This is the heart-stopping moment a gigantic whale sprung to the surface just feet away from two stunned kayakers.

Casually minding their own business, the pair were paddling along trying to spot whales in the distance at Monterey Bay in California, USA.

But suddenly the 40ft, 80,000lb beast rose out of the water almost within touching distance of the shocked pair who couldn't believe their eyes.

Laws state that nobody can approach a whale within 100 yards of them but the mammal decided to take them by surprise instead.

The moment was captured by Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist from Moss Landing in California, while on a day trip whale watching last weekend.

He said: 'We were kayak whale watching and the whales just came right up to us. For being some of the largest animals on the planet they were very graceful.


'The whole encounter that happened between Karen and I lasted about three-quarters of a second.

'The whale dove three-feet from her kayak and didn't get one drop of water in it.

'Humpback whales are very curious and playful animals and get very friendly with kayakers and boaters - although maybe sometimes a bit too friendly.' (Source)

At their most recent meeting, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) reviewed the seven design candidates provided by the United States Mint for the reverse of the 2014 Native American Dollar. The theme for the design is the Native American hospitality which helped to ensure the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Native American $1 Coin Program was authorized under Public Law 110-82 and requires coins to be issued with annually rotating designs honoring of Native Americans and the important contributions made by tribes and individuals to the development and history of the United States. For each year of the series, the Glenna Goodacre depiction of Sacagawea and child has appeared on the obverse, while the reverse has carried the design for the given theme.

While introducing the design candidates, a representative for the United States Mint informed the CCAC of the preferences of other groups who had previously reviewed the candidates. The National Congress of the American Indian (NCAI) had expressed their preference for both design candidates #1 and #2. The first design commemorates the relationship between the Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark through the offer of horses. The generosity and hospitality were instrumental in the expedition's quest to explore the American west. The second design depicted the friendship and mutual respect that developed between Lewis and the Mandan Chief. The NCAI did recommend some alterations to the designs. For #1, they requested that the link of the horses ears be corrected. For #2, they recommended that the pipe be removed, based on its relation to ceremonial and religious use.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs had preferred design #5, which depicts a Mandan woman offering provisions of fish, corn, roots, and gourds with her village in the background. The concept is intended to symbolize the Native people's hospitality and willingness to provide aid and support for the expedition.


The Commission of Fine Arts had recommended design #6. This features a depiction of Chief Cameahwait warning Captain Lewis of the unpassable river route through the mountains and instead recommending a land route further north. The designer took artistic license in portraying both figures in more formal clothing to emphasize the importance of the occasion to the expedition.


Within the CCAC's discussions, there was support expressed for design #1, although some members expressed misgivings about the lack of a specific link to Lewis and Clark. Early within the discussions, problems were noted with design #6, which might be difficult to understand on the smaller size of an actual coin. Support coalesced around design #3, which depicts a Native American man offering a pipe and his wife offering provisions. The background includes a stylized image of the face of Clark's compass, highlighting the "NW". The concept symbolizes the unity of families in offering aid, support, and friendship to those of the expedition.


In the end, the voting was as follows, with design #3 representing the official recommendation of the CCAC for the 2014 Native American Dollar:

Design 1: 17 points Design 4: 4 points Design 8: 5 points Design 2: 4 points Design 5: 2 points Design 3: 23 points Design 6: 6 points

The authority to make the final decision for the reverse design of the coin rests with the Secretary of the Treasury. He will consider the recommendation of the CCAC, as well as the input and recommendations provided by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the Congressional Native American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Commission of Fine Arts.
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Tara Munro’s brother, Ben Queen, was riding through Custer State Park with his wife, brother and two friends when they happened across a stampede of buffalo.

He recorded great footage of the event on a remote camera which was attached to his Harley Davidson. The group of motorbike riders had pulled over to allow the buffalo a peaceful pass however another motorist had less patience and spooked the buffalo attempting to pass. (Credit: taramunro)

Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park is one of them. Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the park is home to a variety of wildlife and magnificent scenery spanning 71,000 acres.

Nearly 1,300 bison, commonly called buffalo, roam the prairies and hills of Custer State Park, which they share with swift pronghorn, shy elk, sure-footed mountain goats and curious burros. Visitors often enjoy close encounters with these permanent residents along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road that winds around the southern edge of the park. Unique Scenery

Slender granite formations called "Needles" dominate the skyline. These unique rock outcroppings are an excellent place for rock climbers to push themselves to the limit. With its winding roads and small granite tunnels, the 14-mile Needles Highway (SD Highway 87 between Sylvan Lake and Legion Lake) provides the perfect backdrop for a scenic drive and ranks as a favorite among sightseers and motorcycle enthusiasts.


