GATHER with Patricia Crowe
Strengthening the Braid One Strand at a Time
Each strand adds strength to the Braid! As we begin our traditional walk we learn the ways of seeing, doing, being and knowing; we grow in our responsibilities and our roles as mothers, grandmothers, life-givers, teach us to lead from a place of sacredness.
GATHER is a community of Indigenous and non-Indigenous changemakers coming together on a consistent basis to learn, heal, and grow - together - and a digital storytelling platform that tracks these raw, real, and authentic conversations and tells the story of the wisdom gathered for a purpose throughout this individual and collective journey of expansion.
WHO is Patricia Crowe?
Patricia Crowe wears many hats, and leads through many roles that you can find listed below...
- Co-chair of Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network (2022)
- Moderator for UN/NGO CSW66 "Access to Clean Water in Indigenous Communities" (2022)
- Senior Consultant with Morris Interactive (2021)
- Indigi-X Global Exchange Cohort Alumni (2021)
- Indigenous Development Leadership Institute Indigenous Women's Executive Leadership Alumni (2021)
- Co-founder of Rise up Against Abuse (2015)
- NWAC and SK Aboriginal Women's Circle Corporation Past Board of Director
Beyond her 'roles' the most important thing that Patricia would have you know is that each piece of this multi-strand braid is inspired by her given name - Eagle Spirit Dancer.
Patricia carries this with her daily:
I want to be inspired, to be challenged, to learn, explore new realms and territories, delve, immerse, embrace, feel uplifted & tingly.
And then I want to share this with others.
I want to be the best that I can be, to breathe in life, with air (wind), passion (fire), groundedness (earth) and nourishment(water).
I want to go where I am needed, to hear the stories and the survival and let the gifts and the answers reveal themselves…to hug, to laugh, to cry, to share.
I want to be the messenger, to know love, to be light; to radiate it so I am blinding and people cannot look at me.
And to do this I need to be lit, not by man, not by woman, but by me and the spirit I carry - connection to all things.
The dreams you have are true and very accurate, I was free, no bounds, no ties, no promises, no vows - able to fly.
Moving in whatever direction I felt...awakening to beauty, watching stars, feeling the wind, renewed with dancing, bathed in sunlight, listening to the trees - to the insects and creatures…called to renourish in the water…and be naked (vulnerable; pure; accepting; free).
This is who I am and I love me - Creator created me, breathed this spirit in me many moons ago. I have asked for acceptance of who I am and know I have a good heart, I am kind and loving, I am not afraid.
This spirit carries much energy, consuming itself daily and renewing at night, journeying into dreams and visions; travelling just as you do.
This spirit needs to be lit daily, to be ignited daily, that is why I smudge and pray and sweat and fast and sundance….to be me!
It is a collection of different experiences, energies and spirits that nourish me and keep me balanced.
Why is this conversation important?
Too many of our people (womxn) have been impacted by abuse, violence and trauma; we can lead (no problem); however, if we do not know who we are as women, then many of us will lead from a learned colonized worldview (patriarchal; power; control).
Then we will pass on this learned knowledge/wisdom to our next generations and them to the next, etc. It is OK to be yourself and who you are is enough; meaning that we can be nurturing, loving, kind, supportive, gentle, encouraging (just like our grandmothers) and still lead (even knowing when to move out of the way to let others to lead!) and create opportunities like powHERhouse to amplify Indigenous womxn's leadership and to sit comfortably with the women (without the effects of lateral violence).
As we reclaim our leadership roles; it is important to know who we are (who I am, and who you are) as a woman, as a life-giver, that we are sacred and that as women we have sacred responsibilities as mothers/grandmothers (in traditional and non-traditional roles) and as keepers of the water, and how this way of walking and talking strengthens our leadership roles (we are responsible for everything, we breathe life into everything) As women, we have Grandmother Moon Ceremonies and songs where we give thanks to the grandmothers, thanks for being a woman, thanks for all the gifts that we carry as a woman; that gift of life, and how we give life to everything.
"I am woman; I walk alone and the Grandmother walks with me and she gives me that life and in turn I give that life. As women; we have a lot of work, because we give life to everything, we breathe life into everything; we need the grandmothers help and we always need to do things in a good way; to sit in a spot with a good heart, a good mind and a good spirit. They expect us to do our best because, we are human and when we have a hard time; we have to call upon the good grandmothers and grandfathers to help us as we journey on this road; this red road, this good road, this sacred road as we journey on our spiritual walk."
- as shared by Elder Florence Allen
Connect with Patricia on LinkedIn and find the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network (SIEDN) company page on LinkedIn to follow and amplify her message if it resonates for you.
Gather with us on June 22, 2022 at 8 am PT for a co-created conversation and changemaker community experience. LIVE on LinkedIn.
Meet your GATHER for HER Co-hosts here:
Moderator Christina Benty
Host Charlene SanJenko
Story tracker Tina Overbury
Graphic recorder Sharon Marshall
As always, our offerings to WATCH, SUBSCRIBE and GATHER with us live every Wednesday at 8am PT are always available to you. We have a new offering for your - LISTEN to the HOW for H.E.R - Human Expansion Realized Podcast anytime.
