We're setting up our new sweat lodge. The old one helped us for four years. We've moved the new one about 6 ft from where the old one stood. When we were going for new willows, my nephew, Anthony Guzmen (who helped us) saw something move by the side of the road. We thought is was probably turkeys, cause they are known to be in that area, till we seen it's tail feathers. It wasn't a turkey. We stopped to see. It was a male, golden eagle, about a year old. It tried to fly off when we approached, but couldn't. Luckily, I grabbed it without being clawed or pecked. I talked Ute to it telling it we would help it. We quickly got our willows. Helen named the eagle, Red Willow because we were after red willows for the lodge and comforted the eagle while we got willows. We have a friend, Denise Hughes who works with birds of pray who could help Red Willow.

We dropped off our willows at the house and took Red Willow to Denise in Vernal. She found the eagle had a bacterial infection in it's mouth and down it's throat, like strep throat. So it would have died if we didn't find it. In a few days, Red Willow should be well enough to release in the same location. It was such a blessing. To be able to hold the being that flies closest to the Creator in our arms. It was like holding a helpless baby. When Red Willow flies again, we'll feel so good we had a role in helping it survive. May you all be blessed by our fortune in helping Red Willow.

"The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna and an important ritual used by North American First Nations or Native American peoples. There are several styles of sweat lodges that include a domed or oblong hut similar to a wickiup, a teepee, or even a simple hole dug into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks. Stones are heated in an exterior fire and then placed in a central pit in the ground. Often the stones are granite and they glow red in the dark lodge".