Date: Mon, May 25, 1998 6:22 PM EDT
From: SumerWCree
Subj: Wa`okiye Inc.

Friends,
Candy Crow is a dear friend they want to take things to about 70 families that she assists at Pine Ridge and need your help to make this possible.
The purpose is to get the things to Pine Ridge from Delaware and Candy and her workers back to Delaware again. Candy has mortgaged her home to finance trips in the past and cannot do it again. We can pull together as an online community to assist brothers and sisters.
Perhaps it is time we stopped talking about helping indians and did something. If you want more information please email Candy Crow.
I am sure she would be willing to speak to you by phone and/or to fax or email you any further information you might want.
Thank you, Sumer

Sumer,
On Feb 28, 1998 I formed a nonprofit corp. in the state of Delaware called Wa`okiye Inc. which means "we help" in Lakota. Soon after that I sent out a newsletter about the new organization and through that letter met John and Hoops Moves Camp.

We, together with some friends who were already involved with Wa`okiye, wrote by-laws, elected officers and submitted the 501(c) 3 papers for federal tax exempt status, by April 1,1998. Our by-laws state that control of the organization must always be at least 60% Native American.

Our goal is to help the people on and off the reservations with their everyday needs, but at the same time, plan and initiate programs to help them become self-sufficient.

Presently we are involved in a family assistance program, this differs from the usual clothing drive in that we have personally met and talked with these people. We know the names, ages, sizes of their children and the other members of their family and know their special needs. The clothing and other items which are donated are sorted, cleaned if needed and bagged for each individual family.

Wa`okiye drives to the Pine Ridge Reservation twice a year, usually June and November to deliver the sorted items directly to the families front door. We last went out at Christmas `97, with a 10 ft U-haul trailer and in a three day period visited thirty families.

Our program has grown since then, we now serve over seventy-five families.

This June we will need a full size U-Haul to carry all the bundles. We have not had time since April to have any fund raisers and the grants we are submitting for our program will not be here by June 15th. We have been funding this out of our own pockets up until now. But, the truck and gas are going to run us about $1500 and we have only been able to gather $400 so far.

We need help, donations to make this delivery. If you know of anyone who would be willing to donate any amount we would be grateful. We are nonprofit and any donations would be tax-deductible.

We will be taking warm clothing, coats, hats, boots and toys out to the reservation in Nov. or Dec. 1998. We also have a few families we help in Many Farms, Arizona and Crow Agency Mont.
Thanks again, let me know if I can help you, by exchanging news in our newsletters, etc. Candy Crow.

Anyone wishing to donate could make a check or money order out to:

Wa`okiye Inc.
321 Beverly Place,
Wilmington, Delaware 19809.
We will provide proof of nonprofit status upon request.