George Mumford is the author of The Mindful Athlete, and is a mindfulness consultant for Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Phil Jackson (among many others). He even came to Boot Camp 2017! With his baseball cap and designer sunglasses, he held court with the kids, teenagers, and elders. Mumford was on the reservation with a purpose.
What was he doing on the Fort Peck Reservation?
Much like the members of LHNC, he came to help bring forth hope, love, and joy in the lives of the kids. He participated in all of the Boot Camp/Fun Day activities and even joined in with the infamous Don’t Quit Your Day Job band. He sang “Purple Haze” and “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix.
All of this was made possible by Kenny Smoker Jr., HPDP, the tribal council, and the LHNC volunteers. They work tirelessly to make Boot Camp a success each year. Through their efforts, people as far away as St. Croix, FLA, and Canada come together for the kids.
Boot Camp has become a rite of passage for each child in Poplar, Wolf Point, and surrounding communities. The kids truly look up to all of the volunteers. So many on the reservation say, “why would people who are not from the reservation put so much time, effort and money into our lives”? The answer is simple, “because it’s the right thing to do and it’s the right time to do it”. The oppression has been going on for far too long. Many residents ask why someone like George Mumford would visit the reservation. That answer is also simple: he cares. For four decades, he has worked to make a difference in the lives of others. He started out in the penal systems of Massachusetts and then widened his focus to corporate settings, stress management retreats, mindfulness, athletes, private clients, and coaching.
He feels a deep connection to those living on reservations, as he has Cherokee in his ancestry.
To the kids, the LHNC volunteers are celebrities. Adversely, the LHNC members see all the kids on the reservation as future celebrities. Not every person will become a household name, but each person will become a leader and inspire each other to reclaim their inalienable rights once and for all.