In 1986 as one of the spiritual leaders of the Bigfoot Riders, they initated a
prophecy known as "Mending the Sacred Hoop of the Nation." Chief Looking Horse
honored the healing journey by riding with the Bigfoot Riders every December
15-29th in severe temperatures, which all the committed Bigfoot Riders endured
to understand the immensity of the hardship of Chief Bigfoot and his band. They
are proud to have touched the spirit of the people that gave so much for our way
of life.
In 1993 Chief Looking Horse traveled to New York with Elders of different
Nations to for the United Nations "Cry of the Earth" Conference where he did the
opening prayer. The Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization invited him to
Holland, Netherlands to pray for Peace & Unity in 1994.
The birth of the Sacred
White Buffalo in Wisconsin, in 1994 directed him to begin another spiritual
journey of a four year commitment to organize World Peace & Prayer Day on June
21st in the four directions. Bringing awareness to the Prophesies with a call to
secure the sacredness of the sacred sites that dwell every 100 miles around
Mother Earth.
In 1996, he journeyed from Wahpeton Dakota Reservation,
Saskatchewan on the "Unity Ride", where the Bigfoot Riders rode horses to Devils
Tower, properly named "Grey Horn Butte (He Hota Paha)", site of the first World
Peace and Prayer gathering. The second year of the World Peace & Prayer Day was
hosted by Chief Sundown of the Joseph Bighead Reserve in Canada, which was
followed by a four year commitment of the "Unity Ride", that continues this year
in Canada, starting on June 21st. The third year gathering takes place in
Pipestone, Minnesota, where the sacred blood of the people lie in a vein of
stone which is quarried to make the sacred pipes. This particular gathering is
a call to the seventh generation to run from the different Nations, along with
the Bigfoot Unity Riders riding from the east beginning at Birch Coulee, another
massacre site during the 1862 Dakota Sioux Uprising, where 38 Dakotas were hung
in Mankato.
New Orleans honored Chief Looking Horse by proclaiming August 27th as "White
Buffalo Day" where he was given the key to the city by the mayor in 1996. Chief
Looking Horse was awarded the prestigious Canadian Wolf Award in 1996, given to
a person who has dedicated their life to working for Peace. The first award was
presented to Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa. Arvol was invited
to speak on peace and unity at the Clinton's 1996 inauguration.
Since the early 90's, Chief Looking Horse has been on the Board of the Society
of Peace and Prayer that plants Peace Poles around the world, carrying the
inscription "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four different languages. The next
Peace Pole will be planted at Pipestone, MN during the World Peace and Prayer
Day 1998.
In 1998, he spoke on sacred sites & freedom of religion before the
Special Reporter of the United Nations. It was the first time in history that a representative of the U.N.
came to the US to listen & compile concerns for discussion at the UN in Geneva,
Switzerland concerning indigenous religious freedom.
Chief Looking Horse has worked on international peace processes and global
healing. Some of his work includes traveling to Iraq to pray for peace, acting
on the spiritual advise of Elders from his Nation who feared a great war if the
Lakota did not pray for peace.
He traveled to South Africa to meet with
spiritual leader Desmond Tutu on global healing and World Peace and Prayer Day.
In 1995 he met with the Dali Lama to establish a relationship between Tibet and
the Lakota Nation.
Chief Looking Horse also assists in retrieving the remains of
the ancestors from museums such as the Smithsonian. He continues to work
towards the repatriation of sacred bundles and human remains in an effort to
bring respect and ritual rites back to the sacred. His work has been endless in
lecturing on religious freedom, protection of sacred sites and cultural
survival. His living legacy is to bring pride and restoration back to the
Lakota, Dakota & Nakota lands, culture and spirituality.