Chief Arvol Looking Horse

In 1996, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, began conducting annual World Peace and Prayer Day (WPPD) ceremonies to encourage people of all faiths and all nations to offer prayers for the planet on the summer solstice, June 21st. Across cultures, the solstice is considered a powerful time to pray, especially at sacred sites. For the past 23 years, WPPD has been held at sites across the US and around the world. This year, the gathering comes to Ohio to honor the sites sacred to the Indigenous Peoples of this region.

The 24th annual multicultural honoring of sacred sites will be held at Fort Ancient in Lebanon, Ohio. Fort Ancient is one of the most extensive earthworks sites in the country and has been described as "one of the most extensive, if not the most extensive, work...in the entire West", Fort Ancient has been nominated for potential submission by the United States to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and has been used for many centuries by Indigenous People as a place to gather together for the spiritual ceremony.

Chief Looking Horse leads this annual commemoration to emphasize significant Indigenous sites in Ohio and to inspire youth. Educators, artists, faith-based and civic leaders, and all concerned with the health of our environment will have opportunities to learn during this event. “We all rely on the spirit of Mother Earth, of her waters and lands, along with all living beings, many who are in a place great urgency, because all things are connected,” writes Chief Arvol Looking Horse.

This event is being hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition, and Miami Council of Native Americans. 

2019 Speakers