Growing up on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, Travis Harden never expected his views on Native people, lands and culture would find a receptive audience in the Holy Land. Thanks to a partnership forged 30 years ago by members of the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme, the artist and musical performer visited Palestine this fall, sharing his culture and experiences with people there.

In the past few weeks, Harden and other participants in this year's Tree of Life Conference on Israel and Palestine have been traveling across the state and New England to share their observations and experiences. The Tree of Life, started 10 years ago by the church to raise awareness around the social and human rights issues of Palestine and Israel through cross-cultural travel experiences and interfaith conferences, has evolved from one weekend in Old Lyme to a series of conferences and cultural performances. This year's focus has been on children.

"Travis's message to the Palestinian people and to people here is 'Look, my people are still here,'" says Steven Junkeit, senior minister at the church, which funded Harden's travels. "The parallels of what happened to Native Americans 200 and 300 years ago and what's happening to Palestinians today is an updated version of land expropriation, of empire taking hold. He's obviously witnessed first-hand what an occupation does to the lives of children."

Harden, who is of Lakotan and Hochunk Nation decent, is active in the cultural life of the Lakota people as a painter, singer and story teller. Raised by family members who were staunch activists in the defense of Native people, lands and culture, at 18 years old he volunteered to teach Indian songs to children in a Head Start program. He wanted to help native children in non-Indian schools feel proud of their heritage. This turned into a paid position, and over the years, he has traveled throughout the United States to many Indian reservations to perform and teach.

Harden is no stranger to Old Lyme, either, as a member of the Green Grass Partnership started by the church with the Lakotan community on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His paintings on elk and deer skins and jewelry made with buffalo horn and bone are featured at Tribal Crafts, Inc., a non-profit organization run by local volunteers, which is gearing up for its annual holiday showing and sale in November and December. All proceeds from the show and sale go directly to the artists, who include Native Americans, Haitians and Palestinians.

"One of the great gifts that Travis brings, he is great with kids, he's great at teaching them about his Lakota songs and traditions, and gets them to do incredible artwork," says Junkeit. "We always love when we get him to come to our church; he engages with the kids in our Sunday school."

Harden's songs often weave together contemporary pop culture and historic Native American references. "Twinkle, Twinkle Morning Star" combines the significant symbol in Lakota beliefs and ceremonial life with the nursery song most of us grew up singing. He's borrowed personal safety lyrics from Barney, the purple dinosaur, and mixed in Power Rangers

"There's an honor song for every event in life in the Lakota ways," says Harden, who often volunteers to compose songs when a loved one passes.

Junkeit, who has been senior pastor at the church following Dr. David Good's retirement two years ago, visited the Lakota community on a church mission to the Cheyenne reservation this summer.

"I don't know that I'd seen poverty like that in America. I've seen ghettos in urban America, but it is all the more heart-breaking in rural settings," he says. "A ghetto by definition is isolated from the rest of the city, but you can hop on a subway and emerge in a different quadrant of a city. But on a reservation, you are really isolated in a rural ghetto."

The church, which supported Harden's travels to Palestine and the Tree of Life conference series, is holding a farewell potluck dinner at the church this Thursday evening. They'll be seeing off Harden and the Bridges of Hope performers, three young Palestinian musicians who have been sharing their culture and music throughout the conference.

"Reaching out to these other cultures and inviting people to spend time with us, it also enriches our local community," says Junkeit. "These are wonderful people, it is good to form friendships with them and to share - we benefit from experiencing the cultural richness."

The Tribal Crafts holiday show and sale will be on Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 15 to Dec. 14, in the Old Lyme Marketplace, near Big Y. See www.tribalcrafts.org, www.facebook.com/tribalcraftsinc, or shop online at www.etsy.com/shop/TribalCraftsInc.

To hear Travis Harden, tune in to Suzanne Thompson's weekly radio show, "CT Outdoors," today from 12:30 to 1 p.m. and from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on WLIS 1420 AM/Old Saybrook and WMRD 1150 AM/Middletown, www.wliswmrd.net.