Greetings to all from near and far. Wakan Tanan Kici Un, May Great Spirit Bless you. I hope your season of Spring is lovely and promising - bringing all manners of new birth and new growth to you and yours.
*******

My Native American forum is such a wonderful source of joy and news and information, not only for me, but, for all who join. It is free to join and you can enter into any of the discussions or start your own, ask questions, share knowledge or just have fun reading all the posts and playing the games.

I have some very faithful forum members who express great concern for the struggles of today's Native American families, schools, reservations and way of life. One forum member posted a message about the arson fire that destroyed St. Paul Mission & School on Fort Belknap Reservation in Hays, MT., last June.

"St Paul is a small elementary school with about 90 students in grades 1 through 6. One can hardly grasp how devastating this was. It is truly incomprehensible how someone could destroy the place of learning, balanced meals, support, love and hope for these children." wrote the member. She goes on to say, "They were able to set up temporary classrooms in the community center and a local church. Then tragedy struck again. This winter they had yet another fire in the boiler room of the community center. The burning debris fell into the basement where the school's drinking water was stored and put itself out.

If you believe in miracles, this is a good example. St Paul had insurance, but not enough to completely rebuild and refurnish. Yet they are persevering. The architect is working on the plans as building materials are being ordered, in full faith the Creator will provide.

St Labre Indian School in Ashland, MT has set up a special account for St Paul's building fund, and is helping in every way they can with their limited resources."

For anyone wishing to offer support or help in any way, I do not, at this time, have any contact information. I will post an update if and when I do have someone you can contact.
*******

For all you Wild Mystery Series fans, here is an update from Sandi Ault, author:

WILD INFERNO Named A Finalist for the Colorado Book Award!
The Colorado Center for the Humanities announced the finalists for the Colorado Book Award last week, naming WILD INFERNO by Sandi Ault among them. The Colorado Book Awards for Excellence in Literature will be presented at the Aspen Writers Festival in June, 2009.

WILD SORROW Reviews:
The critics continue to rave about WILD SORROW. An especially nice review appeared in the May issue of New Mexico Magazine:

Here's a quote we loved from the review: “Ault’s talents go far beyond devising a suspense-driven plot; she layers this enjoyable tale with her considerable knowledge of Native American customs and history. I’m not the first to say it, nor will I be the last: Fans of Nevada Barr and Tony Hillerman will be enthralled with this series. If you aren’t yet a fan of this… author…you should be."

Visit Sandi Ault's web site and sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.sandiault.com/
*******

If you have your Hornos (outdoor Pueblo oven) fired up, here is a recipe for a really good bread:

Zuni Bread

7/8 cup Buttermilk
1 Egg white
1 teaspoon powdered lecithin, optional
1 2/3 cup Whole wheat flour
1 cup Bread flour
1/3 cup Cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Applesauce (butter)
3 tablespoon Molasses
1/3 cup Dry roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
3 teaspoons Yeast

Mix all ingredients into a dough and let rise. Form into a flat round loaf about 1 inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. If you are cooking this outside, you may have some neighbors coming around to find out what smells so delicious. Better make a few extra loaves!
*******

Till next time, may your heart and moccasins always find a happy path. Blessings and walk in Beauty and Harmony.
Phyllis
*******

Here's the latest article from the Native American site at BellaOnline.com.

A Mother's Love
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art23171.asp

Please visit nativeamerican.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Native American.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Native American located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=140

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Phyllis Doyle Burns, Native American Editor
http://nativeamerican.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com