In honor of National Native American Heritage month, I turned to my sister-in-law, Kendra Iringan-Tomas, to offer me more knowledge of her Navajo heritage. The Navajo originated from originated from Northwest Canada and Alaska in the 15th century and many of their traditions have survived through time. One of the traditions that originally started with the Ojibwe heritage is The Healing Dance. Throughout history, women acted as caregivers and healers and would adorn the traditional Jingle Dress while performing their sacred dance. The picture below features Kendra in the Jingle Dress that she handcrafted. Notice that the rows of decorative metal cones hang approximately 1 inch from the dress and will clink together as the dancer moves. Today, the Jingle Dress acts as a reference to the power of women.
ColoradoBookworms believes in giving back to our community to raise awareness and team with an organizations and causes that are near and dear to our heart.
This month we will be partnering with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA (mmiwusa) organization. MMIW USA is committed to bring home missing Native American women and to offer help and support to the families of the murdered. Hands-on support and guidance is given and the organization strives to provide answers for the families in an effort that they do not feel abandoned and alone in this struggle.
The MMIW USA has rolled out The Staying Sacred Program that offers education in culture, sexual violence, self defense and much more. This program is designed to empower and educate the girls and young women in the Native American community. I
15% of sales made during the month of November will be donated to MMIW USA to assist with their efforts.
If you would like to learn more about MMIW USA and their Mission visit www.mmiwusa.org.