Ne entlaeshan tsa Wex'liem Sile esqapth

An urgent need ... No matter your community, there is concern for our youth struggling and making hard decisions to live through modern and changing times. When adding the problems of isolation and diseases of poverty, survival is that much more precarious. It used to be that elders throughout the world mentored and held a safe space for the youth to grow into the next generation of our communities. But today those elders are warehoused and separated from their families and communities.

Every year more elders leave us. At Lummi nation, one to two youth die each month from poverty induced reasons, isolation and risky behavior. These losses are a crisis for a small nation. However, there are more occurrences of elders finding their appropriate voices and assisting people, especially the youth. We wish to tell you about one such effort. In June of 2003 seven specific grandmothers met for the first time at a public event held at Whidbey Institute in Washington State.&nbs p; From the friendships made came the intent to support each other especially when concerning youth and members of their respective communities. Events were planned to occur annually or bi-annually. Calling on this friendship an urgent request was made for an International Gathering of Grandmothers at Lummi Nation September 9th and 10th. Elders expected to be in attendance include: Vi Hilbert (Upper Skagit), Pauline Hillaire (Lummi), Angeline Locey (Hawai’ian), Dell Wihongi (Maori), Bernice (Jamaican), and Mary Wagner (Nootsack) assisted by: Doña Bernardina Catari Alvarez (Peruvian), Lou Herwini-Capewell (Maori), and Kelly Tao-Martin (Maori).

grandmotherprojectnw@gmail.com

Grassroots and other contributions to the Grandmothers' traveling fund can be sent to
PO Box 17584, Seattle, WA 98127 ~ Voice Mail: 206.312.4444

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