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

The Prayer Vigil for the Earth began with Sharon Franquemont's vision of 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 Washington Monument. As soon as Sharon described her vision to the Native leader present, he said, "Call Betsy Stang. She has a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in New York that works on behalf of Native people at the United Nations (UN) and all over the world." After hearing from Sharon, Betsy consulted Native elders who supported a call to prayer in Washington DC, and she also told Sharon,"I just met David Berry who works at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and who helped Thomas Banyacya get the Hopi Prophecies into the UN. If you want to do this event in Washington DC, call David." The connections were instant and the partnership and friendship of the "three Leos" continues after fifteen years. Native people remain the host tradition at the Prayer Vigil for the Earth.