Corn Moon Kennels: Native American Indian Dog Preservation Project

08/11/2024

Four weeks old tomorrow, and already a pro at bath time! Look at these precious little faces! 😭🥹

08/05/2024

Today the Spirit Litter is three weeks old, and I could not be more tickled and proud of them! While we were gone to New York over the weekend (rescuing some other NAIDs), they started walking! That means it's time for their names, which we give them in a traditional naming ceremony.

Some of you know about this tradition, and you eagerly await the announcement of the puppies' names, and some of you will be learning about this for the first time. For those who are new here, it's traditional. Most Indians will die with many different names. We give names for important events in life, and we give names to bring strength or character traits we wish to see one grow into. Just like all the others, these puppies have been prayed for, and they will bring great medicine to the families who receive them!

Remember, Native American Indian culture is incredibly diverse, with multiple hundreds of different tribes spanning from Mexico all the way into Canada and Alaska. Each tribe is its own sovereign nation, and it deserves to be recognized as such. As a keeper of the Chahta language, most of my pups are named in Chahta, but if I honor another tribe by naming a pup in their tongue, I will always tell you the source of the name! As always, we protect the sacred by never photographing the ceremony. What is sacred is secret! These photos are taken after the ceremony is complete.

World, meet the Spirit Litter in order:

1. Ofí Hullo (black and white), the first born, whose name means Sacred Dog.
2. Hokli Okhish (apricot and white), the second born, whose name means Medicine Keeper.
3. Issito Iskitini (wheat, red, and white), third born, whose name means Little Pumpkin.
4. Onnachi (chocolate and white), the last born, whose name means All Night Long.

08/03/2024

Remember how I talked about the hiccups on the dogs' journey? Well, I wasn't kidding!

We got to our stopping point for the night at 1 AM last night, and we anxiously fell into bed for a much needed short rest. We got up this morning to hit the road, and as we started loading things up, we realized that our right front tire was completely flat! How unexpected and disappointing!

A call to revealed we'd need to have a tow truck come for the van and get an Uber to the only Enterprise location open today so we could switch out our rental for another vehicle. Two Ubers came and went because they didn't have enough space for the dog kennels, even though they were XL. Finally, we decided to ask our hotel if we could leave our kennels and return for them after we switched out our vehicle, and thankfully, they agreed. Off we went to Enterprise to get our van switched out...

Upon arrival, we were told that we could not get a van - all they had available were midsize sedans. We explained that would not work for the job we had to do this weekend, but unfortunately, they didn't have anything else for us to rent. A quick prayer and some finesse materialized a plan to wait for the van we rented to get its tire repaired.

At 4 PM - just before closing time - we are back on the road with a new tire! Here are are a couple of pictures of the ordeal. New York, we're on our way! We should arrive to pick up the pups by 9 PM. Stay tuned for the next episode!

If you're seeing this post on my personal socials (Rebecca) or at Corn Moon Kennels' socials, please hop over and follow the NAID Preservation Project on Instagram, or the NAID Preservation Project on Facebook.

08/02/2024

Their little butts are so cute. This is the difference two weeks made! 😭😩🥹

07/30/2024

They change so quickly! Eyes are open! Had their first bath yesterday! 😭🥹😇

07/26/2024

Kana Okhish (Medicine of Grace) and her ten-day-old pups. There's also a plus-one you may notice: an eggplant 🍆 from our farm. I am getting about a dozen per week right now, so I have to be on top of going out to pick daily. I brought in five and set them on the table only to discover that one vanished suddenly. Where did it go? Ahhh yes. Check the puppy room. There it is! This Liittle Mama would adopt everyone if she could!

07/21/2024

Spirit Dogs. They were the most sought after by the Native American Indian people because this broken pattern of colors in a white coat indicated a dog that was friendlier, more trainable, and more sociable with humans. The Spirit Dog pattern, though once the gold standard for the NAID, has become very rare. I hope to change that. 😊

07/15/2024

Welcome to the world with great love! 💞

07/05/2024

Good morning!

I'm reaching out to ask for your support in a project that is incredibly close to my heart. Many of you know about the work I've been doing to preserve and restore the ancient dogs of Turtle Island—the Native American Indian Dogs (NAIDs). My organization, the NAID Preservation Project, started with a focus on breeding practices to produce exceptional companion dogs. However, we have recently expanded our mission to include rescuing NAIDs.