A third scenic drive, Iron Mountain Road, connects the park to Mount Rushmore National Memorial via a 17-mile stretch of SD Highway 16A. The route includes some of the most breathtaking scenery in the area as well as three more tunnels and three "pigtail" bridges. (Source)

Police officer saves stray dog who was shot, malnourished and maggot ridden

One little stray dog in Kentucky is like a cat with nine lives. He was originally found by Lieutenant Matthew Castle of Martin City Police Department in Floyd County, KY. At the time he was in very poor condition, starved, shot and with his wounds infested with maggots, he urgently needed help. Lt. Castle described his condition, "I don't think he could have lasted much longer. He was so malnourished that he couldn't even use his hind legs. He was having to walk on his front paws."

Immediately after his rescue the Martin City PD couldn't get a hold of a vet or animal rescue so they put up a photo and message on their Facebook page asking for help. Shauna Brown from Floyd County Animal Shelter immediately responded and came to the poor dog's aid. She named him Castle after the officer who saved him. After examining the little 14-pound dog, it appeared that he had also been hit by a car in addition to having been starved and shot with a bb gun. She suspected he was a stray because he did not act like he had ever had a home.

After treating him for his wounds they fitted him with a wheelchair but Castle did not respond well to it. For now they're focusing on just getting him back to health and then they will place him in a home or find a rescue who will help find him a loving home.

On August 17 Castle went to the vet for some more extensive testing. The good news is that he is heartworm negative, but the bloodwork also showed elevated liver levels due to the starvation. Castle is also anemic and has an infection, which are being treated with antiobiotics. His X-rays show that he has had a healed fracture in his pelvis, however his femur had been completely shattered. It has already begun healing and Castle is on some pain meds to help this. Future plans are for him to get hydrotherapy to help regain the use of his back legs. But, overall it was a pretty good diagnosis.


But then on August 20th, little Castle had a setback in his road back to health. Unfortunately he tested positive that morning for parvovirus and had to stay in the doggie hospital. Castle had just tested negative the week before for the disease so this came as a blow to his caregiver. Shauna wrote in despair on the rescue's FB page, "As if he hasn't been through enough already. Now this. As weak as he was already, I just honestly don't know if he will make it thru. We're starting meds now along with more fluids. He's come so far. This just isn't fair."

But true to his 'determined to live' nature, on August 24th, Castle had beaten his fight with parvo! Shauna posted the great news, "I have wonderful news. Castle has been discharged from the hospital and is back here with me. He's eating well and using the potty outside! Can u believe all the things that he's overcome in his short life?"


On Castle's latest update on August 29, he is doing really well a week after being hospitalized with parvo. Shauna shared a video of Castle waking up and barking (see below). He's begun to talk quite a bit. Shauna writes, "He started something new today. He barks! If you are eating he stares at you and barks til he gets a bite. If he hears my other dogs bark, he will bark too. And if anyone gets too close to my bed, he Really barks lol."

Castle is also enjoying snuggling up to everyone in Shauna's family. She says, "Woke up this morning and couldn't find him anywhere. He either sleeps in my bed or on one of his beds beside of my bed and he wasn't there. I looked outside. I looked in my closet. Finally I saw him sleeping soundly on my couch with Lucas! Don't know how he got up there and Lucas didn't know either so he must be able to get some bounce out of those back legs now." Life is finally starting to look good for the little dog who refused to die!

A subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHPBilliton (the two biggest metal mining companies in the world, by annual revenue and market capitalization) is proposing to mine a rich copper vein on public and private lands east of Superior, Arizona.

Because the copper lies partially under a public campground that has been withdrawn from mining, the company, called Resolution Copper, hopes to pass a land exchange bill in Congress to obtain title to the campground.

A place worth protecting

The proposed mining area is not only prized by birders, campers, climbers and hikers, the tribes in the area consider it sacred. The San Carlos Apache tribe is actively opposed to the land exchange and potential mine because of the destructive impacts it would have on the surrounding ecosystem and traditional use lands.

Keep public lands public

Given the religious and recreational significance of the site, Earthworks opposes privatizing the 3,000+ acres of public land that are part of HR 687, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013.

