The Kansas miracle happened as a result of Tom Zachman's concern for his sister Glenda Patterson, and husband Wade, who were in danger of losing their Kansas farm from the worst drought in 120 years. In desperation, Tom asked his buddy, Bob Beer, editor of the Telluride Daily Planet, to connect him to Daniel Rollingbears Quintanas, the Lakota whose snow ceremony he heard had saved the ski area from a drought the Christmas before.

     Rollingbears and I prayed as we drove all the way to Kansas. On arriving, Tom helped Bears broadcast part of the ceremony live on the radio so that all the farmers could easily join in the prayers. A few farmers joined a local minister, who believed in participating in other faiths (to create more peace and understanding) in the sweat lodge. When one of the cool farmers reported seeing "the damndest thing on the way here - a deer chasing a coyote, " We all looked at eachother and laughed, sensing that something magical may be going to happen.

        The next morning I saw on CNN that the only cloud in America was in Kansas, and a storm was starting to swirl around where the inipi lodge sat. Soon thereafter Rollingbears and saw a black cloud that blanketed the skies, coming behind us as we headed back to Telluride. Rollingbears pulled over as the wind started swirling around us as he joyfully beat the drum in gratitude for the storm. It was at that moment that I realized that Mother Earth really listens. Later Tom told me that it rained, not all at once, which would have washed away the topsoil, but in a series of light rainfalls every few days, the ideal!"

        As a result, I figured Rollingbears coincidences were more than coincidences, they were miracles, and found myself co-founding Native Voices Foundation with S. Ute Unity leader Alden Naranjo.