Hey there! You probably don't know this, but the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is one of the poorest areas of the United States (some don't even have indoor plumbing there). Every holiday season an unjustly incarcerated man named Leonard Peltier organizes a toy drive from his cell for the kids that live on the Pine Ridge rez.
I try to send something every year and hope that if you can afford to, you may want to send a new toy or new clothes to these kids too. NEW as in "not used". If you received a present and you don't want it, that's still new imo, but I doubt anyone reading this got a toy they didn't want.
I usually send some sort of music player with a battery recharger and rechargeable batteries, but occasionally I run across estate sales with brand new with tags clothing that I pack in there too.
I'll enclose the letter about the drive that also contains gift ideas, if you are so inclined:
Leonard Peltier is once again organizing a holiday gift drive for the children of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Pine Ridge is one of the most impoverished areas in the United States, and this is one way Peltier continues his humanitarian work for his people despite his 32-year incarceration. Help him reach out beyond the bars that imprison him. The gift drive helps not only the children and families, but also Leonard himself, keeping his spirit strong through the difficult holiday season.
The Gift Drive will serve ages newborn to 18 years. Ideas for Christmas Gifts per Age Range:
Infant/Toddler
Puzzles, Board Books, Building Blocks, Stuffed Animals, Blankets, Trucks, Musical Instruments for Toddler, Riding Toys, Push Toys, Baby Dolls (All Ethnicities) or Stuffed Animals, Clothes
Children Ages 3-6
Baby Dolls, Dolls or Barbies (All Ethnicities), Puzzles, Books, Developmental Board Games (Counting Games), Arts and Crafts Sets, Race Tracks, Legos, Dress Up Clothes, Children’s Videos, Bikes, Clothes
Children Ages 7-12
Board Games, Books, Purses and Wallets, Art Sets, Boom Boxes, Sports Equipment, Barbie Dolls (All Ethnicities) , Arts and Crafts Sets, Journals, Model Car Kits, Clothes, Bikes, Jewelry, Clothes
Teens Ages 13-18
Books, Journals, Bath and Body Gifts, Make Up Sets, Sports Equipment, Purses and Wallets, Jewelry and Watches, Art Supply Kits, Gift Certificates to Wal-Mart or Target, DVD’s or Videos, Clothes
Mail all gifts to:
Rosyln Jumping Bull
BOX 207
Oglala, SD 57764
Thanks man, and feel free to pass this on.
N
Sean Kilpatrick
4 years ago
5 comments:
Interesting. You probably knew this already, but Peltier received 27,607 votes in the 2004 Presidential Election while serving two life sentences for the 1975 murder of two FBI agents. Symbolically, we've all joined Peltier in prison as a result of that election's eventual winner. And I mean no disrespect to Peltier in saying that.
Oh I could go on about Peltier and the "no proof", and the recanted testimony. I get upset. If you haven't seen "Incident at Oglala" or any other footage about Peltier, have a look on youtube. Him and MLK, they get me worked up.
I forgot to add, as I was writing that comment, I was listening to Love's "The Red Telephone" from Forever Changes (possibly the finest 12 inches of wax from a decade full of magnum opuses). The song closes with a nursery rhyme-like chant "They're locking them up today, They're throwing away the key, I wonder who it will be tomorrow, You or Me?" One can almost imagine Peltier - imprisoned in controversy - singing the same thing in his jail cell. "All of God's children got to have their Freedom."
Great blog!
Keep posting,
Toddler Toys
Of course.... kids will love to get musical instruments as holiday gift.
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