UN CSW A precious Opportunity by Nellie Adkins, Elsie Dennis and Denyse Bergie

Our time at the UN AWE and NGOCSW Conference in February 2012 was precious. For the first time we were able to present a workshop at the UN Church Center and to a 'standing room only' crowd. Our subject centered around the Episcopal Church DVD presentation Disputing the Doctrine of Discovery and was followed by a number of our Native Episcopal Women commenting and presenting various aspects related to that subject as it relates to Indian People today. I truly believe that that opportunity was a catalyst for change for those in attendance. We were thereafter, and for the remainder of our week there, bombarded with questions, comments, and further discussions about what, when, how, why...etc. Our intent as presenters was rewarded by the crop of positive feedback and intense questioning that followed our presentation thereafter.

It is a beginning..a place to come from..and a wealth of opportunities for the future with whatever groups we may find ourselves placed in to garner individuals who are anxious and ready to hear the truth and to assist us in carrying the banner for change that is way overdue for our Indian People. My hopes for our success in communicating these truths were not only realized but blessed beyond belief. Truly, in this case,"communication was the beginning of understanding " for the majority of those with whom we were privileged to share our message.

Anglican Council of Indigenous Women representatives Sarah Eagle Heart, Oglala Lakota, Indigenous Missioner; Nellie Adkins, Chickahominy; Denyse Bergie, Eastern Shoshone; Jasmine Bostock, Native Hawaiian; Caressa James, Choctaw, Kiowa, Arapaho; and I (Shuswap/Secwepemc) attended the Non-Governmental Organization forum of the 56th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York. In our second year, we are the “charter class” of Native women in ministry participants to learn about the United Nations.

Elsie Dennis also attended and shared her insights -

Our participation involved hosting a first-time presentation by our group; “Exposing the Doctrine of Discovery, a Call to Healing and Hope” held at the United Nations Church Center and attended by more than a hundred people from the Anglican Communion and other faith communities. We also attended other parallel events that focused on grassroots organizing, networking and gaining information to share in our communities and use in our lay ministries.

My part of the Doctrine of Discovery presentation focused on the ongoing impact of the three edicts issued during the 15th Century sanctioning the enslavement of people in Africa and the Americas, and the oppression of indigenous people in taking their lands, language, culture, and children, forced relocations, massacres and other atrocities.

Workshops I attended included: “Circle Leadership: All Are Leaders,” “Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership,” “Rural Women of the Americas,” and “Ending Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Activism and Challenges.” As a group, we went to “Empowered: Rural Women ‘Shout Out’” to listen to and support Sarah Eagle Heart, who served as a panelist in a trio that shared information on what’s happening from their different perspectives in rural communities in the United States, the Philippines, and Africa.

I also was invited to give the sermon at the closing Eucharist of the first week of Anglican Women’s Empowerment at the UNCSW. The Rt. Rev. Herbert Donovan, Deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Anglican Communion Relations, asked me to stand following the sermon in recognition.

Since returning to the Diocese of Olympia, I have done a presentation on the Doctrine of Discovery at a gathering of the Commission for Multicultural Ministries. Another member of the First Nations Committee has requested to meet with me to discuss an ongoing relationship with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. One idea is to see if there is energy and interest in creating a separate committee of those in the diocese who have attended various United Nations forums.

I look forward to seeing the next class of Native women begin their learning in 2013. Participation provides a unique opportunity to live our faith, meet with other women from around the world, and to represent Native Episcopalian women in service to the Creator and The Episcopal Church.



Oneh, Nellie Adkins -Chickahominy (Powhatan Confederacy of Virginia)

My name is Denyse Bergie I am Eastern Shoshone from the Wind River Reservation. I always love going to the CSW, I never leave NYC without feeling empowered.

This years UNCSW theme was The Doctorine of Discovery, as a member of the Easter Shoshone Tribe from the Wind River Reservation in WY, the title wouldn't be a favorite novel if it were a book. Although it did move 6 women of different tribal nations to speak on, due to the history and impact of the Doctorine of Discovery upon the "Native American Communties" it is a harsh reality, and the impacts still affect reservations today. The Anglican Council of Indigenous Women held a parallel event titled "Exposing the Doctorine of Discovery" which gave the viewers a glimpse of what happened to tribes across the nation, children being taken from their homes, put in boarding school, hair cut, speaking the language was forbidden and punishments were malicous. I know this is true because my grandparents were in boarding schools, and my grandfather ran away from it. But they never spoke of what happened there. The intergenerational trauma caused a huge gash in culture, language and the communties and the impact still haunts the reservations today.

I toured the United Nations Headquarters and noticed there is no acknowledgment of Native Americans as people of the world, all the massacres and wars on the US soil are not recognized, yet there are memorials of the Holocaust, and all other wars outside of the United States. But the reality of how it became the United States is not acknowledged. They had a entire wall covering a article on Genocide and what happened to my ancestors is genocide through and through. I am not attacking, I am educating and speaking from a Native American view. As a women of the world, the circle I am part of at the UN is strong and each women represents their own culture and they stand behind their beliefs, we are spirit warriors. All our prayers are strong, and we pray for the same thing, building stronger communties and the need for economic development and mother our earth so it can mother us. The events I attended educated me, and I feel for all those who suffer in the world, I am honored to have attended this years UNCSW 2012.