|
Honoring Survivors Shawls |
The women of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition and
the Sacred Hoop Coalition came together to create the Honoring
Survivors Shawls and Armbands to be used as a way to honor all generations of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We hope to raise awareness about the devastaing impact of violence on our people, and increase visibility at events around the state. Shawls are very symbolic to Native people. The fringe is said to represent the tears of Indian women crying for the pain and suffering the people have endured for generations; yet it also represents strength, beauty, and solidarity. We chose to use the colors red, purple,
and teal.
The color teal honors victims and survivors of Sexual Assault.
The color purple honors victims and survivors of Domestic Violence.
The color red honors all Native people who have survived many forms of violence throughout history such as:
o Rape as a tool of war
o Our children being taken away from us for generations
o Men and women being sexually abused and beaten in boarding schools
o Native women being killed 2 times more often than other races by domestic violence
o One out of three Native women being sexually assaulted in their lifetime
Our men and women have carried this pain in silence too long. Dancing is a time for healing, for celebration of life, friends, and family!
Please come dance with us at pow-wows or local events to honor ALL SURVIVORS of domestic and sexual violence. Dance to restore traditional values of respect for Native men, women, and children in our communities. Dance for yourself, dance for a loved one, dance for our ancestors, dance for our future free from violence!
Because shawls are so precious to our people, yet we have many Non-native supporters who wish to share in our solidarity, we have created small wraps to place over ones arm. We appreciate this support while respecting our unique cultural practice of wearing shawls.
We also have many men who support our efforts to end violence against Native women and children. For them, we have created armbands with teal and purple ribbon to encourage participation in the restoration of respect and balance within our communities. If you would like to bring the Honoring Survivors Solidarity Shawls and Armbands to your community or event, please contact:
Cristine Davidson at 651-646-4800 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
at MIWSAC or
Sharyl White Hawk at 1-888-305-1650 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
at Sacred Hoop Coalition
****Check out our Calendar of Events to see when and where the Honoring Survivors S hawls and Armbands will be next. Join us to honor survivors in your life!
|
Event Photos MIWSAC is working hard to create communities of strong women.
Support MIWSAC Help others receive the help they need.
Register for Events Register online for the next MIWSAC event!
Shawl Project