Indigenous Women's Network - Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

Sunday, 24 December 2006

The Indigenous Women's Network (IWN) was established as a grass roots initiative mandated by over 200 Indigenous women at a gathering at Yelm, Washington in 1985 and established/lead by a group of strong, committed activists (Founding Mothers ). IWN has evolved over the last twenty years into a coalition of native women from rural and urban communities using Indigenous values to resolve contemporary problems; acting as a champion of Indigenous Women, both Nationally and Internationally. Over those years IWN is proud of its many accomplishments and the programs that have been developed that provide information, education, training, support and leadership development to Indigenous Women across the Americas. Our mission has always been that IWN will serve as a major driving force behind Indigenous communities, mobilizing for change and addressing the myriad of issues affecting Indigenous women and their families, Mother earth and the environment, cultural/spiritual beliefs and traditions, health and tribal governance.

Recent changes that occurred at IWN which included passing of some of the Founding Mothers and changes in staffing led IWN to complete a year of intensive capacity building that resulted in exciting leadership changes, a focused direction and prioritized programming that is now strengthening and transforming the organization to move forward with our vision, taking a more strategic and organized approach. IWN has emerged from this transition with more clarity and direction than ever before and has led us to develop and begin implementation of bold strategies that will ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of our work. It has also helped us recognize that we must continue to build capacity within our organization so that we can successfully advocate for our constituency, in the Americas and throughout the world.¹

The planning process that we have undertaken has caused our working environment to be transformed to promote creative thinking, a high level of enthusiasm and a renewed commitment on the part of Board and staff. We offer this report and strategic plan for 2006 to our past and current funders so they can see how the resources they have provided us has helped us to move forward and as an invitation to potential partners that are also creative, enthusiastic and committed toward our vision and our future.

During the capacity building process, the Board developed a three-year strategic plan that is specific, realistic, and achievable and addresses the following organizational priorities.

Securing financial sustainability for the organization
Ongoing constituency and young leadership development
Streamlining program development and focusing on "signature" programs
Ensuring sustainability of Alma de Mujer while protecting the land and resources

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Vision
Our vision is based on the vision given by our Elders and the Original Instructions inherited by our Grandmothers. We understand that, in caring for Mother Earth, we care for ourselves. Women are the mothers of our Nations, and we share the responsibility of being life givers, nurturers, and sustainers of like with our Mother Earth

Values

Self determination
Sovereignty
Self Sufficiency
Tolerance
Reciprocity
Respect for human rights
Working within the vision of the Elders
Cultural and biological diversity
Leadership roles for women
Control over our bodies and improved health
Balance between ourselves, our families, our communities, our Nations, and Mother Earth
Respect for Indigenous land claims

Mission

Based on our vision, IWN serves as a major driving force behind Indigenous communities; mobilizing for change by addressing issues affecting Indigenous women and their families as well as Mother earth and the environment, our cultural/spiritual beliefs and traditions, our health and our tribal government. As a nonprofit organization, IWN seeks to support and develop social, economic and cultural projects that utilize appropriate and sustainable technology based on traditional philosophy and practices.

Organizational History (1985-2005)

The Indigenous Women's Network (IWN) emerged from a gathering of over 200 Native women activists held at Yelm, Washington in 1985. The organization was established by a group of activist Native American women who committed their lives as activists in our movement. Under their visionary leadership, IWN have become known for inspiring, strategic, pro-active and affirming events, training programs and publications that reach and link Indigenous women together in a network that includes award winning artists, activists, authors, community leaders, educators, attorneys and traditional healers. IWN also connects Indigenous women activists together in order to share information, ideas, and support. The approach in development and delivery of our culturally centered programs rely on these and other seasoned Indigenous women activists and leaders who share their experience, teach, mentor and assist in development of critical tools for organizing for sustainable communities. IWN has provided the means and opportunities for Indigenous women to participate in the political discussions relevant to our communities, to share their knowledge, and to learn from nationally and internationally recognized activists, artists, educators, and of course, Indigenous women Elders of the Americas.

IWN continues to leverage support and resources that allow Indigenous women to gather in safe spaces and discuss and define critical issues among themselves, to mentor each other and to develop strategies to participate in policy-making and direct advocacy for ourselves, our families and our communities.

Accomplishments

Building the capacity of over 250 Indigenous women each year through workshops and gatherings to increase skills in organizational management and project development, in culturally sensitive settings.
Training Indigenous women leaders who have established ongoing, sustainable projects in their communities in South Dakota, addressing cultural preservation, health and youth education issues.
Creating and publishing Indigenous Woman magazine since 1991 to provide the voice for Indigenous women nationally.
Advocating for Indigenous sovereignty and human rights by representing Indigenous women at United Nations events for the past 13years, addressing the environment, populations, economic development, and human rights as they affect women.
Maintaining a ten-year youth program to serve low income Latino and Native American youth in the Austin area.
Served over 250 women during fiscal year 2002 through training institutes, the Emerging Activist Cultural Arts Camp & Concert, the UN World Conference on Sustainability, UN Indigenous Peoples Working Group, Indigenous Woman magazine, Alma de Mujer Internships and medicinal plant programs.

Our Constituency - Indigenous Women and our families

For complex reasons referring to a great deal of history and current conditions, Indigenous peoples worldwide have become endangered species. Through genocide, disease, development and imposed, foreign economic structures, Indigenous peoples have become marginalized in terms of a voice in the majority government, socially, and economically. In the United States - unarguably the wealthiest, most powerful nation on Earth - Indigenous peoples have the highest unemployment, worst housing conditions, highest poverty levels, poorest health and shortest life expectancy of any group in the country - including other minorities.

