“This ledger celebrates our thousands of years of strong women. The many names present allow people to say, “That’s my grandma. That’s my auntie”, which also opens the door to stories and memories, which in turn encourages women in our communities to tap into their own strengths.
Indian culture has a long history of revering the unique qualities of women. Many of our indigenous communities are matriarchal, so we are very used to important decisions coming from our women. Among the Iroquois, the women are responsible for choosing leaders—the reasoning being that women are more qualified than men, because they raise the children. They have a unique ability to make a clear-eyed assessment of each child’s strengths and weaknesses. Strong women are the key to developing strong leaders, which are the key to strong communities.”
Robert “Running Fisher” Upham, aka Harlem Indian
For prints of this ledger, contact me at SacredPOV1876@gmail.com