This marks a bold new page in the growth of Asatru here in the Dakotas. Late last year a move was made to go beyond the traditional Kindred/Clan model. With the agreement to purchase a piece of property to create a dedicated ritual area and hof, Prairie Asatru was born. Prairie Asatru is the natural out growth of the Ulfhednar Clan. Since 2013 the Ulfhednar Clan has been building Asatru here, from a few people around a picnic table talking to performing blotar in a park, to hosting regional events that fill up whole campgrounds, we have been steadily moving in an ever upward direction. Ulfhednar Clan will continue on and continue to be the driving force it has always been here in the Dakotas, but it can no longer be the only vehicle for growth here. Prairie Asatru will be a more public face of our activities; it will be a network of Asatruar all working for a future for our children and grandchildren. A future where our holy Gods are still honoured and our Ancestors are still celebrated.
Prairie Asatru is a recognized non-profit within the state of North Dakota and we hope to be recognized by the IRS with 501c3 status later this year. We have began the process of building a dedicated ritual area and hof(temple) for the celebration of our holy Gods.
As you can see, we have created our own website to better reach Asatruar across the region. We have a newsletter for incarcerated Asatruar that is going in the mail shortly after Ostara and will be published 4 times a year. This newsletter, "A Wolf's Howl", will be the spearhead of a prison outreach that will hopefully allow our Incarcerated folk the opportunity to grow in the ways of our people and one day return back to the Asatru community in the free world.
We have created a curriculum of study for our future Gothar. Something of substance that will allow each student to become far more than just a backyard bbq style Gothi. 18-24 months of deep level studies of our lore, history, and culture combined with real world training and practice of performing blotar and other rituals with an added focus on counseling. Our Gothar will represent the best our folk have to offer and each one, upon completion of the program, will become legally ordained.
We will continue to host large weekend long events and celebrations in honour of our holy days; with the acquisition of our own property these celebrations will likely increase in regularity.
Prairie Asatru is very much focused on the growth of our regional Asatru community. We do not shun the larger national, and even international, organizations.....all things have a place and a purpose. We have just realized that for us the local must be the primary focus. The family has always been the foundation of Asatru, growing from that comes the Clan, or grouping of families, from there comes the tribe or group of clans, and, in times of woe or war, then tribes come together to form a nation/people/warband........we are building a tribe here. We are building something that will last long after all of us today are gone. Prairie Asatru will be the tribe of the northern plains......we will be the voice of Asatru here on the prairie!
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