Almost 1000 signing for the Winnemem ceremony!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/protect-winnemem-wintu-tribe-puberty-ceremony

Seriously!! In less than a week 834 people have signed a petition to US Senator Barb Boxer of California to do all she can to help the Winnemem Wintu carry on their important Coming of Age Ceremony for Jessie and Marisa Sisk on a small stretch of the McCloud River as it has always been done in safety and without interference and danger. Senator Boxer has been helpful in the past encouraging the Forest Service to support religious freedom and respect of the indigenous peoples of the land over which the FS has authority.

We have only 166 more signatures to go!!! Please take the time to go on site and sign.

Jessica let us know that she ane Marisa practiced swimming across and made it!! They are shy but they are getting ready for the ceremony.

We would not want boaters who ignore our voluntary closure of the river to endanger them as they swim across to join us on the fourth day. We would not want the boaters bring beer and wave their bottles, harass the people, women and children included, flashing them as they did when Babers went through her Coming of Age ceremony. At that time the Forest Service finally did close the river down because the drunken boaters ignored the Forest Service employee in his kayak, giving him a bump when he tried to talk to them.

So please take some time to help this ceremony carry on, support these young women to go through the ceremony which will give them strength as women, and join the tribe and their supporters in our prayers for them. Please go to this link and sign.

I hope that the petition can be sent today!!!