Welcome to the I Am Why blog!
Here I Am Why’s consultants, staff and partners write about what’s happening at I Am Why, our values and our take on the issues that matter to us most.
Indigenizing I Am Why Spaces
What does my current work as an I Am Why consultant look like? I participate in the Motherhood Support Group and am a member of the Speak On Us and Self Advocacy Learning Pods while co-leading the Embracing Creative Freedom Pod. In these spaces, I’ve developed my...
I’m An Indigenous Child: Clarissa Koop
Meet Apsaalooke Back in June, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Haalandd V. Brackeen affirming the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA is a federal law passed in 1978 that governs the removal and out-of-home placement of Indigenous children and youth....
Motherhood Zine: How we developed the line art for our cover
Long before the pandemic, before Zoom was part of the vocabulary of so many, I Am Why existed in virtual space. Our work is rooted in in-person workshops where we partner with organizations focused on young people with lived experiences pushing for systemic change. In...
Motherhood Support Group Releases a Zine
Sengitsamu, Hey love, Bendicion, Aho, Was good, Bonjou, Hello, For over two years, I Am Why has hosted a nurturing space that has uplifted and validated the voices of mothers. The purpose of the Motherhood Support Group is to build a community of mamas to share...
Population
Change They said that this day was to uplift our culture but somewhere in there, there is rage Like a slap on the risk, or a pat on the head, modernizing the modern days of slaves Change Happened when the slavery was abolished for “blacks” in 1865...
Mamas Retreat into the Desert!
The Motherhood Support Group, composed of young mamas from all over turtle island, has been gathering for the past few years to offer support, upliftment, and love to each other. Sharing stories, sharing tears, sharing laughter, all through virtual shared space. This...
The State of Blackness and Our Relation to Change
For many people, February 2023 was a time to learn about Black history by uplifting important figures of the past and present-day times. At I Am Why our Justice Initiatives team decided to give reverence to Black culture by taking time to acknowledge the past while...
Mentorship + Emergent Strategies = Emergent Leaders
In I Am Why’s book circle, we focus on more than reading. We also grow our community through team building, which is part of I Am Why’s model of mentorship. The book circle reached a milestone in the month of January: We completed Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree...
She Writes: A Response to The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice
She Writes A Response to The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice, by Fania E. Davis Ani Bere A Enso Gya Asase Ye Duru Dear Ms. Davis, Our book circle has read your book, small but packed with so much power. We completed this read before the break of...
Tradition
In honor of Indigenous Heritage Month Trusting one another, Respecting what is being shared, A teaching moment, Direct from ancestors that were forced Into institutions, That created friction and diminished our cultures. Initiating our heritage and being Open to...
Part 2: Modern Day Genocide, They Are Doing this All Over Again to Us
Part 2: Modern day genocide, they are doing this all over again to us. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was passed in 1978 because Indigenous children and youth were being removed from their homes at far higher rates than other children and youth. Research from the...
Part 1: Modern day genocide, they are doing this all over again to us
Part 1: Modern day genocide, they are doing this all over again to us. ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) helps us fight to preserve the connection between a child and his or her tribe. If it is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the children stand to lose so much...
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