Keeping public lands in public hands ensures that not only are the lands preserved for multiple uses, but that if a mine is to move forward, the company would go through a federal review process with adequate public involvement.

Unified opposition

The San Carlos Apache Tribe, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Fort McDowell Yavapai Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Tribe, InterTribal Council of Arizona and the National Congress of American Indians have all passed resolutions opposing the land exchange.



Conservations organizations ranging from the Sierra Club to the Arizona Audubon Society have also expressed serious concerns. Concerned Citizens and Retired Miners Association has formed to opposed the land exchange and in favor of expanded economic options for the region.
Source

The Great Oak Flat Land Giveaway from Bryan O'Neal on Vimeo.

The Ugly Animal Preservation Society is dedicated to raising the profile of some of Mother Nature’s more aesthetically challenged children. The panda gets too much attention.

At least that's the observation behind The Ugly Animal Preservation Society - a tongue-in-cheek, yet crucially important new initiative to broaden the idea of what we value and which species we care to save.

This is a theme that Chris touched on just the other day, exploring how anthropomorphism might help humans to empathize with animals that have so far not made it to the "must save because it's so cute" list. After all, from the mini-beasties in our soils to the weird and wonderful life under the sea, most of the animal kingdom is, at first glance at least, pretty far removed from us humans.

Simon Watt, biologist and comedian, is harnessing what has always been a useful tool for the more aesthetically challenged among us—humor.

Recruiting a troupe of comedians/scientists and scientists/comedians, Watt and his team are each championing a specific species, and then asking their audience to select a favorite for their region.

Here's a little more about the campaign: 
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Eve and Dillon are two dogs with disabilities who found each other at a shelter.

Two abandoned dogs - one completely deaf and the other completely blind - have a happy ending together thanks to a rescue in California and their adopter.

Eve, a deaf and partially blind Catahoula Leopard Dog mix, was found as a puppy in a snow drift and brought to Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue last year. A few months later, the shelter rescued Dillon, a blind Border Collie cross. When the two were introduced to one another, something magical happened.

Marley's Mutts described on their Facebook page how Eve and Dillon came to their rescue and how they immediately connected with one another.

"Eve – a partially blind and completely deaf Catahoula mix – came to us when she was found by a Bear Valley mail carrier as a nine week old pup, nearly frozen, on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, a couple of months ago we rescued Dillon, a completely blind Border Collie mix, who had been dropped off at a boarding facility in Lancaster and never reclaimed by his owners."


"Here were these two unique dogs, each significantly disabled, between whom we soon witnessed an amazing relationship unfolding. It turned out they were disabled in ways that complimented one another. They immediately bonded, quite literally becoming one another’s guide dogs. Dillon soothed Eve’s anxiousness. Eve gave Dillon a sense of purpose. Watching Dillon and Eve play can only be described as magical. We prayed that somehow they would be adopted together. And just recently, they were."
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Injured woman's emotional reunion with dog lost in desert for two months

In late June of this year, a serious car crash took place in the Arizona desert near Anthem. Rose Sharman and her two dogs were unfortunately involved in that fateful crash. Both Rose and her one year old dog Ily were thrown through the windshield and sadly the other dog was killed. Rose who was badly injured was airlifted to the hospital. Her dog, Ily, was so shaken up that she ran away and became lost in the desert.

Ily was missing for more than two months in the hot Arizona desert. During this time, Rose never gave up hope that Ily was still alive. According to Rose, “I missed her the most at night because she hugged me all night."

A small group of volunteers searched the desert looking for Ily but there were no sightings until about a week ago. It was at this time that witnesses reported seeing two dogs traveling together about three miles from the crash scene.

A bait cage was set up with chicken and the volunteers listened for sounds of activity over a baby monitor. Finally some clanking noises were heard, and then a bark, by the volunteers. Rose who was still in the hospital, asked them to send a photo of the dog since she could hardly believe it was Ily.

Ily, who previously weighed around 55 pounds, now only weighs about 30 pounds but other than the weight loss and dehydration, she was in good shape. Rose believes that Ily survived because she paired up with another stray dog in the desert. The other dog was nicknamed Buddy. While Ily got to go home, Buddy ended up at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, seemingly without a place to go.


Rose who is still in a wheelchair until she can walk again and is recovering from the accident, had a tearful reunion with Ily who jumped on her lap and wagged her tail and started crying. It was a very emotional experience for both of them.

