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Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik is a coalition of women and men, some
representing different groups, activists, academics, and the grass roots. We
focus our efforts in providing moral support to the Families of Missing Aboriginal
Woman by creating opportunities for them to tell their stories, thereby bringing
attention and memory to missing Aboriginal women. We work at raising awareness
and prevention through education and political action to the systemic nature
of inter-locking issues, such as racism, classism, elitism and colonization
which contribute to violence against women; specifically aboriginal woman.
We also do this work by being a network of women and groups that work with
Aboriginal women. We remain committed to work with other organizations that
are committed to social justice and peace.
About Our Logo
Our logo was chosen to represent the circles in which we live and love. It was also chosen to represent the buffalo, which know to head into a storm in order to clear the bad weather. As women, we share the perseverance with the buffalo and know that in order for healing to happen we must break the silence and begin to face the challenges instead of turning from them. It also had the aspect of water droplets. Nipiy – Water is Life. Water is in all things therefore connects us all. As women, we bear a special responsibility to protect water as we all come from the birthing waters of a woman. Water in the form of TEARS is cleansing and healing, when shared in a circle, which leads us to the Circle of Tear Drops we chose for our logo. Additionally there is a story of Circles and tears that connects as people.
Neither the Spirits nor the people ever fully depart from each other. Our Round Dances are held to honour each other’s existence. The origin of the Round Dance actually derives from our Woman Spirit Ancestors.
The story has been told as follows:
There was once a girl and her mother who lived together and loved each other deeply. The girl was in her teens when her mother passed on. The girl continuously mourned for her mother. One day while picking berries her mother came to her daughter. She said she was sad and asked her daughter to stop mourning. She asked to released from her ties to earth a she was not in peace.
In return the mother offered to teach her daughter a dance and songs so the at certain times they could be together again. The daughter learned the dance and song and shared them with her people. This is our Round Dance. It is a time for those people who are here to commune with those who have, passed on.
When death is viewed as only a part of a continuing process it helps the surviving members and the community as a whole to remember that our ancestors are here with us today just as we will someday be part of our future generations' life. As such the values we hold sacred will never be lost.
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