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O'siyo Brothers and Sister!
SPIRIT OF THE CIRCLE
The "Spirit of the Circle" project is designed to reduce the factors
that place young Blackfeet women at risk for drug abuse, sexually
transmitted disease, early pregnancy/childbirth and single parenting,
school dropout and delinquency, and poverty and unemployment or
underemployment.
It is also the project's intent to restore the position of girls and
women in the Blackfeet contemporary society. In the traditional society,
Blackfeet women were the most empowered Indian women among Northern
Plains tribal groups. Women were allowed to own property, conduct
religious ceremonies including the Sun Dance, Choose their own husbands
and divorce them if they were abusive or nonsupporting, bear arms and go
to war if they so chose. Remnants of the traditional power of women are
still present on the reservation; however, the conditions of the
majority of the women and girls have deteriorated tremendously in the
post-reservation society.
Spirit of the Circle is designed to reach out to the girls and young
women who are often not targeted by traditional school, social service
or medical programs. Strategies include alternative activities,
leadership camps, support groups, drug intervention/prevention,
tutoring, and parental and community activities.
I am extremely proud of the Blackfeet for taking this stance to restore
the dignity to Blackfeet Women.
I am extremely ashamed such a project is necessary for the Blackfeet or
any other Native Nation. Sadly, it is true that domestic abuse is
highest among Native Americans of ALL ethnic groups.
From the National Organization of Women we read the following:
NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN AND VIOLENCE by Lisa Bhungalia
Native American women experience the highest rate of violence of any
group in the United States. A report released by the Department of
Justice, American Indians and Crime, found that Native American women
suffer violent crime at a rate three and a half times greater than the
national average. National researchers estimate that this number is
actually much higher than has been captured by statistics; according to
the Department of Justice over 70% of sexual assaults are never
reported.
As women of color, Native Americans experience not only sexual violence,
but also institutionalized racism. Alex Wilson, a researcher for the
Native American group Indigenous Perspectives, found a high level of
tension between law enforcement and Native American women, who report
numerous encounters where the police treated the women as if they were
not telling the truth.
The lead articles in this issue all come from the pen of a strong
NativeAmerican woman, Jodi Rave Lee who Native issues for Lee
Enterprises. I ask you to read them with your heart, and then vow to do
what you can to remove this shameful strike against our life givers and
nurturers... our women.
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WARRIOR MOCCASINS PROJECT SEEKS OUT YOUR HELP
Date: Sunday, September 24, 2006 02:10 pm
From: Sherry <kcnativecommunity@kcnativecommunity.org>
Subj: Warrior Moccasins Project seeks out your help!
Warrior Moccasin Project seeks out experienced beaders, moccasin makers
and names for a pair of moccasins for their service in the military.
Those interested in donationg Deer Hides, please email me so I can give
you the name and address of where to ship it to. Deer hides CAN be
donated to this project. To do so, you must first salt the hides with
medium grade salt which can be purchased at any farm supply store. After
salting the hide(s) ship them to the address i will give you following
the laws as specified BY YOUR STATE. A copy of the possession tag which
was issued by the game warden must be included for each hide being
shipped.
Any monetary donation to this project is also greatly appreciated. Each
cost of the pair of moccasins is $32.00 (includes
shipping/handling charge).
Those serving in harms way and those who have returned state side are
encouraged to get in touch with me via email.
If you know of a native military troop member who you want to honor,
please get a hold of me through my email.
Thank you :)
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Again, this winter this editorial section will feature groups or
individuals who are helping those in need, primarily on reservations and
especially those who aid children and elders. Urban help will not be
excluded. I have lived in the Cedar-Riverside area of Minneapolis and
been a guest in Lakota Housing in Rapid City and in Shiprock. The need
to eat and be warm does not end because a person has left the rez.
PLEASE forward contact information for all you know who help those less
able to do so make it through the harsh winter months.
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Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:15:49 +0300
From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" <thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr>
Subj: HYS WINTER 2006 Toys & Clothing Request
WINTER & CHRISTMAS 2006 - TOYS AND CLOTHING REQUEST
Winter will set in soon in many places of the world, but once again it
will not be the same for all the children. Some are lucky and have
everything they need, other children have much more than they need...
and yet there are also the children who have very little - or nothing...
They don't have the right clothes, and they have no toys. These children
need warmth, and they need hope, and loving support.
You can be there for these children, and make a difference in their
lives. Even if the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is far away from you,
toys, warm clothing and shoes can be sent to them directly on the
reservation, where they will be distributed by trusted Northern Cheyenne
contacts who have helped so much the previous years.
There is a large need especially for new and good quality used warm
items, as well as toys. During Montana winters, the temperature can drop
to 30 or 40 degrees below zero so warm winter clothing and blankets can
be lifesaving. These items will be distributed right away. The toys will
be distributed during the Christmas give away.
Here is a list of things that can be sent in support of these children:
- warm clothing such as knitted items for children of all ages
from babies to teenagers, children's jeans,
coats and warm T-shirts
- socks, gloves, boots, hats and scarves
- blankets
- toys for Christmas
Other items that would also be appreciated: grooming supplies like
toothpaste, tooth brushes, soaps and shampoos, combs, hair brushes, hair
barrettes, rubber bands or other types of hair or pony tail holders.
Last but not least : pampers diapers or pull-ups.
Please make sure that the items sent are safe, and sensitive to the
culture of the children and their People. When sending a box, it would
be appreciated if you could send us a short email with your name or
location, type of items sent ('toys', 'clothing', etc), approximate
weight and shipping date, so that we can help our contacts by keeping a
list of what is sent to them. Our aim is to always make sure that
everything reaches the reservation.
The priority of our group, "Honor your Spirit - Protect the Children" is
to make sure all donations get to where they are supposed to and
recognized. It is very important to us to make sure that everything is
distributed fairly and to those in the greatest need.
Our goal is to help the children of families unable to make ends meet
due to the high unemployment rate, the difficult conditions and the
extreme poverty on the reservation. These children need all the help and
encouragement they can get, so if you can help, please contact us for
more information.
Contact Info:
Dodie Finstead, USA dodie_finstead@yahoo.com JR Robertson, USA Jim_
Robertson@BarefootCreations.com
Dominique Larrede, France d.larrede@wanadoo.fr
Brigitte Thimiakis, Europe thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr
Respectfully, Honor Your Spirit, Protect The Children
"Your help makes a huge difference for those who have never received
help. Your donations provide hope and encouragement to those who have
never known these qualities. Your concern and solidarity can improve the
lives of many children, elders, families, on the Northern Cheyenne
Reservation. There is still a lot to do but all together you can help us
make these dreams come true.
Thank you for being a part of this project and supporting it."
Respectfully,
Manuel Redwoman,
Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho
To learn more about the HYS projects, please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone for your support !
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==[This message may be forwarded under the condition that it is not
altered in any way] ==
Dohiyi Ani Oginalii
Gary Smith (*,*)
wotanging@bellsouth.net
P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org
Marietta, GA 30006, U.S.A. ===w=w===
http://www.nanews.org
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