Buddy the other dog did have a collar on him and his original owner was contacted. The original owner had given Buddy away to someone else but has now decided to take Buddy back and keep him. Happily both dogs are now back home with their owners.

You are watching exclusive LIVE footage from Alaska's Brooks River in Katmai National Park.

Every year over a hundred Brown Bears descend on a mile long stretch of Brooks River to feast on the largest Sockeye Salmon run in the world. Download the profiles to the right to learn who is at Brooks Falls today.

Each year millions of salmon burst from the Bering Sea into the lakes and streams of Katmai National Park. These fish provide a food source for the world's largest population of brown bears.

The World Famous bear viewing at Brooks Falls is only a short walk from Katmailand's Brooks Lodge. As many as fifty bears can be viewed fishing along the mile and a half long Brooks River during the peak of the salmon season.

Many visitors see bears within minutes of arrival. All visitors are instructed by the National Park Service on how to conduct themselves in "Bear Country".

Besides the famous Brooks River and Brooks Falls, bear viewing opportunities abound in the park, and no one has more experience or better locations for viewing these magnificent animals than Katmailand does.
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Live streaming video by Ustream

One of the firefighting teams trying to contain the Rim Fire in and around Yosemite National Park is the Geronimo Hotshots team from San Carlos, Ariz., one of seven elite Native American firefighting crews in the U.S.

On the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, firefighting jobs are one of only a few ways for many young men to earn a living. For team member Jose Alvarez Santi Jr., 25, the work is rewarding — but being away from home fighting fires can be tough.

"I don't really see it as a job. Being out away from my family — that's the part that I'm down about, is just being away," Santi said not long before the team got the call to fight the Rim Fire.

Santi has a 3-year-old son. He's only seen him for a dozen or so days this entire spring and summer. The 20-member crew works a fire for 14 days, then it's a long trip home for maybe one or two days of rest, then back out again. This late in the season you can see this is starting to take its toll on a lot of the guys. But they know it's also good money. In a good year, you could make $40,000. That goes far here.

"Of course the wife's lovin' it," said senior firefighter Tom Patton. "Right now, just can't wait to get out of here. I wanna go on another fire. It's our only means of supporting our family."

As on most reservations, jobs are hard to come by, and most families live well below the poverty line. There are a few jobs with the tribal government or at the small casino on the outskirts of the reservation. But much of the community is dependent on the fire season.


"It's Essential"

The only restaurant in town is the San Carlos Cafe. It's in a worn stone building built by the U.S. government at the turn of the 20th century. The menu on the wall features the hot shot breakfast burrito. The owner, Jo Lazo, says the firefighters are looked up to here.

"I like to say our Apache men are the strongest of all firefighters. I think it just goes down through genealogy and the struggle that we had many, many years ago. We never go down without a fight," she says.


Lazo is proud and pragmatic. The Hotshot crew members are regulars here, and that's good for business. But the tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs also employ hundreds more seasonal firefighters. During a big fire year, everyone has more money in his or her pocket, including Lazo. Her cafe caters all the meals for the crews if there's a wildfire near here.

"And it's sad when there is a fire because we do lose a lot of vegetation, but it's essential and it's been essential for years," Lazo says.


It's hard to find someone around San Carlos who doesn't have a father or brother or sister who's a wildland firefighter. In fact, by late last week, the town seemed almost empty of anyone between 18 and 35.

"Yeah, right now everybody's out on the fire. They're up in Idaho, up in Oregon, up in Washington," says Frank Rolling Thunder. He has fought fires since the '70s. He says for a lot of people here, firefighting isn't just good money — it's a ticket off this isolated reservation. And opportunities like those don't come along that often.


"First time we went out to Yosemite National Park ... there were sequoias and I'd never seen them," Rolling Thunder says. "It gives me the opportunity to go see all kinds of different places — the Cascades, Mount Shasta, Mount Hood."

Representing The San Carlos Apaches

The team had only a short two days of R&R before getting the call to go to Yosemite. As word spread from man to man at the tribal forestry office, the buzz in the room changed. A little anxiety was added to the anticipation. A few guys drifted away to make last minute phone calls. A couple more moved their motorcycles into the garage. They'll be gone for a while.

"Right now's the time where everybody kinda double checks, makes sure they got everything they need, make their last calls to their family," Santi says.

For Santi, this is the moment when it becomes clear what it means to be a Geronimo Hotshot. "I hold the name up high. Wherever I go, my family, they're proud of what I do," he says.

