It was Christmas in September at the White Bison Circles of Recovery Conference in Billings, Montana in 2002. Not only did over 450 participants at the conference receive many different wellness resources and gifts, but right next to the registration table stood a bare Christmas tree. It wasn't bare for long.

A bag of white buffalo ornaments and some words of instruction completed the picture. "If you are proud of your recovery and your wellness...," said Don Coyhis at the start of the conference, "...we invite you to write your name on one side of the buffalo or bison, and on the other side, the number of years of recovery or wellness that you have. Then hang the ornament on the tree and together we'll be able to see how much wellness we represent."

This event in Billings, Montana, was the beginning of the Wellbriety Tree of Hope Project. Now individuals, families, and communities proud of their Journey to Wellness can have a Wellbriety Tree of Hope at Christmas every year, and all through the year, too. Here's how it works:

Put up a Wellbriety Tree of Hope at some location in your community that is a center for healing. It could be at a treatment center, at an IHS hospital, or in an appropriate spot in your Tribal administrative offices. Then get the word out to the whole community that anyone and everyone who is working on their own sobriety, recovery and wellness can come down and write their name and the length of time that they have been in healing onto one of the white buffalo ornaments.

Communities or neighborhoods can organize a Community Walk for Wellness in order to decorate a community tree. Ask those who have the wellness or Wellbriety vision in their hearts to gather for a one-mile Walk from around the community to the Wellbriety Tree. Where will you get the ornaments? Call or e-mail the White Bison office to obtain the ornaments in packets of 25 for your community. Each year we want our children to see the recovery community visible and proud of our wellness and sobriety. The idea is to show that wellness is not just a good idea--it's happening and it's growing.

During the first year your recovery community and people supportive of recovery can walk just one mile for wellness. Then, during the next Christmas season walk two miles. During the following season take a three mile walk to show that the movement is growing. How will we know that we are getting well? It's easy. Just count the number of Wellbriety Trees of Hope that spring up year by year. Count the number of White Bison ornaments that are sent out across the nation.

So this is the idea: those in recovery can display their pride by decorating a tree with a white buffalo ornament at any season of the year. It could be a potted tree or an artificial tree. The main thing is to show some visibility in the community so that others will know recovery and wellness is possible and a really good thing to do. It's up to your community to utilize the Wellbriety Tree in your own way throughout the whole year.

The 100 Eagle Feather Hoop brings the four gifts of Healing, Hope, Unity and Forgiveness. By beginning to keep a Wellbriety Tree of Hope each and every Christmas season, and throughout the year, we can realize the Vision of having 100 Communities in Healing by the year 2010. In this way, your community can be one of the 100.

Make plans now and put up a Wellbriety Tree of Hope in your community.