Unfortunately, due to unethical breeding practices, many NAIDs are misunderstood and often end up in shelters, facing euthanasia or being passed from one home to another without ever finding stability. We are committed to changing this, but we need your help.

We are looking for compassionate individuals who feel called to foster or adopt these special dogs. Fostering requires a unique dedication and love for rescue dogs, and it may be the perfect fit for you. If you are interested in fostering, please fill out the application form linked below.

Our greatest need right now is for foster families. If fostering isn't right for you at this time, there are still other ways you can help. We have a rescue fund where you can make general donations, which I'll link below. Additionally, if you're interested in making a more significant impact, you can sponsor a NAID. Sponsorship helps cover the costs of extended fostering and rehabilitation needed before these dogs can be placed in their forever homes.

Thank you for considering how you might support this vital work. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of these wonderful dogs.

Foster/Adopter Application:
https://form.jotform.com/241855039490057

NAIDPP donations: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3341884818718720563

With gratitude,

Rebecca

06/17/2024

These lovebirds are expecting! I have one spot left on their waiting list, but we can accept backups (in case they have a larger litter). Our other waiting list for Raindancer (retirement litter), N'Shee, and Snow are closed for 2024. We are so overwhelmed by the support and growth we experienced this year, and want everyone to know how grateful we are! 💗🌹🐺

***Our link to our puppy application is in our IG bio, and can also be found on FB, or our website. We'll post an update when the list closes.***

04/12/2024

My precious little Moon Dogs… 🥹 how is it already twelve months later? Everyone was so excited to welcome your arrival because now we had experienced what remarkable puppies come from your mother and father - not only the most intelligent puppies we could ask for, but also incredibly intuitive, and beautiful beyond description! Since your mother is my lifelong best friend, I felt excited as a grandmother for your arrival! Imagine my anxiety when one of you (BLUE) took almost four hours to be born, and when you finally did come out to greet the world, you were so incredibly tiny! Who would have dreamed you would grow from being the smallest puppy - a mere half the size of the others - to become the biggest one in the pack!? You were certainly a litter full of experiences and memories, and we went through so much together! Cancer (Blue and Cara), surgeries (Zi), moving (Snow), new babies (Blackjack), and just struggling to be a beautiful star and dodge the paparazzi constantly (Karma)! All of you were more spread out across Turtle Island than any puppies before, from British Columbia, to New York, to Washington DC! We had many trials trying to get to this point, and looking back on it all, I would never take a moment back. You drove me - and your new families - out of our minds with your rambunctious ways. I think we all might have been ready to start howling at the stars along with you, we went through so many crazy times! But they were necessary for growing! Growing is good, and growing is LIFE! And as we enter this new year in all of yours, I know I will never look at a Summer Moon with the same eyes again, and I have YOU precious pups to thank for that. Happy Birthday, my darlings! I'll love you as long as there are Summer Moons in the sky! ✨🎂😇🥰

03/25/2024

Sun setting on this handsome little man! He is so curious and always exploring. 😍

03/21/2024

These precious little babies have started their obedience training this week. I can hardly believe how well they are doing! 😍 Both of them have learned to walk right next to me, to sit down when we stop, and they're doing great with sitting at my feet and looking up at me when they want my attention! I could not be more proud of them!

03/14/2024

Let's get rid of the corporate greed! 😅

03/07/2024

The puppies are eating whole pieces of meat expertly now! But they mostly love to tug it away from each other! ❣️ Having Chela (Chela Losa I Okhish) and Naki (Oski Naki Tohbi Isht Illi) these past two months has been such a wonderful experience, and this is the week they would normally go home, but we are doubly blessed that they will be able to stay a few extra weeks with us! ☺️

02/26/2024

Chela and Naki exploring as spring creeps up on us!

02/23/2024

Six weeks old and so grown already!

02/17/2024

A visit to the North Carolina Shepherdess to select our sheep definitely warranted a tag-along by the puppies to exercise their socialization muscles. The sheep thought Chela and Naki were exceptionally charming. 😅 The pups also got a chance to take their first leash walk - they did a great job!