Santi says it's not just about fighting fire or saving people's homes. It's about representing his people off the reservation. He says the crew meets a lot of people who have never heard of the San Carlos Apaches or their history.

"We come from a people that were pushed around, shoved into reservations, and to me, I want our people to show that we can do a lot of things other than being pushed around and shoved around," he says. "It's a good feeling."

The white trucks with blue letters spelling out Geronimo are all packed. No more time to talk. Ten men to each "buggy" as they call them. They'll drive through the night to California and then it's on to the front lines of the Rim Fire.
SOURCE

Twenty tourists are taken through lion enclosure on cage on flatbed truck

It is closer than most people would dream of getting to a pack of hungry lions.

But this mobile enclosure allows visitors at Orana Wildlife Park, in Christchurch, New Zealand, to come eye-to-eye with the big cats... at feeding time.

Up to 20 tourists pay £15 each to squeeze into the cage with keepers and watch the lions being fed.

Lions jump up the sides and onto the top of the moving mesh enclosure allowing people to get as close as is safe to the fearsome carnivores.

Keepers feed the lions from within the cage, giving visitors the chance to watch them feed in their habitat.

Park spokesman, Nathan Hawke, said: 'The Lion Encounter is a genuinely unique visitor experience.


'While people can see lions in numerous places, we think we can get you as close as you would safely want to get to view these magnificent animals.

'We've had visitors who have come to Christchurch just to take part in this encounter.

'It is an interesting way to display lions and also enables us to discuss ways in which visitors can help the King of the Beasts.'


The daily feeding trips into the lion enclosure costs $30 (£15) each, with a minimum height restriction of 1.4m for safety reasons.

Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand's only open range zoo, set on 80 hectares of park-like grounds.

Over 400 animals from 70 different species are displayed.
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Amazing Little Puffer Fish Creates Ocean Floor ‘Crop Circles’

Recently a man from Japan, Yoji Ookata, who has dedicated his life to uncovering the mysteries of the deep oceans discovered something very amazing. He had obtained his scuba license at the age of 21 and has since spent the last 50 years exploring and documenting his discoveries off the coast of Japan.

He was on a dive near Amami Oshima at the southern tip of the Japan, when he spotted something he had never encountered before: rippling geometric sand patterns nearly six feet in diameter almost 80 feet below sea level. He soon returned with colleagues and a television crew from the nature program NHK to document the origins what he dubbed the “mystery circle.”

By using underwater cameras the team discovered the 'artist' is a small puffer fish only a few inches in length. This fish swims tirelessly through the day and night to create these amazing sculptures using the gesture of a single fin. The team through careful observation found the circles serve a variety of crucial ecological functions, the most important of which is to attract mates.

Apparently the female puffer fish are attracted to the hills and valleys within the sand and swim them carefully to discover the male fish who is waiting for them. The pair then eventually lay eggs at the circle’s center and the grooves later act as a natural buffer to ocean currents that protect the delicate offspring. The scientists also learned that the more ridges there were within the sculpture, it resulted in a much greater likelihood of the fish pairing.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration less than 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored. This means that 95% of what lies deep underwater on Earth has yet to be seen by human eyes. If humans are just making discoveries this significant now, it really makes you wonder what else is down there. Only 95% more to go!

One year after Oscar winning actor Colin Firth launched Survival International’s campaign to save the Awá, Earth’s most threatened tribe, a large number of international celebrities have joined him and his wife Livia in backing the urgent campaign.

Hollywood star Gillian Anderson, British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, Californian rock band Allah-Las, actors Mark Rylance, Sophie Okonedo, Emilia Fox, Sinead Cusack and stars of the hit series Game of Thrones Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena and Finn Jones are among the celebrities photographed with the awáIcon, which reads ‘Brazil: Save the Awá’.

Gillian Anderson told Survival, ‘We must as human beings collectively wake up and help save the Awá: the Earth’s most threatened tribe. We cannot have another people become extinct due to the negligence and greed of others. We all have a duty.’

Other British celebrities backing the campaign to save the Awá include Olympic star and winner of Strictly Come Dancing Louis Smith, TV and radio presenters Davina McCall and Dave Berry, MTV presenter Lilah Parsons, human rights activist Peter Tatchell, artist Kurt Jackson and many others.

