The Federal Government has cut back development payments to a number of Native American tribes. As a result the Cheyenne River Sioux in South Dakota are at risk of losing their Tribal Park lands. They have had to remove most of the bison and about 300 Virginia Range wild horses.
It is paramount that this herd remain intact since the herd in Nevada where these horses originated is under attack by the state advocating total removal of all horses. If Nevada should prevail, it would mean that this herd is the only viable group of Virginia Range wild horses left in our country.
The International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB) has been caring for these horses and is scrambling to find alternative habitat.
ISPMB needs your help in funding the following:
- $9,000 to pay an acquired hay bill.
- $7,000 for a portable loading chute so they can draw coggins on each of the Virginia Range for transport out of state.
- $8,000 to bring in a vet and draw Coggins on 100 horses (cost of vet plus lab for 115 animals including the foals).
I urge all of you to dig into your pocketbooks and help the Virginia Range wild horses. Many of you have been with me on the Reservation and photographed these magnificent creatures. The horse depicted above is part of the Virginia Range herd and was photographed by me during one of my photography workshops.
These historic animals deserve nothing less than freedom and a chance to survive. We must show the world that we can protect horses so there is no need for equine slaughter plants in our country.
Click in ISPMB's website at www.ispmb.org on their Pay Pal account and make a donation now. It's that easy.
2 comments:
Weldon,
It's a real pleasure to see you've brought your work and thoughts to us in your new blog. A lot of folks can be helped by your knowledge either behind the lens capturing images of our freinds in the field or having their mind jogged to our responsibility as better photographers and better human being in the way we protect and preserve our natural heritage.
You've definitely been an important part in shaping both of those pieces of my own life in recent years. Good luck with your blog my friend. I look forward to visiting it for inspiration. :)
Mister Ed,
Thank you for your very kind words, as well as your support over the years.
For those of you unfamiliar with Ed Farmer (whom I call Mister Ed), he is a good friend and very talented photographer in his own right.
Keep up the great work Mister Ed, and may good fortune always follow you.
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