Welcome to the Third Annual Conference for American Indian Women of Proud Nations.  We are especially grateful to those of you who attended the previous conferences.  You are the reason we are here at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, founded in 1887 as the first state-supported college for Indians.

The conference theme, “Patchwork to Holism: Spirituality, Education, Health,
Economics, and community,” compels tribes and organizations to stand together to build healthy Indian communities. Like the patchwork of a quilt made of many single pieces, one piece of cloth is very weak but the pieces stitched together are very strong.  Let us reach out and wrap a strong quilt around the entire world and transform it for our children - all children - so they feel honored and respected.

This inspiring, strategic, proactive and affirming conference facilitates the intergenerational transfer of Native ways and knowledge to young American Indian women. The agenda furthers the ideals of our organization to give Native women the opportunity to celebrate who we are as mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, sisters, wives, leaders and today’s warriors.

We lift up the conference Elder-in-Residence Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck, who suffered a stroke June 6, 2009.  We miss her wisdom.  She has served as a catalyst in the Indian rights struggle of the 1970s and beyond.  In order to ensure our continuing progress in protecting Indian rights, it is critical that we ensure the invaluable knowledge and leadership skills of seasoned Indian women activists, such as Dr. Scheirbeck, are passed on to the next generation of leadership.

Community wellness champions are leaders who know how to stitch the right patterns to get things done in their communities.  These deserving women will be honored at the banquet on Friday night.  Just as these women have done, we challenge you to think of an idea to change your community and put it into action.

We honor our elders, our children, our students, our veterans and our emerging leaders to show we are truly developing a “Patchwork to Holism.”  Enjoy the conference! Please stay in touch by visiting out web site at www.aiwpn.org!

AIWPN lapel pins and raffle tickets are on sale for $5 each.

Sincerely,

Rosa Revels Winfree (Lumbee), Chairperson
Conference Planning Committee

This year’s conference is being held at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Founded in 1887 to train American Indian teachers, UNC Pembroke was recently designated as North Carolina’s Historic American Indian University.

UNC Pembroke is located in the heart of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

North Carolina has over 100,000 American Indians. The eight tribes of North Carolina are the Coharie, Eastern Band of the Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw Siouan.

Conference Logo:
Turtle with Shaman's Knot

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Last Updated: Friday, September 18, 2009