Women and Girls Gatherings
The 2006 Women and Girls’ Gathering hosted nearly 200 women this year. This annual gathering remains a place where women come to share traditional knowledge, learn new leadership skills to take home to their families and communities, while also having the oppor-tunity to participate in craft workshops or to relax during a massage.
Both keynote speakers concentrated on health. Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, Ph.D. (Western Cherokee), is President and Executive Director of the Native American Cancer Research Corporation. She shared knowledge about women’s health by playing her version of “Jeopardy.” When she asked, “When should you be checked for HPV (human papilloma virus)?” Caroline Pierce shouted out: “When you have an abnormal pap smear!” HPV is linked with cervical cancer. Death from that particular cancer is quite high among Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Death from cervical cancer is unfortunate, because according to Dr. B. (as she is affectionately known), this is the easiest cancer to prevent through screenings. Other “Jeopardy” questions centered on cancer and obesity. She told the women, “Only 5% of cancer is genetic or hereditary. Exercise helps prevent 30% of all cancers.”
Internationally renowned Inés Talamantez (Mescalero Apache), spoke about the importance of traditional ceremonies to handling today’s fast-paced world, focusing on the Apache coming of age ceremony. This four-day ceremony involves Isanaklesh, a mother-earth deity representing ideal womanhood. “The girl learns what it is to be an Apache woman.” Today that includes not only receiving the knowledge the medicine man offers, but going to college as well.
“Today a girl going thru the puberty ceremony is taught to respect her body, health, mind . . . to realize she is part of her Indian Nation and, today, part of America.” Inés says developing spiritually means learning to bring together both Christianity and indigenous beliefs.
Unique in 2006 was the presentation by the Shoalwater Bay Youth who belong to TATU – Teens Against Tobacco Use – put on one workshop, “Who Is Big Tobacco?” Ashley Willoughby, Coree Harris, and Deasa Rosander asked the question: “Who is Big Tobacco?” They pointed out that a tobacco company owns Kraft Foods. Buying Kraft products supports big tobacco.
year's logo!
They had a number of stunning visual aids including a jar with two cups of phlegm, or the amount of mucous a person with emphysema coughs up each day. The tobacco companies spend $11.5 billion on ads and every day 3,000 teens light their first cigarette. They pointed out that no tobacco use is safe.
Other workshops included yoga and drumming. Mukti taught a yoga class on the lawn in front of the lodge. She played restful music while guiding women through breathing, stretching, and relaxation exercises.
Sweetwater Nannuck (Tsimshian/Haida) gave a workshop on singing, drumming, and dancing. SPIPA’s own Bobbie Bush (Chehalis) told the story of the “Basketwoman and the Barren Ant.” The tale tells how darkness and lightness came to be. It helps to keep children in at night since the basketwoman might scoop them up if they go out.
Sweetwater teaches traditional drumming and singing.
Besides SPIPA, sponsors this year included: the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund, the Puget Sound Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Care Cancer Foundation, the Community Foundation of Puget Sound, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SPIPA’s Native Women’s Health Program sponsored free mammograms and cervical screens, while the SPIPA SPNS Program sponsored a workshop on HIV/AIDs. The SPIPA Intertribal TANF program was also a sponsor.
