We recently traveled to the Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni reservations to meet with a few of our friends. We presented a special plaque to Zuni Governor Arden and Hopi Vice Chairman Craig for their gifts to the DL in Dharamsala, India in April. We also connected with our elderly in Walpi and Old Oraibi. It was a great (but short) trip!

Coming up... We're planning a special celebration with the Zuni tribe in NM in mid-July. The day will include a Family Fun Night for the entire family and ending with a feast. Our plans also include a visit to the Hopi villages in AZ. More information coming soon!

Top L to R | Craig Andrews, Hopi Vice Chairman and Molly Andrews, Hopi Chairman Chief of Staff (Mishongnovi); Bertha Kinale (Walpi); Harlan Makala (Walpi); Poleahla family (Old Oraibi).
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Bottom L to R | Arden Kucate, Zuni Governor and Cheryl; Thelma Claw (Navajo); First Mesa; Window Rock.

​Thelma Shesche

​Periodically Adopt an Elder spotlights a Pueblo elder. This time we are spotlighting Thelma Sheche, a very special, traditional elder of the Zuni Pueblo Tribe in New Mexico.

Thelma is a 93 years old member of the Zuni Sun Clan. Not only is she a long-time traditional midwife and Zuni Practitioner and has traveled to many different regions for fairs, museums, and shows with  her Olla Maiden Dance Group. (Below, Heard Museum). Thelma is well known for her Zuni fetish carvings and is possibly among the last of the true, traditional elders in the Zuni Tribe. One of her most exciting events (which she always talks about) was her visit to New York City where she met Johnny Carson at a show!
 
We honor Thelma as an outstanding person with a heart for her people, and people everywhere!

​Previous (Bertha Kinale, Hopi)
For more information, visit Adopt an Elder
Visit the Zuni Pueblo online

Because of your generous donations to our recent trip to Dharamsala, India, we are able to sponsor six Tibetan refugee children through the Tibetan Children's Village, an amazing orphanage/refugee school in Dharamsala (Mcleod Ganj), IN. (www.tcv.org.in) The sponsorship takes care of all their needs: personal, medical, clothing, food, education for a year. We are also helping in the post covid restart of Tibet World. (www.tibetworld.org) Thank you for your partnership!

Because of the generous gifts of our partners, a special family in the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico is able to build a much-needed piki house. This facility will be used to teach younger women the important art of piki making. (See short video below) This is a dream come true for Martha, one of the village matriarchs pictured.

The Piki house, nearing completion, has two rooms. One room will be used to teach and make piki bread. The other room will be dedicated to preserving old piki stones and artifacts as well as a place to demonstrate traditional pottery making. 

• See other pictures here and here.
• Where is the Jemez Pueblo?
• View a short demonstration of making Piki​
• Want to join us? Click here to donate. 

Our water is very dangerous with parasites and heavy metals. We drink from this filter every day! Thank you for your love for us. -- Wuzhi

The filters have arrived in Qinghai Province -- This is the group working with Tibetan villages that have been relocated within the Qinghai Province. We recently shipped three of the filters but one of the filters was "pirated" along the way. The two pictured made it safely!
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We’ve placed LifeStraw Community water filters in three villages which supply clean water for 200 people a day for 5 years. We are planning to ship filters to several other villages.

A better filter -- We are wanting to change to a better high-volume filter with available replacement filters (below). They are a little more expensive but will better suit their needs. Plus, replacement filters are regularly available. 

​If you would like to be a partner in this, then click here. This is only possible because of your gifts and donations. Thank you!!!

Jane and I have been a part of KIVA, a micro lender, for years and have been able to be a part of 98 different loans to entrepreneurs in many difficult parts of the world. This is our latest in Mali. Go to www.kiva.org for more info.

​Join our RestoringTouch team at www.kiva.org/team/restoring_touch/loans

Jack (RT)