|
Dear Lynn, Enclosed find
$100 for naming one of the "R" puppies after my mother, Ruth Mae,
or "Ruthie" as a lot of people called her. Pick a strong-willed
one that will last.
My mother came from hardy stock. Born in 1904 in Missouri, the
next to youngest in a family of 12 kids - the only girl. When she
was 2, the family traveled by wagon to SW Kansas, near Liberal,
about a mile from the Oklahoma border. The family built a one-room
soddy with a dirt floor and homesteaded as dry land wheat farmers.
Needless to say, she had wonderful stories to tell, a great
history, most of which my brother and I never knew until the last
couple of years when we each spent a lot of one-on-one time with
her. They died in 1990 at 86.
How exciting to have a hound chasing coyotes named after her.
Love & As Always,
Good Hunting,
Myrna
International News
Dawid’s Dream
We all understand the
importance of maintaining hunt territory and the fight against
groups that threaten the future of our sport in America. Now we
are asking you to look at hunting on the international level and
to join the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America in
advocating not only for our hunting rights, but for the rights of
our fellow hunters abroad.
The world’s oldest hunting culture is threatened - that of the
Bushmen of Southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert. The 10,000 remaining
traditional Bushman population of Botswana is being forced from
their land by the industrial power of diamond miners. Two thousand
Bushmen have had their hunting licenses revoked and have been
placed in internment camps outside their hunting grounds to make
way for new diamond mines.
Dawid Kruiper is the leader of the Xhomani, South Africa’s last
traditionally living San Bushmen hunters. During the presidency of
Nelson Mandela, Dawid fought for five years and won the largest
land claim in Southern African history: 65,000 acres of their
traditional hunting grounds were returned to his people. Now Dawid
wants to come to America to achieve three goals: 1) to publicize
the plight of the San Bushmen in the wider Kalahari who currently
are threatened by diamond mining and cattle ranching, 2) to meet
with and learn from native American |
leaders and healers who had survived a
similar history, and 3) to take a look at what he calls "The
power center. The place from which everything happens - America."
Dawid’s dream is being facilitated by author/journalist Rupert
Isaacson, who has spent extended visits with Dawid, pictured here,
in his homeland. Rupert is the author of The Wild Host, a
fascinating book which chronicles the role of hunting in human
history from its very inception. He also published the story of
Dawid’s people in his book The Healing Land (Grove Atlantic
2003). Rupert has hunted with Red Rock and has written several
pieces about the Red Rock Hounds and Lynn Lloyd for both British
and American hunting publications. Rupert and the MFHA
believe that it is time to change our position in society; we need
to fight pro-actively against the animal rights anti-hunting
movement. How do we change public opinion about hunting in our
favor? By becoming more directly involved in human rights
and the environment, specifically through advocating the rights of
the world’s indigenous hunting minorities. As hunters, we
understand the intrinsic human and environmental value of hunting.
By aligning ourselves with the cause of Dawid’s people we
support a human rights cause that is likely to shed very positive
publicity on our foxhunting community.
Dawid and a group of his fellow Bushmen plan to visit the U.S.
in the summer of 2004. They want to put their case to the United
Nations, in the diamond district of New York, and at the Botswana
High Commission in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, they will follow
the Trail of Tears westward to Indian country. Hunts along the way
will be visited. The MFHA have offered to help with practical
support such as vehicles and accommodations.
As part of the effort to support the Dawid’s Dream Expedition,
all registered foxhunts in America are being asked to assign one
meet of our season as a fund raiser. In addition, hunts along the
expedition route are asked to help with logistical support. The
trip will be followed by National Geographic and National Public
Radio. There also will be extensive local media coverage along the
way. This is an irreplaceable opportunity to achieve three goals
in one effort: first, interact with people from an ancient
indigenous hunting culture in our own backyard, second, support an
important human rights cause close to our own interests, and
third, bring positive and enlightened publicity to our own sport
of foxhunting in America.
The Kalahari Peoples’ Fund (KPF) is a registered 501C3, so all
donations are tax deductible. Lynn will be announcing the date of
our fund raising meet. Rupert Isaacson will be here on that day to
hunt with us and converse in greater depth about the Bushmen’s
visit to America. In the meantime, to learn more log on at
www.thehealingland.com.
This is a unique and far-reaching opportunity for us to take part
in an International Cause. Think about it.
Report from Three Forks
Any attempt to
render the Three Forks experience is almost a waste of time. The
only important message is
DON’T MISS IT NEXT YEAR. |
