Hundreds Gather at UN to Celebrate
Indigenous Women of the World

by Steve Cowley

NYC - On Thursday, May 13, 2004, close to 1,000 attendees gathered at 777 United Nations Plaza for a reception during the third annual Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations. The reception theme, Celebrating Indigenous Women of the World, brought together activists from Indigenous communities around the globe in an inspiring event recognizing Indigenous women’s leadership internationally. (Right) Winona
LaDuke,is the founder of the Indigenous Women’s Network.

This side event of the Permanent Forum was sponsored by the Flying Eagle Woman Fund for Peace, Justice and Sovereignty, the National Museum of the American Indian, the American Indian Community House and the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII). (Right) Jose Barriero, Taino, FEWF Board Member

An altar was featured prominently for all who came to the large meeting room at the UN Plaza. It sat atop a small table with a color photograph of a smiling Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa. A sweet-grass braid and a sage-filled shell were placed near her picture and sometime during the evening , someone  laid a traditional Hawaiian flower lei around its frame. Along side Ingrid’s picture was a program honoring Annie Mae Pictou’s life.

As a slide show  played featuring pictures of Ingrid and indigenous women from around the world taken by photographer Pena Bonita, and presented by Tâpwê Production Projects, refreshments were served.

Another program highlight was the presentation of the IWN Annie Mae Pictou Award by Winona LaDuke to Noeli Pocaterra, Wayuu, Mililani Trask, Native Hawaiian, and Katrina Cantrell, Shoshone. The award, created in 1988 in honor of Annie Mae Pictou, recognizes and affirms the strength and vision of Native Women whose organizing work is often unrecognized.

The SilverCloud Singers (left) opened the program with an honor song. Ali El-Issa gave a warm welcome to the capacity-filled room and Katsi Cook-Barrieo, Mohawk,  (at the podium) presented the opening prayer.  

A tremendous program highlight featured honored guests from the U’wa Community (Right) who gave an emotional, dramatic and inspirational recounting of Ingrid’s last days and hours with them in Colombia.

Debra Maloney Pictou (left), Annie Mae Pictou’s daughter, was a very special surprise guest made an emotional address before the awards were presented to the three remarkable women activists:

* Noeli Pocaterra (right), born in Moina, Venezuala, spends her life fighting for indigenous rights in her country and around the world. She held many positions including President on the Rights of Indigenous People and State Relations, Pres. the Commission of Indigenous Communities at the National Assembly and Second Vice-Pres. of the National Assembly.

 * Mililani Trask (left), an attorney with an extensive background in Native Hawaiian land trusts, resources and legal entitlements, is an expert to the UN in international and human rights law. She has served for 11 years as Governor/ Prime Minister of the Native Hawaiian Nation. She presently serves as the Executive Director of the Gibson Foundation, a private, non-profit dedicated to assisting Native Hawaiians with housing issues and programs. 

* Katrina Cantrell (right) is the Director of Women’s Health Specialists, a feminist Women’s Health Center in Redding, CA. Her passion has been creating an environment in which women can achieve their reproductive goals free from coercion, fear or prejudice.

Ali El-Issa then honored Moana Durie-Sinclair, (pictured on the left) Moari, LLM, International Law and Indigenous Peoples Rights, with a signed Dana Tiger lithograph print in appreciation and recognition of her work as a Human Rights Officer with the UN High Commission for Human Rights. Moana helped present the Permanent Forum to the UN General Assembly Resolution 2000-2003. 

Danza de la Conquista a traditional dance troupe was among several artists that performed for the celebration of Indigenous Women of the World.

On The Scene

Ann R. Rockefeller Nelson	Emily Saliers (1 Indigo Girl) and Chris Eyre (1 Director)	Santi Hiborangi  of the Papanui Parliament and George Nuku, Moari (on right)	Ulali's Pura Fe

And Behind the Scenes

Fran Grumbly, Executive Director, FEWF and Esmeralda Brown, FEWF Board Member	(from left to right) Victoria Tarrant, Beth Grumbly, Wanda Hunter and Fran Grumbly	Steve Cowley and Roslyn Dotson Tâpwê Production Projects for the Flying Eagle Woman Fund	All photographs by Annabel Wong © 2004 annabel@wong.as