates:

1. The bill was overturned by a Judge in May 09.

2. Congress passed a bill for Credit Card reform in June 09 and attached to that bill was the bill for the Concealed Weapons on National Parks bill. So it has passed and will come into effect in 2010. We are still working on getting Pipestone some type of exemption

The Dakota Reconcilliation Ride for the 38 + 2 came through Pipestone on the 17th December. The community came together with help from neighboring friends to give them a dinner, a breakfast the following morning, and to take care of the horses for the night, before they moved on again. Some stayed at the Little Feather center for the night and others stayed at the American Legion Hall. They were riding from the Lower Brule Reservation in South Dakota to Mankato, Minnesota where they would do ceremony to remember and honor the 38 Dakota who were hung there in the biggest mass hanging in America's history in 1862, and two other Dakota hung a couple of years later.

Chuck went to Mankato to meet up with them and participate in the ceremonies on Christmas day and the 26th December.

Facebook group

You can read more at Dakota 38+2

Update:

The Ride will again come through Pipestone this year (2009). We have been asked by the leaders of the Ride to again work with them as we did last year. They were impressed by the food the Pipestone Dakota Community set up and the overnight stay for the Riders, supporters and Horses that we organized.

We also now have a Facebook page for the Little Feather Center, where you can become a fan. Updated news will be put on there as it comes in, rather than waiting ages for it to appear on here. The URL for the page is HERE

We have to apologize to those of you who have contacted Chuck over the past few months if he hasn't got back to you. He has been ill and has been doing all he can to get well. I (Gloria) came back from England in September (08) only to find him really sick, so I got him to the doctor and we found out that as well as his diabetes really being bad, he had an ulcer and he had galls stones. Before anything else could be done his diabetes had to be controlled and so he was put on insulin, that eventually got him back on the right track again and so then the ulcer had to be dealt with. A week before he had surgery for the gall stones he pulled his back out and so was having difficulty getting around. When he went for the operation to remove his gall bladder we were really worried in case they hurt his back, but they were very good and I think the morphine he was on helped his back as well! He is now having treatment for his back. So two and a half months after I got back his problems were all taken care of, and all he had to do was take it easy and get well. That is the joke of the century, Chuck taking it easy, that'll be the day! But as long as he is healing well I can now stop being a nurse and get on with dealing with the website!

The big problem is that he hasn't been able to quarry, and so has no stone available, not even for himself to use. He is hoping to get down there to do some work around May, but until then he has to just wait. Nico returned from Holland in September to add to the filming for the next DVD but Chuck couldn't do anything on that either. We were all so worried about him. I did contact a lot of people worldwide and started off a prayer circle, and I know that worked because you would never think that 3 months ago he looked like he was at death's door. He has regained some weight, has now been taken off the insulin because after the surgery his blood sugars went way down and are continuing to stay that way, his ulcer has gone and his back is 80% better. So THANK YOU to everyone who joined in that circle we both really appreciate you caring about him. We also thank everyone for their good wishes for his recovery in emails.

We now have to catch up on emails that were never answered and DVD's that were never sent out, and we thank you for your patience. If you haven't heard from us, but did send us an email for a DVD. could you please email again as I probably missed you, or it didn't get to us. Thanks

August 2009: Chuck has been sick again and is having tests at the moment. Updates as we get the results.

September 2009: The results have come back from all of the tests and there are no serious problems thank goodness, however Chuck's diabetes has gone crazy and has caused him to have other problems, He is now back on insulin and his levels are coming back to normal slowly.

The news that was on this first page has been moved to the News page. Only the latest news will be on this page.

If you wish to order some stone or a Pipe, join the Quarriers Guild, or attend a workshop please use the form page HERE

Please sign our guest book to let us know you have visited. Just click on 'View my Guestbook' and then click the 'post' link and enter your information. We look forward to hearing from you. The guestbook link is on most pages