Founders, from the left: Betsy Stang, Sharon Franquemont and David Berry.

The Prayer Vigil for the Earth began with Sharon Franquemont's visionof an eagle flying above and below the ground the entire length of the National Mall in Washington, DC. At the conclusion of the vision,the eagle revealed a group of people in prayer next to the WashingtonMonument. As soon as Sharon described her vision to theNative leader present, he said, "Call Betsy Stang. She has aNon-Governmental Organization (NGO) in New York that works on behalf ofNative people at the United Nations (UN) and all over the world." Afterhearing from Sharon, Betsy consulted Native elders who supported a callto prayer in Washington DC, and she also told Sharon,"I just met David Berry who works at the White House Council onEnvironmental Quality and who helped Thomas Banyacya get the HopiProphecies into the UN. If you want to do this event in Washington DC,call David." The connections were instant and the partnership andfriendship of the "three Leos" continues after fifteen years. Nativepeople remain the host tradition at the Prayer Vigil for the Earth.