02/14/2024

02/10/2024

Naming ceremonies were done today! Our Muskoke Elders gifted the puppies' names this time, and we're so excited to share them with you. Meet Oski Naki Tohbi Isht Illi, which means White Arrow: The Deadly.
*To protect the Sacred, pictures are not taken during ceremony. These photos were taken post-ceremony.*

02/10/2024

Naming ceremonies were done today! Our Muskoke Elders gifted the puppies' names this time, and we're so excited to share them with you. Meet Chela Losa I Okhish, which means Black Fox: The Medicine.
*To protect the Sacred, pictures are not taken during ceremony. These photos were taken post-ceremony.*

02/09/2024

My sweet little wolf pack… 🥹 how has the time flown by so quickly these past twelve months? It seems like we were waiting in eager anticipation for all of you because of how special your parents are - they were both so important to make sure the Indian Dog legacy continues! I was so excited when you finally arrived. Imagine my disappointment when your mother wouldn't allow me to come near you for two whole weeks! I had to whisk her outside for short periods of time so I could try to sneak in a toe tickling exercise or a whiff of cloves or rabbit fur before she started screaming at me to bring her back inside with you! As challenging as that was, thank Creator I had learned a valuable lesson from your older half-siblings which led to me invest $1,000 in a whelping box, and boy was I sure grateful I did! You were by far the messiest puppies I ever had! You got more baths than treats! In fact, sometimes I worried I would traumatize you with all the bathing, and then moving you back and forth from the whelping box to the kennel, as you screeched your little hearts out while I cleaned and scrubbed your whelping pen two times a day!!! 😭 You were also the most rambunctious puppies I ever had, and you constantly fought and scrapped with one another, mostly at night. You loved to bite each other to the point of leaving perfect teeth imprints all over each other's bellies! Sometimes I thought the only words you would learn from me were, “Go to SLEEP!” as you fought by the light of the Spring Moon all night long! You also changed my life forever. And although I couldn't seem to ever get enough rest to feel awake for the short time that Creator allowed you to be with me, you all awakened in me a new sense of my purpose and mission that has been burning bright for a whole year! Happy Birthday, precious ones! I'll love you forever and always! ✨🎂😇🥰

02/08/2024

First day outside yesterday and we both did so well! We played on the straw bales, experienced a fun sand pile, and we even got our feet wet! The straw bales in long rows created a wonderful obstacle course for us to practice listening to the voice of our human and coming when she calls us. Walking down the long tunnel feels a little scary when you're a small puppy, but it helps to build your neuroplastic connections AND conditions you to realize that there isn't much in this world you can't tackle head-on with your human by your side! To finish our day, we had our first meeting with a dump truck! It was delivering two loads of stuff - sand and pine bark - and we didn't even flinch when it made every scary noise in the book - we're already so brave and confident! We're four weeks old today - how time flies! And can you believe it? Our ears are already up - wow! Stay tuned to learn our names when we have our naming ceremonies! 🐺🦊🏹🐾

02/08/2024

Look. At. This. Beautiful. Gift! A friend of mine made this for us! It just arrived in the mail and it's beautiful! As we place our NAID pups with more and more people, we'll fill in the states where the puppies live! I'll repost this as new states are added until we finally get them all colored in! 🤭

01/30/2024

I sound like a broken record when I get into this subject, but this is real. We could benefit by asking ourselves why the rate of cancers in dogs has risen to almost 50% in the last few decades. While there isn't one isolated place for blame, it would be unwise to deny that the way our foods are produced is not killing us and our dogs. We're living in a world where we are so conditioned to desire convenience over all that we no longer realize we are exterminating our vitality. Upsetting natural balances cannot continue without a heavy price. The link to watch is in my bio.

01/30/2024

I sound like a broken record when I get into this subject, but this is real. We could benefit by asking ourselves why the rate of cancers in dogs has risen to almost 50% in the last few decades. While there isn't one isolated place for blame, it would be unwise to deny that the way our foods are produced is not killing us and our dogs. We're living in a world where we are so conditioned to desire convenience over all that we no longer realize we are exterminating our vitality. Upsetting natural balances cannot continue without a heavy price.

If your dog is eating a commercial food she's probably getting a daily dose of crude oil ... seems crazy right? It might be ... but you'll be shocked to lear...

01/29/2024

The landscape at our new homestead is very different than the last one. We are so grateful to have this beautiful place given by The Creator so much closer to our Ancestral Lands. We can already feel the spirit of partnership and kinship from the rest of The Creator's Family! We were especially grateful for the Healing Life the Rain brought us this past week that allowed us to plant our Four Sisters plot over the weekend, which will grow food critical to feed other members of the circle who in turn offer their lives to feed the dogs and us! I woke us this morning with the words THANK YOU on my lips and in my heart! Also, look at that hard working, big and strong, handsome warrior of a husband Creator blessed me with! 🔥