Excerpts from the autobiography of Mary Elizabeth Thunder
The first time I met Leonard Crow Dog was in the 1970s, when he was in federal prison in Ft.Wayne, Indiana. He had been arrested for holding a Pipe for the people at the Wounded Knee stand off, where the (American) Indian people were protesting injustice, abuse , and the outlawing of their sacred traditions.
I went down with a Medicine Elder and some other supporters to visit Leonard in prison. Through the glass separating him from the world, he was like a god - grand, proud, magnificient, and humble, all at the same time.
As he talked with the Elder by telephone, he looked directly into my eyes and said, "Please help my family back home ..." He was like a proud lion in a very tiny cage. He thanked us for coming and told us not to worry, because he was going to the greatest school ever. He said we must sacrifice to know what this American Indian Movement is all about.
Some of us waited for several hours while the Elder did ceremony. When he came out, he told us to write letters to the people to help free Leonard. A lot of thoughts, energies, and prayers went out for this beautiful man.
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I next saw Leonard in 1980, when he came through Indianapolis on the Second Long Walk for Survival. I was in the midst of yet another typical family crisis. It was Richard's sixteenth birthday. He had decided to run away from home , and had managed to get himself arrested and detained. He spent his birthday in Juvenile Hall eating bologna sandwiches and tomato soup. Richard was not pleased with either of his parents at that point, and he was particularly angry with me.
Then Leonard came into the scene, immediately sized up the situation, and announced, " I think he should come with me." Richard travelled with Leonard for some time, and finally Leonard flew him back from Pennsylvania. We went to meet the plane not quite knowing what to expect. My son came up to me, dropped to his knees, and started to cry. He told me how ungrateful he'd been to me, that I was his mother and I had given him life, and he wanted me to thank for that. I had known Leonard could work miracles, but this is amazing ! I thanked Leonard for that , as for so many gifts.
Richard and I met up with the Long Walk in Greenbelt Park, Pennsylvania, and went on into Washington D.C. There, I helped the advance people get food and money and fix cars, and do whatever else needed to be done. When we got into Washington, we had a huge ceremony led by a Zen Buddhist who was over 100 years old. He blessed each one of us. Then we walked into Washington D.C. Dick Gregory, Marlon Brando, Muhammed Ali, Buffy St.Marie, and all kinds of other celebrities were there.
from the book : Thunder's Grace - Walking The Road Of Visions With My Lakota Grandmother by Mary Elizabeth Thunder