Through years of ineffective problem solving that occurred outside and without the input of the Indigenous community and led to failure after failure, it is now widely recognized and cited as "best practice" that any successful solution must come from within our community. As Indigenous women, we have always been problem solvers in our communities and we along with our sisters have worked sometimes quietly but with much strength to support our families and communities in addressing the many issues we face. Indigenous women are a critical resource in our communities having worked courageously to bring important issues affecting our communities to the forefront. Yet too often, we have not been given the opportunity to speak and participate in political platforms and community forums, to present testimony, or to have a say within tribal government or boardrooms. However, our voice has grown stronger. Since the early 1970s, we have asserted ourselves in ongoing dialogues and are assuming greater authority in the governance of our Nations and communities.

By caring for our children, we are often the first to realize threats to our communities' health - and the first to recognize solutions. We see our communities in a holistic fashion, seeing issues of education and illiteracy, environmental and personal health, natural resource management, housing, economic development, preservation of Native language and culture, and spirituality as interrelated and interdependent. We cannot - and should not - fix the one without somehow addressing another.

Indigenous women, having few other places to turn, come to IWN for help in facing the struggles in their communities with cultural, environmental and economic threats. As civil society unfolds in reservation communities, Indigenous women and nonprofit organizations need to organize to form a united voice and to create our vision for our future. We need Native-controlled organizations for this organizing and development. We need to be able to pass on and acquire new skills and knowledge to new leaders - particularly young women - through our traditional ways of sharing orally and demonstrating, in a safe and nurturing atmosphere.

IWN believes that successful Indigenous leaders must come from within a community and have strong cultural and tribal ties. Even the experts agree with us: "Strategies that build on the strengths of community identity and culture are more likely to succeed than those imposed externally."² Our premise for our work lies in our belief that community change as well as global change can be achieved for the benefit of Indigenous peoples through developing strong leaders.

Signature Programs

The Women's Gathering, the strength of IWN since 1985
Since to first gathering at Yelm in 1985, the Women's Gathering has been the strength of IWN giving direction to our organization. The Gathering is held at the community level and brings together between 100-200 Indigenous Women from across the Americas. Marking IWN twentieth year anniversary, we have scheduled the next gathering in 2005 back where it all started Yelm, Washington. This years gathering will be an opportunity to celebrate and evaluate 20 years of Indigenous women's leadership, to identify the continuing needs of our constituency, and to receive critical guidance from our communities for our work in years to come.
Indigenous Woman is the only magazine in existence that is written by, for and about Indigenous women. The magazine increases Native and non-Native understanding of issues affecting Indigenous peoples, and provides a basis for cultural and political exchange.
Alma de Mujer - Home of IWN since 1996
Alma de Mujer, the home of IWN, was donated to the organization in 1996. Alma is a 22 acre paradise located in the Balcones Canyon Preserve and is a safe haven for six of the eight animals on the endangered species list, including the Yellow-Cheeked Warbler, the Black Vireo and the Salamander. Alma has provided IWN with office and program space and operated as a retreat center and a place where Indigenous people from the Austin community could gather and where progressive organizations could re-energize and continue their work promoting social change. IWN has charged nominal fees to users of Alma and have identified the need over the years of creating a more sustainable plan around Alma's operation. IWN is also committed to maintaining the environmental integrity of the land and taking the utmost care and having respect for the part of our Mother Earth that has been entrusted to us. The focus on Alma this year will be twofold: a) development of a business plan to ensure the financial sustainability and b) a land management plan to ensure that the land will be taken care of in a way that honors our Mother earth and that is in keeping with our vision, mission and the wishes of our Founding Mothers.
The Emerging Activist Leadership Program - IWN Flagship Program since 1998
The Emerging Activist Leadership Program provides an internship opportunity that takes place over the course of a year to five young Indigenous women leaders. The program will prepare these five Indigenous women to lead the organization in the future by mentoring them to become leaders in the movement for a greater empowerment of Indigenous women, and for the preservation of Indigenous values and culture throughout the world.

Leadership

Through the last twenty (20) years, IWN has maintained their original values, vision and mission through the dedicated service of the Founding Mothers and the Native women activists who have consistently been an intrecal part of the organization from the beginning. In recent years however, IWN entered into a time of transition resulting from the passing of several of the Founding Mothers and leaders, the consequent grief and continuing the demanding work that has taken place over the last 20 years. The surviving Founding Mothers, a group of tenacious and visionary women who have sustained the organization through difficult times, provided the leadership through the transitional period resulting in an historic changing of the guard in 2004 with the Founding Mothers and the Kahunas (Elders) becoming advisors on a new Honorary Board, and new leadership which includes Board members who have been with IWN for a number of years stepping into critical roles on the governing Board.

A new generation of Indigenous women - including graduates of the first Emerging Activist Leadership Program - now leads IWN. Strengthening the acumen and capacity of IWN leadership through bold programs that support the ongoing development, recruitment, and succession is a priority for the next three years.

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1. Capacity building in 2004 was carried out with the support of the Ford Foundation, the Unitarian Universalist VEATCH Program at Shelter Rock, the Sister Fund, the Tides Foundation, and the Environmental Support Center
2. Quote from a March 1992 survey of American Indian-Alaska Native Youth Health by Drs. Blum, Harmon, Harris, Bergeisen and Resnick.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 25 October 2011 )