What can the Ho-Chunk Nation, The Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) and Kickapoo Earth Day accomplish together?  Kickapoo Earth Day’s fifth annual event, “Sacred Water, Sacred Land”, will take place at both the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and the LaFarge Community Center on Saturday, April 19.

  Beginning the day at the KVR at 9 a.m., the all-day free event features informative booths, a children’s tent and Native American activities in a traditional Ho-Chunk Ciporoke, a long house made of bent poles.  Food will include organic hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, and tortilla hummus and veggie wraps, plus home made desserts. 

  Moving to the LaFarge Community Center at 6 p.m., and running until 11 p.m., there will be live music, food, beer, wine and soda with a $12 charge at the door.  The bands will be Barefoot Antenna and the Freaks of Nature.  Children under 16 are free.

  The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is one and one-half miles North of LaFarge on Hwy 131 and the LaFarge Community Center is one block North of Main St at 202 State Street.

  Carrying on the tradition established by Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, there will be talks on environmental issues by academics and activists.  Dr. Nancy Philippi and Dr. Donald Hey will present a Case for Wetlands Restoration; David Greendeer MS, Executive Administrative Officer, Ho-Chunk Nation Legislator, “Caring for the land for thousands of years”; Tyrone Hayes, UC Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Atrazine Researcher talking about his “Frog War”; Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo on the Dangers of Frac Sand Mining and local activist, Juliee de la Terre, MS Gaylord Nelson Institute, speaking on “For Land Sakes, Re-Wild It”.

  This year’s Earth Day event is sponsored by the Kickapoo Earth Day Committee, the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Organic Valley Family of Farms.  Reduce your carbon footprint and bring your own tableware.