The Awá of northeastern Brazil live under the threat of extinction due to violent attacks and the theft of their land by loggers and ranchers. Brazil’s authorities have done nothing to evict the invaders from the Awá’s heartland, despite experts warning of a ‘genocide’ if no action is taken.


Pire’i Ma’a Awá, an Awá man told Survival International, ‘We’ve been waiting too long. When the rains stop, the loggers will come back. The loggers will close in on us, here around our community. The police must be brought here!’

The celebrities joined a worldwide movement to save the Awá which has seen over 50,000 letters sent to Brazil’s Justice Minister and the awáIcon photographed at famous landmarks around the world – from Brazil’s Sugarloaf mountain, to the Eiffel tower in Paris.


 Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘As celebrities join the campaign to save the Awá, Brazil must not ignore the growing number of voices being raised in support of the world’s most threatened tribe. Its reputation hangs in the balance.’
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With many shark species facing deep declines across the world's oceans, India has moved to outlaw one of the most pernicious and cruel threats they face.

In an effort to save endangered shark species in the nation's waters, India's Environmental Minister announced new legislation that would make it illegal to possess or sell shark fins. Fishermen found to have harvested shark fins will face tough penalties, including up to seven years in prison.

According to the Times of India, several dozen shark species endemic to surrounding waters are listed as endangered, including hammerheads, whale sharks, and broadfins.

India ranks second in terms of the number of sharks caught each year, after Indonesia, though most are unprotected species sold for local consumption. Since it is not easy to determine if a species is endangered from its fin alone, fishermen found to have finned any shark run the risk of prosecution. Sharks caught for their fins are usually dismembered and returned to the ocean, left to die slowly.

The demand for shark fins comes primarily from China, where it is the prime ingredient for shark fin soup. Last year alone, fishermen in India exported some $4.8 million worth of fins to the Chinese.

Conservationists hope that the measure will help to stabilize declines among shark species at risk of extinction, some of which have been reduced to a mere 10 percent of what they were a few decades ago.
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Andean Condors released into wild after poisoning scare

Wildlife officials in Chile released several Andean Condors back into the wild near Los Andes city approximately 80km north of Santiago.

The birds received ten days of round-the-clock medical treatment after a poisoning scare in which over a dozen of the large birds mysteriously crashed to the ground earlier this month.

The vulture-like birds had been infected by an unknown toxin making them ill and causing diarrhoea and uncharacteristic behaviour.

The condor is the world's largest land bird of flight and was treated with reverence by the indigenous peoples of Latin America.

However, according to the International Union of the Conservation of Nature, the species is in danger of extinction due to a loss of habitat and lead poisoning ingested when feeding on the remains of animals killed by hunters.
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Heroic Dobermans up for adoption come to the rescue of a woman in car crash

Sam Lewis and his sister Emily, 20, live in rural Shropshire in the UK and regularly walk two foster dogs up for adoption, Star and Storm, in the surrounding countryside. Recently on a walk, the dogs stopped dead in their tracks, their ears pricked up and they looked at each other, according to Sam. Then they started tugging at their leads like they have never done before.

The two Dobermans had heard a car crash more than a mile away but as the humans did not the dogs began to drag them there. Sam and Emily followed the two dogs and found a woman driver trapped in an overturned car on an isolated country lane.

Sam described the event as such, 'Star and Storm were really keen to go back the way they came which is very out of character. Out of curiosity more than anything we decided to let them take us where they wanted us to go. I was amazed when they pulled us straight to where the crash was.'

He went onto to say, 'As soon as we saw what happened, I called the emergency services and tried to see if the person in the car was alive. At first I couldn't see anyone but then the woman started moving and began banging on the back window of the car.'


The accident happened on a road which is rarely used and the woman could have been left for hours if it wasn't for Star and Storm's intervention. An ambulance service spokesman said the woman had a serious back injury and was being treated at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The two dogs are being hailed as heroes for saving her life.

Star and Storm are in need of rescue themselves. The 8-year-old dogs are currently at Grinshill Animal Rescue due to a situation of domestic violence, although they were not the victims, and were well loved. They are friendly and excellent with children. Storm must take medication for an under-active thyroid, which will be provided. The rescue wants to find a home for the two dogs together.

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has chosen two Native brothers to carve totem poles and a screen for the Gajaa Hít building in Juneau’s Indian Village.

Joe and T.J. Young will carve the pieces for the building, which is located near the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. SHI hired the team in 2009 to carve an Eagle pole at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), so staff is familiar with their work.

