A real connection

Nearly two weeks ago, Lena Belcourt stood at the entrance of her tribe's sacred land in the Bear Paw Mountains - 7,500 acres of forested hills and winding streams in the Pah-nah-to Recreational Area, the land of the Chippewa Cree in north-central Montana. In her right hand she held the hand of Naida Glavish, a Maori woman from New Zealand. The women stood facing one another, foreheads pressed together, noses touching, excited to embark on a journey together.

The women's actions are called "hngi," a Maori welcome that symbolizes the "sharing of the breath of life." Belcourt was participating in...