Blazing a Trail: My Week in a Native American Suicide Capital

Upon arriving on the main road, 40 miles away from Pine Ridge. I had asked Brian, my companion on the trip, to pull over so he could snap this picture. Today, I consider the image as metaphoric of the trip’s unpredictability.

A “Wasi’chu” Arrives With Best Intentions

I received a knock on my hotel door. I wanted to sleep, exhausted from a two-plus hour flight to Denver from Los Angeles, and a subsequent six-hour car ride to Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Alas, my slumber would be put on hold.

“Who is it?”

”Open up.” Brian Uptgraft, the founder of Blazing a Trail, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to bringing arts education to impoverished Native American reservations. It was Brian who invited me to join him on the present excursion. We met during a speaking engagement, where I was addressing newer writers about the power of networking to further their craft. “Let’s grab a bite,” he said.

Brian is a professional bounty hunter with a heart of gold. For nearly twenty years, whatever money he has earned from his bounties, after bills and taxes, he‘s donated to arts education for Native Americans.

For Brian, Pine Ridge has been a particular focus. When he invited me, I couldn’t turn him down. As a writer, I’m naturally curious about most everything.

Brian drove from Los Angeles to Denver. I flew. He picked me up at the airport for the long drive ahead.