Whoops! Here's the article I mentioned in the post below:
https://wawataynews.ca/node/194
Mohawk Olympian battles trauma of Oka standoff | Wawatay News
wawataynews.ca
After surviving a bayonet stab to the chest during the last hours of the Oka Crisis in 1990, Waneek Horn-Miller went on to become an Olympian.
INSPIRATION OF THE DAY…
Hey everyone! I just got back from Canada, where I spoke at the Inspiring Leadership conference for women at the University of Regina. And man, did I come away inspired.
Here's a photo of me with a woman named Waneek Horn-Miller, who also spoke at the event. Waneek is a young Mohawk woman who grew up in every kind of poverty there is, except (thanks to her mother) a poverty of the spirit. When she was 14, Waneek was stabbed with a bayonet by a Canadian soldier during a stand-off on the reservation. She was trying to protect her little sister, and got in the way of the man with a bayonet. She was stabbed while her sister was in her arms. So she did protect her sister, but she was seriously wounded. (And may I just say — a BAYONET? In what century does this kind of thing occur? It's awful.)
She was already a promising athlete at the time, but the trauma of this event drove her to hide in her house, overcome by fear and panic. The story Waneek told us was of her mother coming into her bedroom at last and saying, "If you quit your life now, everyone in the world would understand. You've been through something unspeakably terrible. Nobody would blame you for staying hidden forever now. But if you do that, the soldier who attacked you owns your life. You will be his victim forever. And I didn't raise my daughters to be the victim of any man."
So Waneek came back into the world, after all. And exactly ten years later, she was competing in Sydney, Australia as the captain of the Canadian Olympic water polo team.
Today she's a fierce advocate for the rights of aboriginal people and the safety of women.
She blew my mind, is what I'm saying.
Here's an article about her, if you want to know more.
I'll never forget those words: "I didn't raise my daughters to be the victim of any man."
Onward, everyone.
Love, Liz
For those of you who like to engage in the "paper vs. digital" debate over the future of books, thought you might enjoy this brilliant little video…
🙂
LIZ
The Paperless Future – "Emma"
www.flixxy.com
A TV spot from France takes up the debate between 'all digital' and the die-hard defenders of paper.
THE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR (and an apology!)
OK, remember how I got all emphatic with the exclamation points and the commands and I said WATCH THIS PAGE because something amazing is going to happen in 48 hours?
Um, hold that thought.
Because I just found out that the amazing announcement has to be stalled for a week, due to technical problems outside of my control. But you know what? Seriously? Next week…something amazing is going to happen! Hang in there with me, folks…it'll be worth it, I promise. I pinky-swear promise.
In the meanwhile, for your enjoyment, here's a photo of me and my friend Yudhi, whom you may remember from Eat, Pray, Love. Somebody (thank you Angi) just asked me if Yudhi ever made it back to America after his deportation. The answer, unfortunately, is no — but he has much relaxed into his destiny in Indonesia, and I am pleased to report that he is happy, productive and joyful as ever.
Here's a photo of us together on my last trip to Bali, cracking each other up as usual….and here's a lovely video of Yudhi playing his handmade instrument (not a guitar, not a ukelele, but, of course "a yudelele"). This is how he's making his living now, handcrafting and selling these lovely little things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veo-cdiSt4o
We love him.
Good night everyone, and thanks for your patience with my big surprise! Sorry to drag it out…nobody wants to reveal this more than me. IT SHALL COME.
Next week.
Promise.
xo
Liz
Another pilgrim finds his way to Ketut Liyer…