“They carved the pole at UAS and I know they’ve been working on a number of projects around the Northwest Coast since then. They’re pretty well regarded,” said SHI Art Director Rico Worl, adding the artists went through a competitive process and proposals were vetted by an artist committee and a technical committee, which both unanimously chose the Youngs.

The totems will replace two Eagle and Raven poles at Gajaa Hít. The poles have deteriorated to the point that they pose safety issues. The new pieces will display the crests of the first people of Juneau—the Auk Kwáan, which includes the Wooshkeetaan (Shark) and L’eeneidí (Dog Salmon) clans. SHI has been working closely with the Auk Kwáan and other residents of the village on the designs. The Auk Kwáan selected the Eagle and Raven crests to be carved on the pole and appointed village residents Ed Kunz (Raven of the L’uknax.ádi (Coho) Clan) and Chris Coronell (Eagle of the Yanyeidí (Wolf) Clan) to serve as Raven and Eagle. The carvers also will work with apprentices.

“We’ve had a couple of meetings so far with various members of Auk Kwáan and of the village street community just so that they can be engaged and have a voice in this project, since it’s on their land, in their home,” said Worl, noting SHI also will meet with the kwáan and village community to plan a lowering ceremony once the original poles are ready to come down.


The logs were delivered to Gajaa Hít earlier this month and the carvers are scheduled to start working on them this week. They will do initial work on the first pole at Gajaa Hít then transfer it to Sealaska Plaza. They’ll begin work on the second pole next year.

The original 26-foot poles were carved and painted by Tommy Jimmie, Sr., Edward Kunz, Sr., Edward Kunz, Jr., and William Smith in 1977 to honor the Raven and Eagle Clans of the Auk Kwáan. The Raven pole is a copy of a totem from Wrangell carved by William Ukas in 1896. The screen was designed by Tommy Jimmie, Sr., and painted by Ed Kunz, Sr., and Ed Kunz, Jr.


This project was funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Our Town program; the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council; and the Juneau Community Foundation. Sealaska donated the logs, and the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority is paying for the apprentices. The project will be led by SHI in partnership with the housing authority, which owns Gajaa Hít, and the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council.

Sealaska Heritage Institute was founded in 1980 to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars. Its mission is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska.

CONTACT: Rico Worl, Art Director, 907-463-4844; Joe and T.J. Young, carvers, 907-301-0860
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White Buffalo Teachings with Chief Arvol Looking Horse (Video)

Hau Kola. Hello, friend.

I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, greet you on behalf of the Pte Oyate - the Buffalo People, the First People, the Original People. We come from The Heart of Everything That Is - the sacred Paha Sapa - known to most as the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We are the watchers. We are witnesses. We see what has gone before. We see what happens now, at this dangerous moment in human history. We see what's going to happen - what will surely happen - unless we come together: we - the Peoples of all Nations - to restore peace and harmony and balance to the Earth, our Mother.

This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony - or it will bring the end of life as we know it.

Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the Great Myth of Progress and Development that ruled the last millennium. To us, as caretakers of the Heart of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction.

We have come to a time and place of great urgency. The fate of future generations rests in our hands.


Exerpts from White Buffalo Teachings * * *

When I was 12 years old, words of our ancient Prophecies were instilled in me by our Spiritual Elders of that time. Those Prophecies concern drastic changes that would come to all life upon Mother Earth. These changes are here with us today!

Our Prophecies tell us that we are at the Crossroads. We face chaos, disaster, and endless tears from our relatives’ eyes - or we can unite spiritually in peace and harmony. It’s time to bring the Message of the urgent need for Peace, of creating an energy shift throughout the world.

As Keeper of the Sacred C’anupa Bundle, I ask for your prayers for Global Healing. Our Mother Earth is suffering. Her wonderful gifts — the water, the trees, the air — are being abused. Her children — the two-legged, the four-legged, those that swim, crawl and fly — are being annihilated. We see such atrocities occurring everywhere.


Nineteen generations ago the beautiful spirit we now refer to as Pte-san win-yan (White Buffalo Calf Woman) brought the Sacred C’anupa to our People. She taught the People the Seven Sacred Rites and how to walk upon Mother Earth in a sacred manner. She said, "Only the good shall see the Pipe…the bad shall not see it or touch it."

