‘Solstice Prayer and Fasting for Wildlife’

Press Release: 12/12/12

‘Solstice Wolf Fast and Prayer’

Advocates to fast four days at state capitols in Idaho and Oregon for wolves and other wildlife.

Boise, ID.
Mato Woksape, Richard Wise Bear of Lakota, Blackfoot, and Pottawatomie nations, leader of Oregon Autonomous A.I.M. chapter, has been organizing, demonstrating, walking and praying to protect wolves and other wildlife in Idaho and around the globe for a year.

This month, in solidarity with Howl Across America, Ravensong Group and the Northwoods Wolf Alliance, he will fast in front of the Idaho state capitol in Boise for four days in hopes of drawing attention and support to the need for reverence for the land and preservation of the ecology of the wolf and other wildlife.

He will be joined by Orion Cannon, of Salem OR, who will be fasting in front of the state capitol there. The prayer fasts will begin at sunrise on December 18 and last until sunset on December 21.

As of Monday, 51 Wolf and wildlife advocates across the country and around the world have pledged to fast in solidarity.  States represented in the U.S. are MT, MN, WY, AZ, CA, IL, WI, TX, WV, ID, MD, IA, OR, KS, LA and MA.   Fasters from Canada, Germany and Austria will also be joining in.

Wildlife advocates are alarmed at what they describe as a return to the days in which predators, in particular, were unreasonably vilified and persecuted.   Says Woksape “Wolves manage their own numbers as the creator has made them perfectly. I am spreading a prayer for the wolf and other wildlife across the world; to unite nations for the sanctity of the wolf. Like the river with no banks our prayer is unstoppable.”

It looks like he might be right. Woksape’s tireless efforts are drawing the attention of activists from across the nation, dozens of whom are planning to fast in solidarity from locations as far away as Minnesota, Arizona and Austria.

The Northwoods Wolf Alliance based in Duluth, Minnesota is helping to publicize the event and, according to Reyna Crow, spokesperson for the group, also joining the fast. “We asked Mato if we could participate early on because we believe there is a need for both urgent and unified action across the nation to protect wolves and other wildlife”.
Residents of Idaho and Oregon who would like to support the prayer fast are encouraged to visit the Solstice Facebook pages at:

 https://www.facebook.com/notes/jrey-crow/press-release-please-share-support-events-by-going-to-event-pages-of-same-names/10151231699252615

“When birds fall from the sky and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the Rainbow.” ~Hopi prophecy