More than just a fun trip on horseback
By Julia DeCook
Pine Ridge, S.D. - Not many men have a buffalo head mounted in their living room, but then again there aren’t many men like Bamm Brewer.
Charles “Bamm” Brewer is a character of a man: outgoing, warm, open and one of the greatest storytellers you may encounter. He sat us down below the giant buffalo head sandwiched between two antelope mounted on the walls in his living room, overlooking the rolling hills of the Pine Ridge Reservation. He proceeded to talk about his creation – the Crazy Horse Ride.
Brewer is the original organizer of the Crazy Horse Ride, an event that takes place for four days during the second week of June where people ages 8 to 50 follow the trail on horseback from Fort Robinson in Nebraska to Pine Ridge in South Dakota.
The ride is meant to honor the warriors of Lakota society – from the past to the present and even the future. Great warriors like Crazy Horse, for whom the ride is named, and for the warriors today serving in the armed forces.
It also helps to teach the younger generation of Lakota youth the horse culture and even a bit of their own history. It encourages them to embrace their Lakota culture and to honor Lakota warriors of the past.
The Lakota used the horse for their main mode of survival – the buffalo. The horse and its rider are of one spirit, and during a hunt this was apparent. It is still seen today how intertwined the spirit of the horse and the rider are, especially on the Crazy Horse Ride.
It begins in Fort Robinson with a smudging ceremony to bless the 200 riders on their journey and the ride itself.
Fort Robinson is the place where Crazy Horse was murdered during the surrender of the Lakota people in the late 1800s. The details surrounding the events that occurred during the time of his death are a sad time in the history of the Lakota people.
The first day the riders cover 30 miles, and not all of the riders who begin will finish in Pine Ridge.
Day two, they travel 18 miles, which takes the riders to the Beaver Valley Camp, where Crazy Horse had camped once before. A Youth Dedication Ceremony takes place here because the area holds a significance for the Oglala Lakota Oyate: it was rumored that after his death at Fort Robinson, Crazy Horse’s family brought his body to the Beaver Valley area and buried him there.
The Youth Dedication ceremony is a special event due to what takes place during the ceremony. Many young people are given their Lakota names and war bonnets are awarded to certain riders. There are dances, songs and stories told during the ceremony also.
The final stop for the weary riders is Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The sight of the riders coming into town is a thing to behold, hundreds of riders coming through town on their horses, carrying elaborate, colorful staffs and flags representing the tribes, the United States and the POW.
One horse is left without a rider to represent Crazy Horse’s spirit, and Brewer said, with awe in his voice, “We would just let it run free, and it would always stay at the front. It was like Crazy Horse was actually with us.”
During the ride, trailers and cars drive alongside the riders in case any of them decide to give up or become hurt. Dusti Michaud has been on the ride for 10 consecutive years, and her role has changed as she has gotten older.
“The older kids help Bamm with the ride,” Michaud said. “Since he’s the only one organizing everything, the older kids will go out and set up the tipis at the resting grounds and help call people to volunteer to help us during the ride.”
The Crazy Horse Ride helps to remind younger Lakota about who they are as a people and what they represent. “During the ride, the older riders will ride next to you and tell you stories,” Michaud said. “They tell you stories about not only our people but about what alcohol and drugs have done to us. It makes you think that maybe you shouldn’t do those things because then you can help keep the culture alive.”
The importance of the horse in Lakota culture is apparent anywhere you go on the reservation. So many people still ride horse through town and Pine Ridge is probably one of the few places in America where you see horses tied up in front of a gas station.
“At first I just rode horse because I thought it was fun,” Michaud said with a laugh, “but as I’ve gotten older and been on the Crazy Horse Ride for so long, I realize that it’s taught me a lot and has helped to keep me out of trouble.”
Michaud said she has learned more about her culture and more responsibility, as she has grown older. She even mentioned the grueling ride helped her through Army Basic Training due to the high mental strength necessary to endure boot camp.
In 2010, the governor of Nebraska dedicated Highway US-20 in Nebraska to Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse Memorial Highway stretches from Hay Springs to Fort Robinson and was actually an effort by Chadron residents to recognize Crazy Horse’s importance in the region.
Brewer not only organizes the Crazy Horse Ride, but also helps troubled youth. He hopes that the ride will help them feel connected to their culture and also help them avoid the things that are destroying Lakota society. He constantly takes kids under his wing and gets them involved in projects to keep them out of trouble.
“I’m not getting any younger and the older kids will take over the ride for me eventually,” Brewer said with a smile.
Despite being a ride that was supposed to only last four years, Bamm Brewer’s Crazy Horse Ride has been ongoing for 14 years and will continue for many years to come.
Keeping the spirit of Crazy Horse and Lakota warriors alive is the main aim for it all – but it teaches Lakota youth the power of the horse, the power of their people and the importance of their way of life.
Photos by: David Michaud
Photos by: David Michaud