She arrived among us in this way—

At that time, not long after the Flood, the People still followed the buffalo, but they had forgotten the Creator and the teachings of the buffalo. They were trying to control one another, be more than who they were. The buffalo disappeared and the People were starving and crying. They grew too weak even to move camp, and so they sent out scouts to look for buffalo or other game. But always they returned empty-handed.

Then one day they sent out two scouts, who saw not even a rabbit the whole day. Dejected, they started back to camp from their failed hunt, traveling through the woods and rolling hills, northeast of the sacred Black Hills, just up the river from where I live today.....


We must comprehend in each of our hearts and minds the two ways we human beings are free to follow, as we choose: the good way, the spiritual way - or the un-natural way, the material way. It’s our personal choice, our personal decision - each of ours and all of ours.

You, yourself, are the one who must decide. You alone can choose. Whatever you decide is what you’ll be - good or bad. You cannot escape the consequences of your own decision. On your decision — yes, on your own personal decision — depends the fate of the World.

You can’t avoid it. You must decide. You personally - each of us personally - is put here in this time and this place to decide the future of humankind.

Did you think you were put here for something less?

Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger?

Know that you are essential to this World. Believe that. Understand that. You yourself are desperately needed.

This is the message that I carry to you as we stand at this Crossroads in history — I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, known also as Horse Man, Keeper of the Sacred C’anupa (pipe) brought to the Lakota-Dakota-Nakota Nation by the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman nineteen generations ago.

Hau kola. I am honored to greet you. I honor your sacredness, your humanness. I ask you to honor mine. It is good that we meet. Yes, good. Wasté! Mitakuye Oyasin.


When we say Mitakuye Oyasin — "All Our Relations" — many people don’t understand the meaning of those words. The phrase Mitakuye Oyasin has a bigger meaning than just our blood relatives. Yes, it’s true; we are all one human race. But the word Mitakuye means relations and Oyasin means more than family, more than a Nation, more than all of humankind. Everything that has a spirit.

The Earth herself, Maka Unci, is our relation, and so is the sky - Grandfather Sky - and so is the Buffalo…and so are each of the two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, those that swim, those that fly, the root nation, and the crawling beings who share the world with us. Mitakuye Oyasin refers to the interconnectedness of all beings and all things. We are all interconnected. We are all One.


Don’t call us "earth-based," as if we worship the Earth. We don’t worship her. We honor her. But to worship anyone, we, the Indigenous, will never do that. We humble ourselves to the sacred energy of all life knowing we are one. We stand up when we address the Creator, we bow down and touch the earth, to acknowledge and give thanks to our Mother.

We see ourselves as part of the universe, part of all that is seen, and part of all that is unseen. We recognize that we are no better - and no worse - than the grasses, the trees, the birds, the insects, the animals, the stars.

But we also understand that we humans are different. Each being of Creation has a unique role and place, and a specific task to perform. Our Original Instructions tell us what our role is, where our place is, and what our task is as human beings.


Do you know your task? Unless you know it, and then perform it in this life, you have strayed from the Good Red Road that the Creator - Wakan Tanka - has given each of us to walk.

Even those who don’t know how will pray or meditate. They will learn to contribute their energy. All people need to learn that within each of us, we have this ability and gift.

Yes, our life energy must be a gift for our future. Your life, my life, everybody’s life must follow your given path.

So pray or meditate. Follow your inner path and learn just how powerful you are and learn that you are a leader for your people, your family, your children, and the Mother Earth.


What happens within us happens in the World. We are the Message of the World. As we are and as we do, So the World will be.

When the people of all colors pray together with the Sacred C’anupa (pipe), or with any other sacred gifts given by the creator, even with just our natural spirit energy — without anger or resentment or prejudice — extremely powerful things can occur. When we do this with a good heart and in a sacred way we can - and will - change the world!

When you begin to believe in the sacred way of life, you will begin to understand the importance of the sacred sites, knowing that they are a connection to Mother Earth. You will understand the traditions and the ability to see the prophecies that were passed down through the generations of Ancestors, who lived in harmony. They had seen what was in store for their seven generations to come (us), they prayed we would re-find the "key" to harmony in understanding the Spirit of the Circle of Life. It is then that you assist in bringing health, prosperity and balance back to Mother Earth. That is human sacrifice and spiritual growth. That is the way. We as the Buffalo People believe in this circle of life, where there is no ending and no beginning. The process of mending the sacred hoop continues.....

Know that you yourself are essential to this world. Believe that. Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are desperately needed to save the Soul of this World. Did you think you were put here for something less?...... 
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
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